(Image source: Uber)

Uber has announced it is to be build a new advanced technology centre in Paris. The research and development hub will focus on Uber's flying taxi project, Elevate. 

Nearly a decade ago, the idea for Uber was born out of a need to get a ride on a cold night in Paris, and now Uber will open the groundbreaking Advanced Technologies Center in the city where it all began. 

Eric Allison, head of aviation programmes, Uber, said: "We’ve realised that to create efficient cities with less congestion and cleaner air, we also need to look to the sky. To do this we launched our Elevate program in 2016 to build a network of all-electric, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft powered by distributed electric propulsion.

"Today we’re committing to a new Advanced Technologies Center which will initially focus on Uber Elevate. France is a perfect home for our next step forward with its strong history of research and development, world-class engineers and a unique role in aviation worldwide."

Advanced Technologies Center Paris (ATCP)

The ATCP will be Uber’s first research and development hub outside of North America. Over the next five years, we’ll be investing €20 million into developing new technologies and capabilities to move our vision forward.

This begins with building artificial intelligence and airspace management systems to support uberAIR at scale, which will be key to achieving our goal of demonstration flights in Dallas, Los Angeles, and a third, international city by 2020.

ATCP will open this autumn and will be looking to hire top engineering, machine learning, and computer vision talent. Research will focus on capabilities across airspace management, autonomy, real-time communication networks, energy storage, and charging systems.

To meet future energy demands, ATCP will also work with European city planners and regulators to model infrastructure needs for electrified transportation.