Interview with Houssem Ghanmi, NXP
“The biggest barriers are mindset and organizational structure”
Before joining NXP, Houssem Ghanmi worked for Bosch, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.
© Houssem Ghanmi, SDV SW Business Development Director 2025
As the shift toward hyperscale platforms accelerates, legacy automotive structures face an existential test. NXP’s Houssem Ghanmi explains how OEMs can move from adaptation to reinvention in the software-defined era.
With a background spanning both engineering and business strategy,
Houssem Ghanmi bridges the technical and organizational worlds shaping
tomorrow’s mobility. He spent more than a decade developing
software and E/E architectures at BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Bosch.
Now SDV Business & Strategy Development Director at NXP
Semiconductors, Ghanmi drives the company’s strategic initiatives to accelerate
adoption of the software-defined vehicle through
ecosystem partnerships and visionary product strategies.
At the Automotive Computing Conference 2025, he spoke about
the rise of centralized intelligence, the risks facing incumbents, and the new
business models shaping the next era of automotive innovation. After to the
event, we asked him three questions.
ADT: The shift toward centralized intelligence and
hyperscale platforms is shaking up traditional automotive structures. What do
you see as the most critical barriers preventing established players from fully
embracing the software-defined paradigm?
Ghanmi: The biggest barriers are mindset and
organizational structure. Traditional carmakers still view mobility primarily
as a mechanical product, built around individual hardware components and
organized accordingly. New disruptors, however, see mobility as an experience –
one defined by software platforms rather than mechanical systems. For them, functions such as infotainment, autonomous driving,
and vehicle dynamics are software-driven experiences running on an integrated
platform. That shift in thinking is extremely difficult for established
manufacturers. Volkswagen shows good new
ways/alternatives of approaching SDV: instead of developing ALONE its own
software foundation, it has started co-developing software with new players
like Rivian, which could be a good win-win for both. The entire equation
of how value is created in the automotive world is being rewritten.
At the ACC 2025, you talked about the “tsunami at the
gates of automotive legacy.” What are the survival strategies for OEMs and
suppliers in this new era – and where do you see opportunities for real
reinvention rather than adaptation?
Premium original equipment manufacturers with strong
software capabilities and healthy financials are increasingly investing in
in-house software development. Volume manufacturers, by contrast, are
co-developing software platforms through joint ventures or aquisitions, while
others are focusing on gradual upgrades of their existing systems. True
reinvention, however, offers something that incremental adaptation cannot: it
gives OEMs full freedom from many legacy dependencies and opens up real space
for innovation.
NXP plays a central role in bridging embedded systems
with cloud-scale intelligence. How do you see your technology enabling this
transition – and what partnerships or ecosystems will be key to making it
sustainable?
We are investing heavily in the development of centralized
system-on-chip solutions e.g. central computers, zonal controllers, ..., which
we deliver together with reference software that provides a clear path to
production. At the same time, we work hand in hand with our customers to help
them bring up their new platforms and ensure a stable integration process.
Long-term collaboration is key. That is why we are building durable
partnerships with both our ecosystem and our customers – to ensure sustainable innovation
and lasting support throughout this technological transformation.
