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The two companies have signed an MoU which will see them working closely to refine autonomous driving technology and other smart car initiatives
Chinese tech giant Huawei has signed a strategic agreement with German car manufacturer Audi to accelerate the development of the next generation of connected cars.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will encourage investment and development in smart car technologies and is part of a broader trade agreement signed by Chinese premier Li Keqiang and the German chancellor Angela Merkel.
“We are entering a new era of intelligent vehicles that will see the emergence of new technological synergies between information and communications technology and the automotive industries,” said Veni Shone, president of LTE Solutions at Huawei.
“With increased innovation in mobile connectivity, Huawei is committed to transforming the driving experience,” he added.
Earlier this year, at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, Huawei showed off its automotive prowess when it unveiled the world’s first smart car controlled entirely by a smartphone.
The MoU between Huawei and Audi will encourage advancement in autonomous driving and the digitalisation of in-vehicle services. As part of the agreement, both companies will develop training programmes to strengthen and reinforce the skills of experts in the field.
“We are intensifying our joint research with Huawei in the area of intelligent connected vehicles,” explained Saad Metz, executive vice president of Audi China, adding: “Our aim is to improve safety and optimise traffic flows in order to create intelligent cities. The concepts will be concentrated initially on the Chinese market.”
