MUNICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 16, 2026--
QCraft, a leading autonomous driving technology company, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with HERE Technologies, the leading mapping and location data platform, at HERE Directions 2026 in Munich.
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Under the MOU, the two companies will explore how HERE’s map data and location intelligence can work together with QCraft’s navigation-assisted driving technology, with the goal of speeding up the local validation and rollout of intelligent driving solutions in Europe and other international markets.
The signing follows the Paris Motor Show, where QCraft demonstrated its QPilot Urban Navigation on Autopilot (NOA) system on Paris streets for the first time.
A Partnership Built Around Local Roads
Gang Zhao, Vice President of Business at QCraft, and Jason Jameson, Chief Customer Officer at HERE Technologies, signed the agreement on the main stage at Motorworld Munich.
A navigation-assisted driving system needs accurate, up-to-date map data on lanes, junctions, traffic signs and speed limits, all of which differ from one European country to the next. HERE’s location platform powers 238 million vehicles worldwide, more than 63 million of which use its data for driver assistance and automated driving.
Working with HERE’s global map data and location intelligence is expected to help QCraft accelerate the local adaptation and validation of its intelligent driving solutions across different markets, while potentially simplifying integration for automakers already using HERE’s technologies.
“QCraft embodies innovation in motion when it comes to autonomous driving, and as the company looks to bring its capabilities to more international markets, including Europe, we’re honored to play a role in supporting that journey,” said Jameson. “Our partnership brings together QCraft’s deep autonomous driving expertise with HERE’s trusted location intelligence to help enable safer, more reliable and more localized driving experiences.”
“Our driver assistance systems are now in more than one million vehicles, and as we expand into Europe, getting the experience right for local drivers matters more and more,” said Zhao. “We see today’s signing as a new starting point, and we look forward to working with HERE to bring autonomous driving to more markets around the world.”
Recognized with the HERE Horizon Award
At the awards ceremony that evening, Jameson presented QCraft with the 2026 HERE Horizon Award. The HERE Horizon Awards recognize organizations pushing the boundaries of location technology to shape the future of mobility, logistics and AI innovation across industries. QCraft was honored for enabling world-scale autonomous driving through the global launch of its Urban NOA solution, part of the QPilot end-to-end autonomous driving system.
Global Technology, Local Service
From Paris to Munich, QCraft is linking its mass-production experience in China with European safety standards and local service, under its approach of “Global Technology, Local Service.” The company’s European headquarters is in Munich, where local teams cover research and development, certification and business development. QCraft has worked with more than 10 leading automakers on more than 40 vehicle models.
About QCraft
QCraft is a leading autonomous driving technology company. Founded in Silicon Valley in 2019, the company has deployed its technology with a range of major global automakers. Powered by a world-class R&D team and partnerships with OEMs and tech companies, QCraft combines proven large-scale adoption with industry-leading safety and efficiency to bring autonomous driving into real life.
About HERE Technologies
HERE is the global leader in mapping and location technology. For over 40 years, we've been powering innovation for the world's most recognizable companies: from launching our first digital map in 1985, to shaping the future of software-defined vehicles today. With the industry's freshest and richest unified map and a portfolio of products, services and solutions that serve the needs of multiple industries, HERE reveals opportunities that drive progress and unlock new possibilities for every moving vehicle. Discover more at here.com.
QCraft Signs MOU with HERE Technologies to Advance Localized Autonomous Driving in Europe
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's major U.S. Senate candidates clashed over the Iran war, soaring consumer prices and personal credibility Thursday during a high-stakes debate in a contest that will play into control of the closely divided chamber.
Two-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan said the war needs to end soon, and he wants the Strait of Hormuz to open and a deal to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman, said an agreement is “so far out of sight” and lamented the deaths of 20 military personnel.
“This war is driving up our energy bills and hurting Alaskans with no end in sight,” she said.
Sullivan said the best way to bring down energy costs “is to produce more Alaskan energy by and for Alaskans.”
The debate followed contours of Senate contests around the country, with Peltola blaming the Trump administration for rising gas and consumer prices and pulling back from traditional alliances around the globe, while Sullivan warned that Democratic leadership in Congress would undercut the military and curb domestic energy production.
The debate also took on an edgy, deeply personal tone, as the candidates repeatedly accused each other of being dishonest or misleading.
“I think that Alaskans have had it up to here with the lying and the dishonesty,” Peltola said at one point, addressing her rival.
Sullivan repeatedly accused Peltola of lying throughout their campaign and said “it’s revealed character challenges.”
Foreign conflicts and their impact at home produced some of the sharpest exchanges.
Asked about Ukraine and President Donald Trump's deal to buy Russian diesel, Peltola said, “I think it’s so important that we stand with Ukraine and our allies. We have been making new adversaries out of our traditional allies across the globe.”
“I think we should be doing everything in our power to help support them, not bolstering up Russia,” she added.
Sullivan said he was a strong supporter of Ukraine, then said Democrats were always “cutting our military, undermining readiness.”
Peltola appeared to be reading from note cards during several of her answers, at one point prompting Sullivan to question the moderators and say he didn’t think the candidates were supposed to get questions ahead of time. A moderator said they did not.
Visits by Trump on Tuesday to conservative Wasilla and by Vice President JD Vance the week before to Fairbanks, the hometown of Sullivan’s wife, underscore the stakes involved as both parties seek control of the chamber. Alaska last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 2008.
The contest is playing out in a turbulent political year in which voter angst over the Iran war, soaring gas and diesel prices and a rising cost of living have put the House and Senate up for grabs.
Before the debate, noisy supporters of both candidates gathered with signs — and at least one bullhorn — outside the Alaska Public Media studios.
There was a brief moment of agreement when the candidates were asked about the possibility of a third Trump term in the White House. Sullivan said it would be unconstitutional, and Peltola said that the law was clear, “Two terms for every president.”
The race also includes two Republicans who have done virtually no campaigning, including another Dan Sullivan. To participate in Thursday's debate, candidates had to win at least 5% of the vote in August's open primary.
Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher who dominated attention ahead of the primary and was called a sham candidate by the senator and his allies, including Trump, finished third with about 2.5% of the vote. Dan J. Sullivan said he received no invitations to any candidate forums.
The incumbent finished second to Peltola in the August primary, in which the top four vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, advanced to the ranked vote general election. Sullivan, a retired Marine, said the race comes down to record, vision and character.
“I saw her up close and personal. It wasn’t pretty,” he told reporters after the debate, referring to Peltola’s time in office.
He said Peltola was ineffective during her time in Congress. But in an interview Wednesday, Peltola said she worked well with Sullivan as part of Alaska’s three-member congressional delegation and said he was engaging in “kind of revisionist history.”
“Our delegation worked so well together the two years that I was there,” she said, citing as an accomplishment the approval of the major Willow oil project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Peltola won special and regular elections for the state’s only House seat in 2022 before losing reelection in 2024.
Associated Press writer Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
In this photo shot with a smart phone, Democrat Mary Peltola smiles ahead of a debate with Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska's Senate race, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
In this photo shot with a smart phone, Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan poses ahead of a debate with Democrat Mary Peltola in Alaska's Senate race, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
Democrat Mary Peltola smiles ahead of a debate with Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska's Senate race on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is seen ahead of a debate with Democrat Mary Peltola in Alaska's Senate race on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
In this photo shot with a smart phone, supporters of Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola gathered outside the venue where the candidates were set to debate, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
In this photo taken with a smartphone, Mary Peltola, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate in Alaska, speaks to a reporter at a picketing event for Horizon Air flight attendants Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Anchorage, Ala. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
President Donald Trump listens as Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, speaks at a campaign rally at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Wasilla, Alaska. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
