AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Faurecia (EO.PA), a leading global automotive supplier, and Accenture (NYSE: ACN), a global professional services company, today announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding for a five-year collaboration to accelerate innovation for mobility services.

Faurecia and Accenture will combine their innovation expertise and co-invest to develop products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles. They will focus initially on two areas: cognitive technologies to reinvent the on-board user experience, and services to enhance health and wellness. They also intend to leverage digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics, augmented and virtual reality, blockchain and quantum computing to further accelerate Faurecia's digital transformation. Their expertise for these initiatives will be organized within a "digital services factory."

"This ground-breaking partnership between two leading players in their fields will take the use of artificial intelligence and data analytics to the next level in the automotive industry," said Patrick Koller, Chief Executive Officer of Faurecia. "We will accelerate the transformation of our operations and develop new business models and user experiences for the Cockpit of the Future. This partnership will allow Faurecia to be more innovative and agile in the rapid introduction of new technologies, particularly for enhanced health and wellness and intuitive human-machine interfaces."

Pierre Nanterme, Accenture's chairman and CEO, said, "Innovation creates a virtuous circle ― enabling companies to secure current growth, while freeing up the capital needed to invest in new products, services and business models to sustain future growth. This is exactly what we are doing through this pioneering partnership with Faurecia. By combining Accenture's ability to turn disruptive technologies into business results with Faurecia's expertise in leading-edge automotive technologies and our two companies' common focus on innovation, we intend to invent the future of the automotive industry." 

With drivers spending up to 500 hours a year, on average, in their cars and the continuing progress in the field of self-driving vehicles, car interiors will become an extension of the home and office, providing a similar experience and range of services. The alignment of Faurecia and Accenture around this vision will drive the success of this innovative and ambitious partnership. This collaboration illustrates what Accenture refers to as Industry X.0, the profound shift of industrial manufacturing to digital products and services that will increasingly require new methods and processes to produce and deliver them as well as support them in the field.

A press conference held by Patrick Koller, Faurecia's CEO, and with the participation of Marc Carrel-Billiard, senior managing director, Accenture Global Technology Research & Development, will take place on January 8, 2018 during the CES Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Hotel at 4:00 P.M. (room Surf A-B-C).

About Faurecia
Founded in 1997, Faurecia has grown to become a leading player in the global automotive industry. With 330 sites including 30 R&D centers in 34 countries, Faurecia is now a global leader in its three areas of business: automotive seating, interior systems and clean mobility. It supplies automakers with state-of-the-art technology to promote Smart Life on Board and Sustainable Mobility. In 2016, the Group posted total sales of €18.7 billion and had a workforce of 100,000 people. Faurecia is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange. For more information, visit: www.faurecia.com  

About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions – underpinned by the world's largest delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With more than 435,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com

SOURCE Faurecia