Why Geely’s ECRI is focusing on collaboration, not just technology
Geely's External Collaboration Research Institute (ECRI) is combining AI, functional safety and local engineering expertise to help OEMs develop software-defined vehicles through global collaboration, end-to-end engineering and regionally tailored manufacturing support
Speaking with AMS, ECRI president Ms Wang Xiaojun explains ECRI’s strategy, the technical and commercial services it offers, and how the institute sees the industry evolving.
In her presentation at the MOVE 2026 event, Ms Wang set out the strategic approach underpinning ECRI’s work. “The global automotive industry is entering a new phase. AI is reshaping the automobile,” she told delegates, and noted that technological change is only one part of the picture: “At the same time, global expectations around safety, regulation, data governance and system trustworthiness are accelerating faster than ever.”
The future of software‑defined vehicles (SDV) “is no longer just about software capability. It's becoming a competition of global collaboration capability
Her framing is blunt: The future of software‑defined vehicles (SDV) “is no longer just about software capability. It's becoming a competition of global collaboration capability.” In other words, success will go to organisations that can combine technological depth with the ability to work across regions, regulators and industries – and to do so while preserving system‑level safety and trust.
To tackle that, Geely – through ECRI – is pursuing three core principles: Treat extreme safety as the foundation for openness; use “full domain AI” to knit fragmented systems together; and enable globalisation through intentional, localised collaboration. Those principles feed into an engineering architecture Ms Wang described as “EA 4.0,” which, she said, “brings safety, AI computing and worldwide collaboration into a single united system.”
Taken together, the presentation sets the scene for ECRI not simply as a developer of components or software, but as a partner that aims to supply integrated technical platforms, safety frameworks and localised delivery capabilities to customers worldwide.
Geely is no stranger to working with other brands, notably owing a majority share in Volvo cars and ownership of Polestar. The company also shares a joint venture with Renault, Horse Powertrain, producing ICE and hybrid engines. However, the scope and scale of ECRI’s strategy and ambitions would seem to be taking traditional automotive partnerships and collaboration to the next level, and this could be a strong indicator for the direction of the automotive industry as a whole.
End‑to‑end technical solutions and local execution
Speaking with AMS Ms Wang was clear that ECRI’s remit goes far beyond consultancy, describing ECRI’s offer as: “End to end. That means from the design engineer development and the purchasing system and the manufacturing, we are even including after sales.” In short, ECRI aims to cover the full lifecycle: Product definition, engineering, sourcing, manufacturing and post‑sales support.
That breadth includes both technology packages and delivered platforms. When asked whether ECRI would provide physical platforms that a customer could put a body on, the response was affirmative: ECRI can deliver “turnkey” solutions – from electronics and mechanical actuators to production processes – and scale from small advisory projects to full manufacturing programmes.
A distinctive aspect of ECRI’s model is its insistence on local execution. “We put a lot of focus into supporting localisation,” Ms Wang said, adding that ECRI runs engineering centres in Europe (Frankfurt and Gothenburg were mentioned) and builds local teams to work side‑by‑side with partners. The organisation’s approach is “local for local”: recruit and deploy local labour and build solutions that meet regional customer and regulatory needs.
After decades of off-shoringoffshoring manufacturing and globalising supply chains, localisation has become an important area of focus in creating more resilient operations and for ECRI serves multiple purposes, helping partners meet market‑specific requirements, supporting compliance across varied regulatory regimes and channelling Geely’s scale advantage – large volumes and rich user data from its China business – into tested, regionally appropriate solutions. As Ms Wang explained, Geely’s China operations provide “very good testing data and model data and users,” which ECRI can leverage when adapting technology for other markets.
“In five years we would like to become the world leading the technical solution partner with our global partners, developing sustainable and intelligent mobility ecosystems
Technical thinking: Safety first, then full‑domain AI
At the heart of ECRI’s technical strategy is a safety‑first stance that enables openness. Ms Wang said the institute insists on “extreme safety as a foundation of openness,” noting that architecture work at Geely has pursued certifications across functional safety, AI safety and cybersecurity. She pointed to these standards and certifications as part of building trust – “without trust and safety an open ecosystem cannot truly exist.”
Complementing safety is Geely’s “Full Domain AI” concept. Introduced in 2025 and moved to a 2.0 phase with the launch of the WAM (World Action Model) in January 2026, the idea is to move away from isolated intelligence in separate vehicle domains to vehicle‑wide collaborative intelligence. “Through WAM, isolated functions become vehicle wide intelligence,” Ms Wang said. In practical terms this means unifying perception, planning and actuation into a coherently managed, centralised brain rather than a loose collection of domains.
This technical direction addresses one of the major pain points Ms Wang cited: Fragmented architectures that make it hard to foster consistent safety, security and functional behaviour across regions and suppliers. A central computing zone plus a zonal AI approach – the architecture she summarised as EA 4.0 – is intended to provide a single substrate where safety and AI requirements are simultaneously satisfied.
Commercial approach: Collaboration, not competition
ECRI’s market approach takes the form of partnership rather than proprietary lock‑in. Ms Wang emphasised collaboration – both with established OEMs and with tier‑ones and third parties – and acknowledged that ECRI will work with different kinds of customers, from large established manufacturers to newer entrants that need turnkey capabilities.
She reiterated that ECRI builds joint teams with partners to ensure programmes are executed locally: “We will build one team on site to focus on supporting our partners.” That hands‑on collaboration is part of the institute’s value proposition: Not just selling technology but embedding expertise and capability into partner operations.
Ms Wang also articulated a longer‑term, almost mission‑driven rationale: “In five years we would like to become the world leading the technical solution partner with our global partners, developing sustainable and intelligent mobility ecosystems.” Interestingly she framed success not merely as revenue growth but as creating win‑win outcomes for partners through greater collaboration.
Industry implications: Shifting roles and new responsibilities
Ms Wang’s analysis points to a significant reshuffle of industry roles. She argued that OEMs will increasingly take on responsibilities that used to be the preserve of tier‑one suppliers – particularly system integration and AI‑led capabilities – while tier‑ones will need to redefine their position. Third‑party software and AI providers, meanwhile, will play vital roles but must be integrated into trusted, clearly defined relationships with OEMs and suppliers.
The net effect, she suggested, is a more consolidated responsibility at the OEM level for core system functions, with a broader collection of partners providing specialised services, platforms and data. That restructuring creates both risk and opportunity: Companies that cannot adapt to the capital, talent and integration demands of the AI era may fall behind; those that can orchestrate partnerships, deliver viable local solutions and put safety at the centre will gain an advantage.
An architecture for collaborative trust
ECRI’s proposition is rooted in the reality that the next phase of automotive change is not simply technical but organisational and geopolitical. Ms Wang’s dual message – insist on safety and certification, but couple that with full‑domain AI and localized collaboration – reflects an attempt to reconcile rapid technological innovation with the regulatory and trust constraints of global markets.
As she put it in her presentation: “The real question is how do we make this complex system safe, reliable and sustainable?” Geely’s answer, through ECRI, is to provide a platform of engineered assurance and partnered delivery: an architecture that aims to make openness possible by making safety and governance foundational. Whether other players follow the same path remains to be seen, but for now ECRI’s strategy is a clear bet that the future of SDV will be won by those who can build trusted, global collaboration capability as well as software and hardware.
