Shanghai municipal government announced on Feb 20 that it had signed an agreement with Horizon Robotics to establish global research and development centers in the East China metropolis - to accelerate the development of homemade central processing units and artificial intelligence chips for smart vehicles.

Shanghai is building a world-class cutting-edge industrial cluster which aims to achieve breakthroughs in key core technologies for smart vehicles.

Planning for unmanned driving testing and for smart vehicle development has been successively implemented in the city's Lin-gang Special Area.

To date, nearly 50 enterprises related to the integrated circuits or IC industry and several AI research platforms and enterprises – including SenseTime Technology and Horizon Robotics - have settled in Lin-gang.

AI technology and chips provided by them will be carried by vehicles produced by several auto plants in the area – including Tesla and SAIC – to develop the unmanned driving industry.

Under plans for the intelligent network-connected automobile industry led by the Lin-gang Special Area Administration, the area will improve regulations and technological standards, give full play to institutional innovation, promote the breakthrough of policies and regulations and pilot the development of smart transportation and unmanned driving.

Hands down: Unmanned driving is being seriously tried out in the Lin-gang Special Area. [Photo/WeChat account: shlgguanweihui]

Furthermore, the Lin-gang Special Area will pioneer the development of highly automated driving - L3 level or above – as well as promote the conditional testing and demonstration of highly automated vehicles on expressways and elevated highways and pilot the operation of unmanned vehicles in specific areas.