AI and autonomous driving technology verification · Mercedes

*This content was translated by AI.

Mercedes-Benz Korea announced on the 10th that it held a kickoff event for its open innovation program, "Startup Autobahn Korea 2026," at Seoul Square in Jung-gu, Seoul, and has begun a approximately 100-day technology verification (PoC) with four promising domestic startups selected as finalists.

The companies selected this year are Cogcom, Wonder's Lab, NanoMiracle, and Bright, totaling four firms. This year, the program focused on AI-centered collaboration projects to ensure tangible R&D outcomes from a medium-to-long-term perspective, with three of the selected projects based on AI-driven technologies. Collaboration will proceed based on actual business and technical challenges proposed by operational departments.

Each company's collaboration project includes Cogcom's AI-based vehicle testing issue management, Wonder's Lab's AI-based work knowledge management, NanoMiracle's AI-based autonomous driving verification path generation, and Bright's 800V electric vehicle wireless charging system. This year, the scope of collaboration has been expanded beyond improving work efficiency through AI to include vehicle development and verification, autonomous driving, and next-generation EV charging technologies, aiming to validate the feasibility of applying these technologies in the automotive industry. The four startups will conduct phased technology verification through December and plan to review actual business application, further technology development, and potential follow-up collaborations based on final results.

Shirin Emara, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Korea, emphasized that by closely connecting the innovative technologies of promising startups with the actual business and technical challenges of operational departments, they aim to demonstrate their potential within Mercedes-Benz's business and mobility environment, leading to tangible results and sustained collaboration.

Meanwhile, "Startup Autobahn" is a global open innovation platform launched by the Mercedes-Benz Group headquarters in 2016. It was introduced to Korea in 2020 and marks its seventh iteration this year. To date, Mercedes-Benz Korea has provided technology verification and commercialization opportunities to 58 promising domestic startups.

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