SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Nissan today announced the hiring of Dr. Maarten Sierhuis as research director to lead the newly opened Nissan Research Center Silicon Valley (NRC-SV). Sierhuis, a recognized expert in the field of artificial intelligence, will lead the new center's efforts in the areas of autonomous driving and connected-vehicle systems.

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Sierhuis joins Nissan following a career in research and software engineering spanning 25 years, including time with NASA, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, NYNEX Science & Technology, IBM Corporation, and as a founder of startup Ejenta, as well as a visiting professor and fellow with the Interactive Intelligence group at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

Carla Bailo, senior vice president, Research and Development – Nissan Americas said: "Maarten's extensive experience in artificial intelligence and human-machine interface, along with his relationships within the Silicon Valley tech community, make him the ideal candidate to lead our new Silicon Valley research team."

Nissan announced the opening of NRC-SV at an event today. The new center aims to expand Nissan's global research capability through collaborative partnerships with companies and research institutions in one of the world's top technology hubs.

Sierhuis has a bachelor of science in Computer Science from The Hague University and a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence/Cognitive Science from the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4.9 million vehicles in 2012, generating revenue of 9.4 trillion yen ($US118.95 billion) in fiscal 2011. With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of 64 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades, including the prestigious 2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan and 2011 World Car of the Year awards.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

SOURCE Nissan Americas