HERE plans to enter into a strategic partnership with Pioneer, the global car electronics company, to deliver global mapping solutions and next generation location-based services to the automotive and other industries. Crucially, the partnership will allow HERE to extend its mapping coverage to Japan for the first time.

By linking their complementary mapping and automotive technologies and assets, HERE and Pioneer plan to enable fully integrated global SD (standard definition) and HD (high definition) mapping solutions at a scale and quality-level unmatched in the industry.

The aim: to support new innovations for customers in in-vehicle infotainment and autonomous driving as well as in any industry where location intelligence can be applied.

HERE and Pioneer's mapping subsidiary Increment P Corporation (IPC) intend to use each other’s SD map data in existing and future products and services, with HERE data able to support IPC’s global customers, and IPC’s map data able to support HERE customers in Japan.

It’s a win-win partnership. For automakers working with HERE Auto SDK, for example, it means they get support for another major automotive market. In fact, with HERE also poised to make China mapping available to customers via its proposed joint venture with NavInfo, its map offering will soon extend to cover all markets worldwide.

HERE and Pioneer, both developers of HD mapping, have autonomous driving in their sights too. Through their partnership, they plan to offer a globally-consistent HD map solution that supports automotive and other industries across all markets around the world.

Last, but not least, the two companies are also exploring the development of new services that harness the real-time data of connected Pioneer devices.

The first services developed using this data could come to market as early as 2018, and the data may also be used to enrich solutions such as the real-time crowd-sourced data services for drivers, powered by the HERE Open Location Platform (OLP).

Image credit: Daryan Shamkhali