Technomous brings highly automated driving to the streets of China

Shanghai, China/Vienna, Austria – April 29, 2019 - Technomous is a joint venture of SAIC Motor Corporation, from here on referred to as SAIC Group, and TTTech Auto, a global leader in safety software solutions for automated driving. A year after the first joint venture contract was signed, Technomous has already reached some milestones on the way to bringing highly automated driving to China. First achievements include the release of the first mass produced intelligent driving car and the development of the intelligent driving control unit iECU.

Technomous plays a key role in supporting SAIC Group’s first mover advantage in the intelligent driving technology and ensuring its leading position on the market. At the end of last year, SAIC Group successfully launched its own brand of intelligent driving cars, MARVEL X. It was the first mass produced model in China with L3 intelligent driving functions on board. Technomous was recognized with the Innovation Breakthrough Award from the city of Shanghai for delivering outstanding development results on the first project. Mr. Chen Zhixin, President of the SAIC Group explained “Technomous is boldly progressing with its strategic opportunities, strongly supported by internal and external stakeholders. We see tremendous value of Technomous in ensuring the leading role for SAIC in this battle of the intelligent driving technology market.”

Currently, Technomous focuses on the integration and development of the intelligent driving Electronic Control Unit (iECU). It will serve as a base to enhance the core technological capabilities in the intelligent driving field for SAIC Group. iECU is powered by TTTech Auto’s MotionWise safety software platform, which is capable of realizing level 2 to level 5 automated driving systems. “We are proud to be supporting SAIC Group in accelerating their journey with autonomous driving projects,” says Georg Kopetz. “The achievements we accomplished together during this first year were crucial to stay ahead of the market in China.”

Opening ceremony for Technomous in January

Representatives of the SAIC Group, Mr. Zu Sijie, Deputy Chief Engineer, and Mr. Chen Zhixin, President, joined the official opening celebration in January. During the event, Mr. Chen Zhixin gave a speech about SAIC’s role in advancing the future of the automotive industry in China and illustrated the importance of the role of the joint venture Technomous in this endeavor. Georg Kopetz, CEO, Harald Triplat, CFO, and Georg Niedrist, Senior Vice President Safety Products & Integration, joined the opening ceremony representing TTTech Auto.

SAIC Group and TTTech Auto signed a joint venture contract in March 2018. SAIC and TTTech Auto set up a joint venture company with a 50.1:49.9 ratio in shares. This close cooperation between China’s largest auto group, ranking 41st in the 2017 Global 500 list, and 7th in the global automotive industry, along with the Austria-based leader in the field of safety software platforms for automated driving is expected to lead the new development and start a new era in the global automotive industry revolution.