Mercedes takes part in Korea Electronics Show

Mercedes-Benz Korea participated in the Korea Electronics Show in southern Seoul in an effort to forge new partnerships with innovative domestic suppliers.

The Korean affiliate of the German luxury carmaker said Wednesday that some six employees from its German headquarters participated in the ICT fair to look for local automotive related startups with innovative ideas. Mercedes-Benz Korea is the first carmaker to take part in the ICT fair, according to the company.

“At Mercedes-Benz, we already know today what will be integrated into our vehicles in five years. Therefore, we need the right partners,” said Klaus Zehender, a member of the Divisional Board of Mercedes-Benz in charge of procurement and supplier quality.

“We already have a broad supply base in Korea and we are open to expand it with new and innovative startups,” Zehender added.

The Mercedes-Benz team met with Korean startup Geo-Line, which operates Plug&Payment - an automatic payment solution for electric vehicle battery charging. The company was founded three years ago.

Mercedes-Benz has worked with Korean companies before. For its software parts, the Germany automaker collaborates with LG Electronics and it works with Navis Automotive System for navigation services.

The Korean Electronics Show, first launched in 1969, is one of the longest running IT-related events in Korea. Along with Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, some 475 companies participated in the event, showcasing some 900 new products and services.

It will run until Friday at COEX in southern Seoul.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]