BERLIN — Volkswagen Group‘s software unit Cariad will establish a joint venture with Chinese technologies provider ThunderSoft for connectivity and infotainment systems in China, with ThunderSoft holding a 51 percent stake.
The partnership will develop software products for car cockpits, infotainment systems and cloud development. These are consumer-facing areas where automakers are competing to set themselves apart and retain control over valuable data on consumer behavior.
“The needs and requirements of the Chinese customers are in the center of our strategic efforts,” VW Group China chief Ralf Brandstaetter said on Thursday.
Cariad will be the minority shareholder in the joint venture with a 49 percent stake, in contrast to its majority position in its other joint venture in China with Horizon Robotics to develop a single chip for autonomous driving technology, in which it holds 60 percent.
Headquartered in Beijing and founded in 2008, the Chinese company has joint ventures with Qualcomm, Arm and Intel, according to its website.