MediaTek and DENSO said they have started a strategic collaboration to develop a custom automotive system-on-chip (SoC) for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and digital cockpit use, reflecting growing demand for integrated computing platforms in vehicles.
The companies said the SoC will combine MediaTek’s Dimensity AX computing architecture with DENSO’s experience in vehicle integration and safety engineering. The platform is intended for use by global automakers and Tier-1 suppliers and is being designed with scalability and production readiness in mind.
According to the companies, the chip is targeting compliance with ISO 26262 functional safety standards, including ASIL-B and ASIL-D levels, as well as AEC-Q100 automotive qualification. These requirements are increasingly relevant as software-defined vehicles adopt more advanced driver-assistance features.
MediaTek said the SoC will include heterogeneous computing resources such as dedicated AI and neural processing unit accelerators, along with a high-performance image signal processor. The architecture is designed to support real-time processing and multi-sensor fusion using data from cameras, radar and lidar.
DENSO is contributing system-level integration and safety expertise, including alignment with automotive software frameworks such as AUTOSAR. The companies said the use of pre-validated automotive-grade components and reference designs is expected to help reduce development time for customers.
Dr. Mike Chang, corporate vice president and general manager of MediaTek’s automotive business, said the collaboration is focused on improving safety and power efficiency in assisted driving systems.
The platform is expected to support standard automotive networking and maintenance requirements, including CAN FD, LIN and time-sensitive networking, multi-camera interfaces, over-the-air software updates and error correction features.