Intel Invests in Product Development and Research to Spur Innovation in the Connected Car

In today’s mobile world, personal computing touches every part of consumers’ daily lives while at home, at the office and on the road,” said Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini. “By broadening our research efforts, academic and capital investments and opening the Automotive Innovation and Product Development Center, Intel is deepening its understanding of how people interact with their cars and how Intel innovations can enhance the automotive experience.”

The Automotive Innovation and Product Development Center will serve as Intel’s global center of competence for the development of products and technologies for in-vehicle infotainment and telematics solutions for the connected car. The center will optimize Intel technologies for applications and services as well as capabilities for consumer electronics integration, performance optimization and system design.

Located in Karlsruhe, Germany, the site benefits from its proximity to top technical universities and a robust ecosystem of hardware and software vendors with expertise in automotive technology. The customized facility features a unique secured car park that provides an on-site location for Intel to install, test and showcase developments. Additional features include state-of-the-art instrumentation, a myriad of antennae to provide satellite, TV, digital video and GPS for development and testing, and a world-class engineering compute infrastructure.

The new Karlsruhe facility is part of Intel´s Automotive Solutions Division within the Intel Architecture Group and is in addition the latest member of Intel’s European research and development network Intel Labs Europe, which consists of currently 27 R&D centers and more than 1500 R&D professionals.

Intel also announced plans for a comprehensive academic program that includes fundamental and applied research, curriculum development and internship programs to foster the exchange of innovative ideas among academia, Intel and the automotive industry. The program will be hosted at the Karlsruhe site and will tap into an extensive Intel European Research and Development network of researchers and developers, labs and research relationships.

Expanding Research to Explore Human Interactions in Vehicles
With the expansion of Intel Labs Interaction and Experience Research, Intel and its customers will obtain valuable insights into consumer experiences in the vehicle. Intel aims to apply that knowledge to the development of technology solutions for the vehicle and transportation infrastructure to make the driving experience more enjoyable, intuitive and safe. For example, Intel is looking at new ways to use the Internet, sensors and context-aware technology to determine what and how information should be presented to drivers and passengers to reduce complex interactions while driving.

Intel Capital Creates $100 Million Connected Car Fund
Today, Intel Capital became the first global technology investment organization to announce an investment fund focused on fostering automotive technology innovation. The Intel Capital Connected Car Fund aims to accelerate the seamless connection between the vehicle and consumer electronic devices as well as drive new in-vehicle applications, services and differentiated user experiences based on Intel technologies. Over the next 5 years, Intel Capital will invest in hardware, software and services companies that are developing leading-edge ingredient technology and platform capabilities that support Intel’s focus areas in automotive.