Bolloré Group and Alibaba Group have signed a global partnership agreement in logistics and other areas including cloud services, innovation and digital transformation, clean energy and mobility.
The companies put pen to paper on a Memorandum of Understanding in which their respective business units and subsidiaries, including Alibaba Cloud, Cainiao Smart Logistic Network, Bolloré Logistics and Blue Solutions, have agreed to cooperate and develop a number of relevant joint projects.
In addition, the groups decided to share their expertise and market knowledge to explore new business opportunities, notably in China, Europe and Africa.
In terms of logistics, Bolloré Logistics, and Cainiao Smart Logistics Network, the logistics business of Alibaba Group, agreed to work together on identifying cooperation opportunities with their respective logistics capabilities, hubs and networks, in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
The two companies will also share best practices and will look into the development of some joint software and data management solutions.
Other joint initiatives and projects Bolloré and Alibaba will work on include in cloud computing and innovation, smart and clean mobility, and clean energy.
As part of the agreement, Alibaba Cloud, the computing arm of Alibaba Group, will provide a suite of solutions to the Bolloré Group, encompassing cloud computing capabilities, big data, artificial intelligence, content delivery network and security solutions, which will be combined with the knowledge and strength of the Bolloré Group to create joint value proposition.
Alibaba Group and Blue Solutions will also explore the opportunity to co-develop solutions for Internet electric cars and buses, bringing the Internet experience (voice control, multimedia, navigation and autonomous driving) to the driving experience.
Bolloré Group managing director and vice chairman, Cyrille Bolloré said the two companies are looking to develop business in their respective markets and join forces in other parts of the world.
He added: “The many areas of cooperation and several joint projects already identified by our respective teams are particularly promising. We are also very pleased by our common willingness to share best practice and expertise that will be of strong benefit to all our companies.”
Alibaba Group senior vice president, Simon Hu said: “Today’s landmark partnership marks an exciting step towards Alibaba Cloud’s goal to empower our customers with our inclusive and cutting-edge technology.
“We are proud to bring our cloud computing, big data and AI technology to the Bolloré Group and support their vision of being the pioneers in digital transformation.
“The sophisticated cloud services provided by Alibaba Cloud and the expertise of Bolloré Group will complement each other and create synergy in servicing our customers more effectively as well as providing them the opportunity to succeed in digital age.”
