German automaker BMW last week announced it has agreed to establish a new R&D centre in partnership with China’s Tsinghua University, focused on developing advanced technologies in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI), vehicle to everywhere (V2X) and solid-state batteries (SSBs).

Tsinghua University is based in the Chinese capital Beijing and already has technology development partnerships with Japanese automakers Toyota and Nissan.

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BMW group chairman Oliver Zipse, while attending the unveiling of “The Sustainable Development and Mobility Innovation Joint Research Institute”, pointed out that “China is a powerhouse for innovation and a leader in intelligent mobility development”.

BMW confirmed that the new partnership will focus its research on cutting-edge automotive technologies, including battery cell safety, SSBs, recycling, AI and vehicle-road-cloud integration. It will also help nurture new engineering talent for the company’s Chinese operations and also “foster cultural integration”.

The company plans to introduce a new generation of connected technologies, including V2X, in its Chinese-made vehicles from next year.

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