BlackBerry (BB) shares are soaring 5.40% during intraday trading on Wednesday, as the company announced a significant collaboration between its QNX division and autonomous driving technology company WeRide. This partnership aims to advance the development and deployment of software-defined vehicles for automotive manufacturers and suppliers.

The collaboration highlights BlackBerry's strategic position in the automotive technology sector. WeRide has already implemented QNX to power its ADAS WePilot solution for partially automated passenger vehicles. Notably, a project involving WeRide and its strategic investor Bosch entered mass production in late 2023, equipping Chery Exceed ES and ET models with an integrated intelligent driving assistance system.

Hua Zhong, senior vice president of engineering at WeRide, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, stating, "By integrating QNX's foundational software, we are not just improving driver assistance systems but taking a crucial step towards realizing a world where autonomous vehicles are a cornerstone of smart cities." This partnership could potentially lead to reduced traffic congestion, lower emissions, and improved road safety, signaling positive long-term prospects for BlackBerry's automotive technology division.