TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Nissan Motor Co.'s incoming chief executive Ivan Espinosa said the carmaker is "very open" to tie-ups with new partners to reduce hefty investment in new advanced vehicle technology.

Espinosa said it is possible to expand joint operations with Honda Motor Co., even after merger talks under a holding company between the two automakers fell through earlier this year.

Espinosa, who will assume the top post on April 1, said in a meeting with a group of media outlets on Tuesday that the auto industry is currently going through a transformation toward intelligent vehicles.

The transformation "is going to require a lot of work and a lot of investment," he said.

It is particularly important for Nissan to spend carefully on development as it struggles to remain profitable. The automaker expects to post a net loss for the current fiscal year ending next Monday -- its first in four years -- which would make it the only Japanese carmaker in the red.

Espinosa, currently serving as chief planning officer, said Nissan has been slow to roll out new models and that addressing the issue will be a key priority.

He said his company may look to team up with partners in other industries "as long as these partners are helping us drive the vision of the business and to increase the corporate value" of Nissan.

He said the talks on the merger with Honda collapsed, but Nissan is still working with Honda, adding that "I'm open" to new projects, though he fell short of commenting on the possibility of resuming the merger talks.

The two automakers had sought to share EV development and software costs under a holding company to better compete with global rivals like U.S.-based Tesla Inc. and China's BYD Co.