“Accelerate Innovation”: Deliver Better Products Faster

Dr. Zöller, if you had to sum up this year's VDI Congress ELIV in a nutshell, which topics would you highlight?

Dr. Rolf Zöller: This year's conference motto, “Accelerate Innovation,” clearly sums up what it's all about: faster and more efficient development without compromising on quality. This requirement is the result of several factors acting simultaneously. These include strong cost pressure on the part of OEMs, the need for shorter development cycles due to the competitive situation, the widespread introduction of AI in methods and tools, and, last but not least, clear customer expectations for digital and connected functions in vehicles.

At the congress, we want to use current topics and projects from practice to show how software and hardware can advance more quickly together: E/E architectures and technologies for the software-defined vehicle, AI-supported development, virtualization, and new simulation methods are therefore central topics. At the same time, electronics, with its significant importance in the vehicle of the future, will not be neglected.  
 

Nevertheless, many technology trends today appear to be software-driven. How important is hardware still in this context?

Dr. Rolf Zöller: Hardware topics remain high on the agenda at ELIV. After all, hardware forms the basis on which software-defined concepts are built. With the introduction of zonal architectures, high-performance computers with hypervisors and robust middleware layers are taking center stage and supporting the necessary redistribution of functions. These are genuinely electronic issues that we address in depth. For this reason, one of the two special automotive trend sessions will focus on chiplets. It is important to us to highlight electronics as a driver of innovation – not just as a “carrier” of software.
 

Where does the industry stand with regard to software-defined vehicles?

Dr. Rolf Zöller: We are in the midst of a technological breakthrough, but still at the beginning of scaling: globally, only about five percent of the fleet are currently “true” SDVs. This shows how many steps still need to be taken – in architectures, tool chains, and series operationalization. The good news is that fundamental strategy adjustments have already been implemented in-house. At the same time, we are seeing convergence: processes, methods, and tools are becoming more uniform internationally, which benefits time-to-market and quality.
 

You have already mentioned cost pressure. How does it affect development – destructively or as a catalyst?

Dr. Rolf Zöller: Both. In the short term, the cost situation is noticeably increasing the pressure to be efficient. Structurally, however, this acts as a driver of innovation: many companies are setting specific goals for product development using AI-supported methods – generally targeting efficiency gains of around 15 percent. Together with virtualization and end-to-end simulation, net development time can be significantly reduced. This accelerates learning curves, creates scope for new value contributions, and ultimately helps to deliver better products faster.
 

You already mentioned that, in addition to chiplets, a second ELIV Automotive Trend Session will be dedicated to the topic of open-source software. What are your expectations for cross-industry projects such as S-Core?

Dr. Rolf Zöller: In my view, one key objective here is to avoid unnecessary duplication of work. In basic functions that do not differentiate companies from their competitors, the “wheel” is still being reinvented far too often today. Joint open source approaches can reduce redundancies, ease the strain on budgets, and free up additional resources for value-adding layers of the software stack. This will make the industry faster overall and enable it to close the gap on its international competitors. This year, we were able to win the Eclipse Foundation's Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) Working Group as a partner for ELIV. It is no coincidence that open source is now the focus topic at ELIV for the third time – momentum is steadily increasing.
 

How do you assess global competition: Are European players catching up with Chinese manufacturers in the field of software-defined vehicles, for example?

Dr. Rolf Zöller: In my view, the gap has already narrowed significantly in some areas. AI methods as cost reducers and quality levers, plus the standardization of processes, methods, and tools—all of this is leading to toolboxes with similar performance levels globally. The engineer's SDV “toolkit” is becoming more efficient, more versatile, and more reliable. This levels out differences in development and means that the European automotive industry has already caught up.
 

When so much converges “under the hood,” how will manufacturers differentiate themselves in the future?

Dr. Rolf Zöller: The user experience is coming to the fore, i.e., the digital experience in the vehicle interior: market-specific and user-friendly HMI, high-performance navigation and visualization, seamless connection to assistance systems  –  and increasingly digital assistants in the vehicle. Important: OEMs want to consciously design and retain this experience space, even if Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are integrated. Technology from the tech world is welcome – but please integrate it optimally into the vehicle instead of adopting it 1:1.
 

Speaking of assistance, how close are we to the next stages?

Dr. Rolf Zöller: Levels 2+ to 3 are within reach. Progress is being made on several levels simultaneously: perception and sensor fusion, computing platform performance, robust software architectures – and finally, safety and regulatory approval. It is precisely this interconnection – technology and regulation – that we will be discussing in detail at this year's ELIV. For us, this is a core area where benefits, safety, and marketability converge.
 

Often, seemingly minor everyday functions in connected vehicles can make a significant difference. Do you see any untapped potential here?

Dr. Rolf Zöller: Absolutely. The automatic transfer of calendar data to navigation systems, for example, shows how frictionless journeys can be. Parking space information and municipal services could also be networked much more effectively in real time. In China, for example, we can see how cities are using mini apps to build entire local ecosystems and deliver customized content. In Europe, there is still a lack of acceptance for this in some cases – but technically, much more would be possible.
 

One more question about young professionals. Would you advise young people today to enter the automotive industry – despite all the negative industry news such as cost pressure and profit warnings?

Dr. Rolf Zöller: Yes, I would definitely make that recommendation. And for two reasons: First, I always think it makes sense to take a countercyclical approach. Ups and downs are part of industry – but it is precisely after an economic “dip” that completely new opportunities open up, rather than just doing more of the same during boom phases.

Secondly, the long-term prospects are excellent: studies have been predicting double-digit growth in the software-defined vehicle sector for years – often between 12 and 20 percent per year. This trend is likely to continue in the coming years and decades. Young talents who are building up skills in SDV architectures, toolchains, and AI methodology today will encounter a structurally growing market tomorrow.
 

Is the career playing field also changing – beyond the traditional roles of OEMs and suppliers?

Dr. Rolf Zöller: The boundaries are indeed changing significantly. The “extended workbench” is becoming a cooperative ecosystem: Tier 1s are taking on engineering packages, EDLs are developing marketable software products and licensing them to OEMs, and medium-sized companies with 300 to 800 employees are supplying cutting-edge technology in niche markets – with global relevance. This opens up many more career paths, even deep within the technical field, without necessarily having to switch to management. For talented individuals, this means more options, more opportunities to make an impact, and more mobility between roles.
 

The shortage of skilled workers remains a reality. What can the industry do?

Dr. Rolf Zöller: Firstly, proactively demonstrate attractiveness – with clear development paths, a modern working environment, and international project work. Secondly, integrate training and university cooperation more closely with industrial SDV requirements. Thirdly, use platforms such as ELIV to show talented individuals the diversity and relevance of the field. If we play our cards right, we can counteract the shortage and get young people involved early on in the issues that will shape mobility in the coming decades.
 

Finally, what can ELIV participants take away from the two days of the congress?

Dr. Rolf Zöller: Three things. First, a precise picture of where SDV, electronics, and AI development actually stand today and how every company can get involved – practical, technically sound, beyond buzzwords. Second, intensive insights into the latest developments: from chiplets and zone architectures to open source software and virtual test chains. Third, encouragement to accelerate innovation – because technology, the market, and cost developments now demand it.