ABM Q4 - Flipbook - Page 55
OPINION
RETAIL
time making technologies work together,
with little time left for innovative
improvements that drivers care about.
As the saying goes, pressure makes
diamonds. And so, pressure to accelerate
development should encourage
manufacturers to be more selective
about what aspects of the software
stack they choose to build internally.
The key consideration here is how they
can reuse established software across
vehicle programmes to reduce duplicated
effort. This makes collaboration with
trusted industry suppliers all the more
important. Specialist partners can
provide common foundations that
manufacturers build upon, while each
vehicle still undergoes the integration
and testing it needs. Software that works
with different chips gives manufacturers
and OEMs more options if parts supply
chains become even more constrained
than they already are, or future vehicles
demand more computing power.
Physical AI
AI will have an impact on this sector. In
fact, it’s arguable that the automotive
sector is one of the most advanced in
bringing Physical AI – systems that sense,
interpret and act in the physical world –
into an environment that is already part
of so many people’s daily lives. But what
is needed is a sharper focus on proving
that those AI-enabled systems are safe.
AI will be given more responsibility for
interpreting how a vehicle responds to its
surroundings. Manufacturers will need
to demonstrate how the whole system
safely behaves when it encounters the
unexpected – think a police constable
directing traffic or a bit of debris blowing
across the road.
That will have big implications for trust,
reputation and the adoption of a vehicle
or updated capability.
Even capable AI models can make
mistakes, meaning that safety needs to
underpin the development approach and
software strategy from the outset.
The right foundations will ensure
that those critical safety functions
are protected from a fault occurring
elsewhere on the vehicle or in its
software stack. Predictability is ultimately
what drivers want.
These fundamentals are also critical
given growing attention on autonomous
→ Niko Boeker
is director business development at QNX
driving and automated fleet or transport
services. Vehicles need robust software
foundations that can handle real-time
determinism – the ability to respond
predictably within known time limits,
every time.
What over-the-air update capabilities
create are opportunities to improve
vehicles after sale. But they also make
ongoing maintenance and cybersecurity
a more significant part of the ownership
proposition.
For buyers of commercial vehicles
and fleet operators, the availability and
quality of that support must become a
key purchasing criteria. Those buyers
should be asking manufacturers how
long updates will be available.
Can they be introduced around working
schedules? Will the vehicle remain useful
and secure throughout its intended
service life?
Cybersecurity skills gaps are a concern
for most organisations, and they’ll be
looking to partners or the manufacturer
for the appropriate support.
It’s the manufacturers that can give
clear answers that will be best placed to
build buyer confidence. Doing so means
budgeting for ongoing support from the
beginning, and ensuring new features
can be introduced without compromising
existing functions.
Software decisions are now a core
pillar of automotive business strategy.
Manufacturers must identify where their
own expertise adds most value, where to
reuse, and where trusted partners can
reduce risk and help them move faster.
Getting those choices right will help
them achieve stronger outcomes from
technology and a stronger competitive
position.
Q4 2026
AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
55
