More security and flexibility with open source in automotive engineering

A new report from the Eclipse Foundation examined the benefits of open source software in automotive engineering. The report, “Driving Innovation & Building Safer Cars with Open Source Software,” presents key trends and shows how open source is accelerating the development of software-defined vehicles (SDVs).

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Software plays a key role in modern vehicles

98 percent of the 300 decision-makers and software experts surveyed see significant value in open source software for their work. Even if this does not provide concrete information on the prevalence in their projects, it clearly indicates the growing importance of open source in SDV.

The model is particularly valued as an innovation driver: the majority of respondents expect an increase in innovation of over 10 percent, while a fifth even expect an increase of up to 30 percent. In addition, open source makes a significant contribution to cost reduction and operational efficiency – many companies report reduced operating costs or expect them to.

95 percent of experts also see advantages in terms of flexibility and scalability and expect that companies will be able to respond more quickly to new opportunities, reduce costs, shorten time to market and secure competitive advantages if they use open source software.

Developers and decision makers set different priorities

According to the report, developers and decision-makers rate the benefits of open source differently. While 31 percent of decision-makers see better performance as the most important advantage, developers prioritize user-friendliness (29 percent) and the possibility of using a common platform, such as a software-defined vehicle (21 percent). Both groups agree that open source software benefits from a higher level of security and greater adaptability (up to 27 percent of respondents).

“Driving Innovation & Building Safer Cars with Open Source Software” is the first of three reports from the Eclipse Foundation, which compiles the results of a large survey conducted in the first quarter of 2024. Two more reports will be published later, addressing the business benefits and challenges of open source software in the automotive industry.

Further information can be found in the report announcement. It is available free of charge upon registration or as a download for members of the Eclipse Foundation.

(WHO)