Russian autonomous vehicle company Cognitive Pilot and Chinese rail signalling provider Fitsco have linked up to develop a variety of ITS solutions.
Their strategic alliance will see the companies working together on smart cities, intelligent transport and autonomous driving.
Earlier this year, the firms signed a deal to work on artificial intelligence (AI)-based computer vision system for driverless trams.
The new agreement is far wider in scope, involving collaborative R&D on smart digital technologies for public transport, including AI-based solutions related to smart roads, smart technologies for urban public transport systems and intelligent control systems in East and South-east Asia as well as in Russia.
Jack Wu, CEO of Fitsco, says that China plans to establish a comprehensive modern transport system by 2035 and that the construction of "smart urban rail transit" is being actively promoted.
Cognitive Pilot CEO Olga Uskova says the alliance will help both companies accelerate the development of smart transport, with infrastructure technologies by Fitsco and transport tech from her own company.
“New digital technologies in public transport and smart cities are among the most important and promising fields for development," she adds.
"It will also help achieve significant cost efficiencies in the development of new technologies for urban mobility and public transport automation.”
Russia plans to spend over $60 billion in the next decade on renewing its own urban public transport systems.
Fitsco, controlled by China Railway Electrification Bureau, is one of China's main urban rail transit signalling system providers, while Cognitive Pilot is a joint venture between Sberbank and Cognitive Technologies Group.
