The company logo of the Didi ride-hailing app is seen on a car door at the IEEV New Energy Vehicles Exhibition in Beijing, Oct 18, 2018. [Photo/Agencies]

China's premier ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing recently signed a cooperation agreement with the Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone to build an innovation center in the zone.

According to the agreement, the company plans to set up an innovation center to research and develop ride-sharing services, self-driving, and intelligent transportation in Anhui province.

The two sides agreed to first apply Didi's new products and projects in Hefei and accelerate the application of new energy vehicles.

Officials of the zone said that cooperation on the innovation center will help bolster the zone's internet industry and build Hefei into a smart city with eco-friendly transit.

Didi Chuxing was founded in 2012 and has since become a leading ride-hailing platform with over 500 million users, according to Cheng Wei, the company's CEO. Didi is now a major player in the development of intelligent transportation and self-driving.