GUANGZHOU<\/span> <\/span>\u2013 Driverless buses outfitted with a Singapore start-up\u2019s technology will soon ply the streets in Guangzhou, marking the latest foray by the Republic\u2019s firms into China\u2019s autonomous vehicle scene.<\/p>\n Home-grown start-up MooVita has inked a joint venture agreement with two Chinese partners that aims to eventually roll out autonomous buses in China\u2019s Greater Bay Area and internationally.<\/p>\n MooVita expects to begin in 2026 with an initial deployment of 26 buses providing last-mile connectivity in the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, a township located about an hour north of the Guangzhou city centre.<\/p>\n This was one of 20 agreements signed on Nov 25 at a meeting of the Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council co-chaired by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and newly minted Guangdong Governor Meng Fanli. The annual meeting, held in Guangzhou in 2025, oversees cooperation between Singapore and China\u2019s largest provincial economy.<\/p>\n Mr Meng, who was co-chairing the council for the first time, noted that the 180 attendees included many from the business, investment and education fields. \u201cI sincerely welcome more Singapore firms to come to Guangdong to invest, trade or carry out other business activities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Health Minister Ong Ye Kung (centre, left) meeting Guangdong Governor Meng Fanli in Guangzhou on Nov 25.<\/p>\n PHOTO: ENTERPRISE SINGAPORE<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Mr Ong said many Singapore companies saw the province as a launch pad to the rest of China and into third markets, and that more Guangdong businesses were also expanding into Singapore with an eye on South-east Asia.<\/p>\n Going forward, both sides can \u201ccooperate in market access, especially for innovative and high-technology sectors\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n The meeting spotlighted tie-ups in autonomous driving, with two Singapore companies signing agreements in this field.<\/p>\n China is one of the world\u2019s largest and fastest-growing markets for the technology, producing a host of industry bigwigs such as Baidu, Pony.ai and WeRide. <\/p>\n MooVita, which spun off from A*STAR in 2016, develops autonomous driving technology. Its two partners are Guangzhou Public Transport Group and Guangzhou Development District Communications Investment Group.<\/p>\n Its chief executive Derrick Loh told The Straits Times that Guangzhou\u2019s forward-leaning policies for autonomous driving were a plus for the company\u2019s development.<\/p>\n \u201cThe local regulatory environment allows for more progressive and agile testing, piloting, and commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles… compared with Singapore\u2019s more conservative regulatory landscape,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The company, which also runs autonomous vehicles in Tianjin, currently operates driverless buses on the Ngee Ann Polytechnic campus, and <\/p>\n has partnered ride-hailing company Ryde<\/p>\n <\/a> to propose a driverless shuttle in Punggol. <\/p>\n Also expanding further into China\u2019s autonomous vehicle space is Singapore\u2019s ComfortDelGro, which on Nov 25 signed a memorandum of understanding with the Alibaba-backed Hello Robotaxi to collaborate on robotaxi deployment in China and overseas markets.<\/p>\n The tie-up will see Hello Robotaxi provide the technology, vehicles and data, with ComfortDelGro deploying and managing the robotaxi services.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a significant step in developing our autonomous vehicle capabilities and securing our long-term position in the future of point-to-point mobility,\u201d said ComfortDelGro\u2019s group CEO Cheng Siak Kian in a statement. <\/p>\n This agreement is the company\u2019s latest move to build up capabilities in driverless technologies. Partnering Pony.ai, it launched a robotaxi pilot programme in Guangzhou in March, and plans to operate a driverless shuttle route in Singapore\u2019s Punggol with Pony.ai\u2019s vehicles in 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/picture><\/div>