Shanghai (ZXZC)- Chinese Internet giant Baidu announced that it has signed an agreement with German automaker Daimler AG to deepen strategic cooperation in autonomous driving and connectivity domains.

“Baidu much look forward to the in-depth cooperation with Daimler AG. We will join forces to make a good example of cross-border cooperation for the overall auto industry worldwide and further promote the global autonomous driving development”, said Robin Li, chairman and CEO of Baidu.

“With the changes facing the industry today, we have worked consistently to implement our C.A.S.E. strategy for innovation both globally and at a local level in China. Daimler and Baidu already enjoy a strong partnership in these two fields, and the signing of this memorandum marks a new milestone in the cooperation between our two companies,” said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

Earlier this July, Daimler became the first global automaker that received a road test license for L4 automated driving vehicles (level 4) in Beijing, marking a major new milestone in the company's local R&D efforts in China. The test vehicles are based on the Mercedes-Benz V-Class boasting advantages in flexibility and loading capacities. The Mercedes-Benz research vehicles are equipped with additional technical applications from Baidu Apollo. Currently, these vehicles have undertaken multiple testing at the National Pilot Zone (Beijing and Hebei) for Intelligent Mobility to qualify for the license.

Under the newly signed agreement, both companies will continue to improve scenarios complexity both on approved public roads and dedicated designated grounds, making safety as priority. 

In addition, the two parties also plan to launch a new joint project in vehicle connectivity, integrating further Baidu connectivity services into Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX), the intelligent human-machine interaction system.

Launched in July, 2017, Baidu's Apollo provides an open, reliable and secure software platform for its partners to develop their own autonomous driving systems through on-vehicle and hardware platforms. On July 4, Baidu unveiled the latest iteration of the Apollo platform dubbed Apollo 3.0 at the Baidu Create 2018. Up until now, Baidu Apollo has formed partnerships with 119 companies and institutions worldwide, including such prominent global automakers as BMW Group and Ford Motor.