The Renault-Nissan Alliance has expanded its Silicon Valley presence following the unveiling of an advanced research center to initially specialize in autonomous driving and connected cars.

Today marks the official opening of the Nissan Research Center Silicon Valley (NRC-SV), which will enhance Nissan's global research capability through collaborative partnerships with companies and research institutions in this global technology hub.

The opening of NRC-SV is part of Nissan's global strategy to expand and localize its R&D function in strategic markets. The new Silicon Valley research center will take responsibility for selected roles in collaboration with Nissan Research Center in Japan.

The initial projects that Nissan researchers will pursue include:

1. Research of autonomous vehicles to realize a future with safe, stress-free mobility;
2. Research of connected vehicles that can tap into infrastructure and the Internet to maximize energy and time efficiency; and
3. Research in the area of Human Machine Interface to enhance the experience of autonomous and connected vehicles.