German carmaker Mercedes-Benz met with trendsetting Korean companies in consumer electronics to scout for new suppliers, the company said Wednesday.

Mercedes-Benz was the first OEM automaker to participate in the four-day Korea Electronics Show that began Tuesday, where it met with potential suppliers. 

One of the companies that met with Mercedes-Benz was Geo-Line, a startup that developed Plug & Pay, a mobile charging and payment solution for electric vehicles.

“At Mercedes-Benz Cars we already know today what will be integrated into our vehicles in five years. Therefore we need the right partners. We already have a broad supply base in Korea, and we are open to expand it with new and innovative start-ups,” said Dr. Klaus Zehender, a member of the procurement divisional board for the company. 

Mercedes-Benz currently works with Korean suppliers such as LG Electronics and Navis Automotive Systems Inc.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)