BMW launches software JV in Portugal
With the final signing of the contracts and the approval of the competition authorities, the BMW Group and Critical Software have completed the establishment of their joint venture. In the joint venture, the partners combine their competencies in the areas of mobility and automotive software engineering for the development of future-oriented onboard and offboard applications. BMW holds 51 percent of the shares in the new company, which already has around 200 employees at its Portuguese locations in Lisbon and Porto.
The establishment of the joint venture is a further step in BMW’s transformation from a car manufacturer to a provider of mobility services. The tasks of Critical TechWorks include the development of software solutions for digitization and automation in the areas of product development, manufacturing and sales. Using agile development methods, the joint venture’s specialists use BMW Group data to design innovative business models and knowledge-based product developments. The spectrum of innovations ranges from in-car infotainment solutions and digital services through autonomous transport systems for production to highly integrated solutions in product data management. The development of digital sales and after-sales platforms will also be part of the new company’s range of tasks.
The members of the joint venture’s management board will be provided equally by Critical Software and the BMW Group. CEO is Rui Cordeiro, who comes from Critical Software. The company is expected to grow rapidly; the number of employees is expected to rise from 200 to 500 by 2019.
Critical Software develops software solution for aerospace, automotive, defence, utilities, and public administration. The company maintains subsidiaries in Germany, UK, California and Angola.
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