Software Defined Vehicles
automotiveIT car.summit 2025
Customer benefit must be the focus
On the journey from hardware-centred vehicles to software-defined mobility solutions, companies need not only the right technology but also a culture of exchange on an equal footing.
When it comes to the software-defined vehicle, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Undoubtedly, it is a state-of-the-art product that promises high-tech throughout the entire life of a car, unlike anything before. However, all the high-tech is useless if it is developed without considering the customer. Therefore, one of the major and important insights is that the customer's needs must be at the centre of all industry engagements, as noted by the discussants of the car.summit panel 2025. Today, a software platform must be seen as a long-term product and not just through the lens that only considers everything up to the SOP, as Marcus Welz, CEO of Hyundai Connected Mobility, succinctly puts it.
Collaboration and speed as key factors
Rethinking the product, but also the corporate processes in development and manufacturing, could be a motto when IT experts discuss the SDV. An important aspect in light of the ubiquitously cited "China Speed" is speed, notes Aurora Sere-Schneider, Vice President, IT Engineering Applications at Aumovio. It is important never to lose sight of costs. Everything costs, so the great skill is to see what is really necessary. The supplier expert emphasises the importance of the quality of listening between departments. Automotive business cases are still designed far too selectively, she warns.
Markus Hackbarth, vice president connected & cloud at VW software subsidiary Cariad, agrees but emphasises that not every OEM is comparable. Volkswagen, with its many brands, must keep an eye on the entire world. Newcomers with sometimes only local, small markets do not have the legacy of an established player. Volkswagen, for example, responds to these challenges in China with the anchoring of a pronounced platform strategy.
Hyundai also has to manage its developments, processes, and presences worldwide, says Marcus Welz, CEO of Hyundai Connected Mobility. The Korean OEM has recently internationalised many topics. In sum, a lot depends on people. If you think together, then a unified platform team like at the OEM, where relevant decisions are made, helps. This provides a basis and clarity.
A jointly defined goal can break departmental boundaries
If everyone is motivated to work towards a common goal, then progress is made, says Martin Schleicher, independent consultant. If today and in the future everyone falls back into their departmental thinking, it will certainly be difficult. Schleicher brings the topic of task forces into play: If a common topic is worked on from different aspects, it becomes apparent that companies progress very quickly and find solutions. The task forces, especially created in volatile times, show the potential of collaboration across silos.
Task forces should therefore shed their rather negative image, says Cariad expert Hackbarth, and points out why Silicon Valley companies are so successful: in his opinion, they understand best what customers want and build their business models around this special customer experience. For our industry, this means learning to think end-to-end. Data would provide an optimal basis for this, which would then flow into the development process.
Despite the high degree of agreement with regard to teamwork and cooperation, each department should be aware of its function and knowledge, warns Aurora Sere-Schneider. With this self-confidence, everyone can continue to contribute their profound knowledge in the future. She emphasises: the expert is still in demand.
This article was first published at automotiveit.eu
