Audi AG and SAIC Motor have jointly established the Audi Innovation Technology Center, which officially opened in Shanghai. The center serves as an R&D entity for the AUDI brand, equipped with full vehicle development and end-to-end R&D capabilities, and will strengthen Audi's local R&D system in China. The center focuses on intelligent electrification technologies and full vehicle development, with key emphasis on software-defined vehicles and AI-defined vehicles. Its core R&D directions include full vehicle engineering and driving dynamics, AI-powered smart cockpits for Chinese high-end users, and next-generation advanced driver assistance systems. Its R&D process covers product definition, engineering development, validation, and other stages. The two parties will jointly develop four all-new AUDI models based on the ADP 2.0 intelligent digital platform, with the first model planned to debut in 2028, expanding the AUDI brand's model lineup in China. Previously, the two parties signed a strategic cooperation agreement in April 2026, and the joint venture was officially established on September 3. This opening marks that the R&D entity has entered a new operational phase. Audi adopts a dual-brand layout in China: the AUDI brand is operated by SAIC Audi and focuses on the new energy market, having already launched two models, the Audi E5 Sportback and the Audi E7X; the Audi four-ring brand is advanced by China FAW to promote the coordinated development of fuel vehicles and new energy vehicles.