BlackBerry has been selected by a start-up electric automaker in China – to provide key software that’s designed to ensure critical systems can run safely at all times.

Based in Nanjing, Byton’s first vehicles won’t be driverless – but will have some autonomous capabilities.

BlackBerry says it will license its Q-N-X technology for use in Byton’s first series of intelligent production vehicles – which are to come out in the Chinese market in 2019 – and for the U-S and Europe the following year.

Terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed.