Yes, that Ford, the vehicle manufacturer that used to keep Geelong running, until it closed its plant in 2016

The new partnership (D U, Ford and Ansible Motion) is for virtual vehicle design through to physical prototypes. It is funded by Victoria’s  Higher Education State Investment Fund, which is supporting capex, generally for research at universities across the state. There is no word on how much money the state is supplying.

According to Deakin U, the project will establish the university as, “a global leader in advanced research and innovation, in both driver-based and autonomous mobility technologies.” Curiously motor vehicles are not mentioned.