Eleven of Europe’s leading automotive and technology companies have entered into a joint open-source initiative to accelerate the development of software-defined vehicles (SDVs), including components for autonomous driving. The agreement, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding at the 29th International Automotive Electronics Congress, marks a rare pre-competitive collaboration among automakers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and key suppliers including Bosch, ZF, and Continental.
The group aims to develop a certifiable, open, and transparent software stack for future vehicle platforms. Initiated by the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and managed through the Eclipse Foundation under the S-CORE project, the initiative seeks to eliminate redundant development and reduce time to market by focusing on non-differentiating modules such as communication middleware and authentication systems.
“Together we are building a future-proof and powerful software ecosystem – open, transparent and secure,” said Marcus Bollig, Managing Director of the VDA, emphasizing a commitment to preserving European technological sovereignty in the face of global competition. BMW’s Christoph Grote added, “A shared code-first approach will be the foundation for functional innovations in our future products.”
The collaboration also addresses previous inefficiencies in the industry. VW’s Cariad software division has faced delays that stalled product launches for Porsche and Audi, prompting VW to forge partnerships with Rivian in the U.S. and Xpeng in China. The new alliance intends to reverse such setbacks by aligning on open standards compatible with AUTOSAR and COVESA and enabling functional safety certification under ISO 26262.
The project roadmap outlines key milestones including the release of a full software stack by 2026 and integration into production vehicles by 2030. According to Mike Milinkovich, Executive Director of the Eclipse Foundation, “Collaboration in the development of secure and open-source automotive platforms is a critical factor for the automotive industry.”