WeRide and CTM Sign Strategic Partnership to Expand Southeast Asian Market

WeRide, a global leader in autonomous driving technology (Nasdaq: WRD), has officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Chye Thiam Maintenance (CTM), a well-known Singaporean sanitation company. This partnership will focus on the development of L4 autonomous RoboSweepers, with plans to scale this innovative technology in Singapore and other international markets.

The agreement was signed during a high-level government delegation visit from Beijing to Singapore, alongside other key collaborations, including a memorandum of understanding between Beijing’s Autonomous Driving Demonstration Zone and Singapore's Land Transport Authority, as well as university-level agreements between Tsinghua University and Nanyang Technological University, and a strategic cooperation framework between Beijing's Science and Technology Commission, Zhongguancun Management Committee, and Kangqiao Capital Group.

CTM CEO Edy Tan Wei Hock said, “At CTM, we are committed to improving city services through technological innovation. WeRide's technology reliability and localized execution have already been proven in many countries. Our cooperation has already achieved significant success in projects like the Marina Bay area, and we believe this partnership will accelerate the adoption of autonomous cleaning technology, transforming sanitation in Singapore and Southeast Asia from pilot applications to widespread use.”

WeRide Founder and CEO, Han Xu, commented, “Singapore is a key part of WeRide's global strategy and a benchmark market for autonomous driving applications. We look forward to working with CTM to explore new paths for autonomous technology in city services, developing diverse products and building a technology ecosystem to offer scalable, replicable ‘WeRide solutions’ for global smart city development.”

The partnership between WeRide and CTM began in June 2024, when both companies efficiently completed the full collaboration process from technical validation to commercialization. In November 2024, WeRide's autonomous RoboSweeper S6 and driverless street sweeper S1 started operating at Singapore’s Marina Bay Coast Road and the Marina Bay Sands Arts Centre, marking Singapore's first commercial autonomous sanitation project. The project, which is tailored to meet the high standards of Singapore's “Garden City” concept, has been widely covered by local media and received special mention from Singapore’s Transport Minister, Khaw Boon Wan, on social media.

This strategic partnership will further strengthen the relationship between WeRide and CTM, expanding their cooperation to focus on sustainable business models, technology iteration, and global deployment. Together, they will push forward the large-scale implementation of profitable autonomous sanitation vehicles.

In addition to sanitation services, WeRide’s Robobus began operating Singapore’s first pre-production L4 autonomous shuttle route at Sentosa Resorts World in June 2024.

Over the past few years, WeRide has been expanding its global footprint, bringing its industry-leading L4 technology to more countries and regions. With operations already covering 9 countries and over 30 cities, this upgraded collaboration not only strengthens WeRide's position in Southeast Asia but also highlights the growing influence of Chinese tech companies driving innovation and participating in the development of global smart cities.

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