Open Source in the Automotive Industry: A Paradigm Shift for Sustainable Software Development

Mr. Plagge, the acceptance and importance of open source software in the automotive industry have changed significantly in recent years. In your opinion, what are the main drivers of this change?

Michael Plagge: The central paradigm shift lies in the fact that players in the automotive industry have become more open to the topic of open source: from collaboration exclusively at the specification level to joint, practical software development. This required and continues to require a great deal of persuasion. However, the trend is clearly visible: many companies are increasingly willing to jointly implement software for non-competitive components and bring it into series production. The focus here is on becoming faster, more flexible, and more efficient in development – at a level that the end user in the vehicle does not perceive.
 

Why is this change so crucial?

Michael Plagge: For years and decades, every company developed its own individual solutions – which is neither economically sustainable nor efficient. Through joint software development, we can reduce dependencies and complexity while achieving cost efficiency without compromising on quality. Against the backdrop of transformation in the automotive world, this is crucial to remaining competitive in the future – especially against new market entrants.
 

With the Eclipse SDV Working Group and projects such as EclipseOpenSOVD and, in particular, the recently launched Eclipse S-Core project, there are already concrete initiatives in place. Can you explain these projects in more detail?

Michael Plagge: Gladly! The Eclipse SDV (Software Defined Vehicle) Working Group is a forward-looking, central initiative that could have far-reaching implications for the entire automotive industry. The goal is to create an open, modular, and scalable software core for vehicles that covers essential non-competitive functions, as well as the necessary toolchains and development processes. With the joint memorandum of understanding recently signed by eleven leading companies under the umbrella of the VDA, this open-source project is based on an industry-wide initiative and thus has a solid foundation.

The Eclipse OpenSOVD (Service Oriented Vehicle Diagnostics) project focuses on service-oriented vehicle diagnostics and is the successor to classic diagnostic tests, particularly those related to UDS (Unified Diagnostic Services). This project explicitly pursues the implementation of an established standard, making it more neutral and accessible to all parties involved – an important issue for the aftermarket.

The Eclipse S-Core (Safe Open Vehicle Core) project was launched just a few weeks ago. It is an integration project that brings together various software modules and focuses heavily on processes (for example, in the area of safety) and tooling. Several OEMs are currently pushing ahead with the project, which is still causing some concern among other companies, for example with regard to influence and control options. However, it is important to emphasize that Eclipse S-Core is completely open – there is no exclusivity, every OEM can get involved and set its own priorities.

S-Core focuses strongly on standardization and reusability and offers an open development platform on which manufacturers can work together on basic components without losing their competitiveness in terms of differentiating features.
 

What are the challenges you are currently facing with the Eclipse S-Core project?

Michael Plagge: One key point is the initial skepticism regarding the influence of individual OEMs. Since a few large manufacturers initially drove the project forward, a certain degree of reluctance can still be observed among other market participants. We need to overcome this by continuing to make it clear that S-Core is deliberately designed to be open and inclusive. This gives every OEM the opportunity to actively participate in shaping the project and contribute their requirements. ELIV will be an important forum for explaining the goals and advantages of the project and already taking the next step.

In addition, the project requires significant adjustments to the architectures of the manufacturers involved. This means that OEMs will need to be willing to accept change and adapt their own systems and development processes. This cultural shift towards genuine openness and joint development is probably the biggest challenge we still face with S-Core – and with open source projects in general – in the automotive industry.
 

How important is the Memorandum of Understanding for S-Core, which was signed by eleven CEOs of leading companies?

Michael Plagge: The memorandum sends a strong signal to the entire industry that the open source initiative is firmly anchored at the highest management level. It clearly shows that joint solutions are not only desired, but actively supported and promoted. This commitment at the executive board level is crucial to securing resources and attention within companies for these projects. The aim of the agreement is to collaborate on an open software ecosystem based on open source for series production – a step that is considered groundbreaking for the digitalization of vehicle architecture. The open source project Eclipse S-Core provides the technical basis.
 

You mention three phases in the acceptance of open source in the automotive industry. Can you explain these phases in more detail?

Michael Plagge: The first phase consisted of building fundamental trust in collaboration models – in other words, convincing companies that joint development works not only in theory but also in practice and leads to the expected benefits.

The second phase, which we are currently in, is about proving our ability to jointly develop reliable, secure, and production-ready software. Eclipse S-Core is one of the key projects in this regard, as it proves that the open source method is indeed suitable for safety-critical systems and production applications.

Finally, the third phase will enable expansion to higher levels of the software stack and support strategic approaches that go far beyond the current projects. In this phase, the boundaries between competitively differentiating and non-competitively differentiating components will become increasingly important and further opportunities for cooperation will arise.
 

How important are governance and international orientation for Eclipse projects?

Michael Plagge: Governance naturally plays a central role. Open source projects are not about control, but about creating and maintaining an attractive, open community in which all partners act on an equal footing and benefit from their joint work.

A global orientation is essential here. We want to explicitly avoid being perceived as a purely German or European initiative – which we are not. Rather, we strive to involve international partners in the community, especially companies from the US, China, Korea, and Japan. Only through this global cooperation can we create a sustainable, globally relevant platform.
 

What are your expectations for the upcoming ELIV Congress?

Michael Plagge: At ELIV, we would like to present the progress made and the relevance of projects such as Eclipse S-Core to the professional community. The aim is to highlight the open and global orientation of our initiatives and to encourage active participation. At the same time, we are planning announcements that will reveal the next stage of development for our projects. This should make it even more attractive for other companies to participate in the S-Core and OpenSOVD projects.