The idea, said Nissan, is that, at times, it will hand over the authority of developing a technology to a supplier after doing pilot development up to the manufacturing process. In other technologies, it will include supplier involvement from the start.
Engine and transmission development will probably start within Nissan before being "farmed" out to the supplies. Meanwhile, interior and safety features will probably be developed in conjunction with suppliers from the start.
Our take? We guess the auto industry execs have discovered that it is best to get new ideas from just about any source as long as that source is somehow related to cars.
via CNN