Xiaomi Corp, which is investing US$10 billion over 10 years in autonomous driving and car manufacture, is speeding up business expansion with patent applications, aggressive recruitment and investment.
It has applied for 446 smart driving related patents globally, covering wireless communication, autonomous driving, vehicle control, Internet of Vehicles and gesture control. The proportion of invention patents is as high as 99.33 percent, according to data from PatSnap, which provides patent data and analytics services.
Based on intelligent analysis, Xiaomi's patent number will grow rapidly between 2021 and 2023, said PatSnap, which has raised investment from Softbank and Tencent.
On Xiaomi's website, several dozen autonomous driving jobs are on offer, covering data platform, vehicle infrastructure, millimeter wave algorithm, development tools, embedded software, high-precision map and simulation platform, all based in the company's Beijing headquarters. Applicants for the majority of the jobs are "urgently needed," according to the website.
In March, HK-listed Xiaomi said it was to invest US$10 billion in the electric car business over the next decade. It will establish a wholly-owned subsidiary for electric cars with Lei Jun, Xiaomi's CEO, head of the new business.