Ford Motor Co. on Thursday announced it is opening a new research and development center in Atlanta, a move the automaker said is aimed at building a pipeline of software experts by tapping into the city’s diverse pool of tech talent.

The Ford Atlanta Research and Innovation Center, or FARIC, joins R&D facilities Ford already operates in Tel Aviv and Palo Alto, California. FARIC’s work will focus on developing software solutions in areas including digitally connected vehicles and artificial intelligence…

Part of the center’s mission will include increasing Black, Hispanic and female representation in software engineering and other “high technology” careers. Ford said some of the strategies for achieving that including leveraging relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the region and the Atlanta University Center Consortium; establishing and deepening relationships with regional colleges and universities; and creating flexible, non-traditional career pathways for people interested in software and high-tech jobs.