Automaker SEAT Says It Is Considering Eight Partnership Opportunities in Israel

Automaker SEAT SA said last week it is considering eight Israeli tech companies for potential partnerships. SEAT said it has met with more than 100 Israeli mobility startups as part of its XPLORA initiative, designed to foster relationships with the Israeli mobility technology sector. In a statement, SEAT’s vice president of research and development Matthias Rabe said that the company is working with the eight selected companies to research ways to adapt their technologies to SEAT’s cars and systems. “The decision to take the leap in Tel Aviv with a new company is driven by strategic motives,” Rabe said. “We want to be known as a tech company that provides mobility rather than just a carmaker,” he added.

SEAT did not reveal the names of the companies it is considering to partner with, but said it is working on technologies in the areas of digital key and cybersecurity, digital passenger recognition, in-car information and communication, and a technology designed to improve driving experience “with a focus on the car windows,” and “a laser projection system that would enable the windscreen to be used as a display.”