en.Wedoany.com Reported - The School of Engineering and Sciences at Tecnológico de Monterrey has partnered with Geely (operating through BloomDrive Intelligence) to jointly advance the development of autonomous driving and intelligent mobility solutions. The Mobility Intelligence Lab Geely, established by both parties, is a space built through research projects and the loan of Geely EX5 EM-i vehicles, aimed at strengthening the training of engineers and experts.
Jorge de Jesús Lozoya, head of the mobility team at Tecnológico de Monterrey and director of BloomDrive Intelligence, stated that this alliance will focus on exchanging experiences regarding the behavior of autonomous vehicles in real-world environments. He hopes that academic talent can contribute to Geely's evolution, while researchers and students benefit from industry best practices. He explained that the key is how to leverage local talent to penetrate Geely México and Geely Mundial, with the long-term goal of allowing industry best practices to benefit faculty and be reflected in updates to curricula and research directions.
Although the development of autonomous vehicles is advancing globally, their implementation in Mexico still faces challenges related to infrastructure, connectivity, and driving culture. This collaboration will accelerate technology adoption through testing on local streets and roads. Lozoya believes it is very complex to make autonomous vehicles interact in environments lacking technology, connectivity, and plagued by poor driving habits. One of the lab's key focuses is to localize intelligent mobility technologies to adapt them to Mexican market conditions, as global technical standards are often based on other regions, leading to potential warranty differences, accelerated wear, or services not meeting expectations upon arrival in Mexico.
The impact of this alliance directly points to a transformation in the automotive industry's business model. By 2035, urban transportation is expected to shift towards a Mobility as a Service model, with value moving from vehicle manufacturing to services surrounding the car. Consistent with Geely's global alliance with Waymo, the goal is to develop native platforms ready to operate as autonomous taxis. This paradigm shift will force local automotive suppliers, especially Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies based in the region, to evolve rapidly.
Bryan Wu, General Manager of Geely México, emphasized the importance of opening channels of collaboration with academia to anticipate market demands. He believes the future of innovation is built on the talent of young people, and the alliance with Tecnológico de Monterrey's School of Engineering and Sciences represents a milestone for the company in Mexico, capable of driving innovation, engineering, and talent to jointly develop solutions that contribute to the transformation of transportation and mobility needed by society in the coming years.
The lab already has active projects. The autonomous loop in San Pedro Garza García, already operating with a minibus, aims to develop intelligent transportation in urban environments. The most disruptive project is participation in La Carrera Panamericana, using a modified Porsche vehicle named "El Fantástico." The team is completely overhauling it with the goal of making it an autonomous vehicle, involving software and engineering development from scratch using local talent.
Through the Mobility Intelligence Lab Geely, Tecnológico de Monterrey and Geely are accelerating technology development in the mobility sector and leading related technical discussions in Mexico and Latin America.
