Huawei and Leica Camera Establish New Research and Innovation Center

Huawei and Leica Camera today have expanded their strategic collaboration with the establishment of a jointly operated research and innovation center, the 'Max Berek Innovation Lab'.

The launch comes seven months after the public announcement of their long-term technology partnership in the field of optical engineering, and five months after the launch of Huawei P9 and P9 Plus smartphones. The new lab, located at Leica’s global HQ in Wetzlar, Germany, will drive further development of optical systems and software-based technologies to improve imaging quality in a wide range of photographic and mobile device applications.

Additional outcomes will include creation of computational imaging, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) solutions. In addition to R&D resources from both companies, Huawei and Leica plan to collaborate with German and international universities and research institutions. The Max Berek Innovation Lab's establishment is the result of the vision and support of Ren Zhengfei, CEO of Huawei and Dr Andreas Kaufmann, majority shareholder and chairman of the advisory board of Leica Camera. Ren Zhengfei, CEO, Huawei said, "The Max Berek Innovation Lab provides the capacity to establish an even closer partnership with Leica, leading to continuous improvements in image and video quality. As a result, we will deliver the most advanced innovations in the smartphone camera market and bring greater value to consumers." "With the founding of the Max Berek Innovation Lab, Huawei and Leica Camera are expanding the scope of their successful strategic relationship and are laying the foundation for close collaboration in research and development of groundbreaking technologies in the imaging segment," emphasized Dr Andreas Kaufmann, majority shareholder and chairman of the advisory board of Leica Camera.