Christoph Hartung, Bosch, during his presentation "The Software-defined Vehicle - How can we Master the Revolutionary Transformation?" (Bild: Matthias Baumgartner)
Christoph Hartung, President of the Board of Management for Cross-Domain Computing Solutions at Bosch, spoke at the 28th Automotive Electronics Congress about the challenges and solutions for the transformation towards software-defined vehicles. We have summarised the key points of his presentation here.
What are the challenges?
According to Hartung, the biggest challenges for the industry are the high complexity of systems, costs and customer focus. "We need to focus on offering customers real added value," he explained. The industry needs to move from a project-centred to a product-centred mindset and develop open, modular and scalable solutions for hardware and software. It is also important to decouple hardware and software. "We need to rethink the business models and the associated revenue streams," he explained. This includes a reorientation towards open collaboration environments and the standardised use of high-performance computers. These steps are necessary in order to increase innovative strength and cost efficiency.
Der Vortrag von Robert Hartung, Bosch, auf dem 28. Automobil-Elektronik Kongress im Video (Kopie)
What role does collaboration play?
"No one can master the complexity alone," emphasised Hartung. The automotive industry must work closely with non-automotive partners to fully utilise the benefits of software-defined mobility. This is particularly important in light of technological advances such as generative AI and large language models (LLM), which offer new opportunities, especially in the area of driver assistance systems and automated driving functions. Bosch is actively working on partnerships to not only master the transformation, but to drive it forward. These partnerships are essential to capitalise on technological advances.
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What are the most important technology areas?
According to Hartung, the key technology areas for the shift to software-defined vehicles (SDV) include modular, decoupled and scalable hardware and software solutions that enable the transition from deeply embedded systems to software-defined solutions. Hartung emphasises the need to move from hierarchical project designs to user-centric and product-oriented networks. The standardisation of high-performance computers and the integration of software into existing systems are also crucial, which includes the use of standardised software and integration platforms as well as research into new concepts such as chiplets. The focus here is on reducing costs and increasing customer benefits. Hartung also emphasises the importance of cross-industry collaboration and redefining the portfolio to meet the challenges of an increasingly software-driven world.
We need a joint approach with partners from the automotive and non-automotive sectors to keep up with the pace of our software-driven environment.
What does the future look like?
Hartung outlined a future in which the attractiveness of vehicles will be determined by their software-based functions and update concepts. He emphasised that Bosch is already working on reducing the complexity of vehicle electronics systems and is investigating the use of generative AI for automated driving solutions. "We are only at the beginning of this journey," said Hartung. "Together, we can reach the next level of software-defined mobility."
In future, the attractiveness of vehicles will be determined by their software-based functions and update concepts.
The most important questions and answers from Christoph Hartung's presentation
What are the biggest challenges when introducing software-defined vehicles?
The biggest challenges are the high complexity of the systems, the costs and customer orientation.
How can the automotive industry overcome this complexity?
By decoupling hardware and software, open collaboration environments and standardising high-performance computers.
Why is collaboration so important?
Collaboration with non-automotive partners is necessary to fully realise the benefits of software-defined mobility and drive innovation.
What technological advances are crucial?
Standardisation of high-performance computing, integration of software and exploration of new concepts such as chiplets.
What does the future leadership of the industry look like?
The industry needs to rethink its leadership models and ways of operating in order to succeed in the software-defined era.
About Christoph Hartung
Christoph Hartung has been President of the Bosch Cross-Domain Computing Solutions division since 1 October 2022. Hartung has been with Bosch since January 2020. Prior to his current position, he was Chairman of the Board of Management of ETAS GmbH and Executive Vice President of the Connected Mobility Solutions Division. He holds an academic degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Science and a Master of Science in Computer and Information Science from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. He began his career at various automobile manufacturers, including Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz.