Empowering automotive software with the Safe Open Vehicle Core

The automotive industry is in the middle of a profound transformation. Software has become the central driver of innovation, enabling advanced vehicle functions, intelligent systems, and connected services. This shift demands a new development paradigm—one that balances safety, efficiency, and collaborative innovation. At ETAS, we believe this paradigm is embodied in the Open Core Approach.

Navigating complexity in the software-defined vehicle era

For Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), the transition to software-defined vehicles introduces a level of complexity that traditional development models struggle to manage. The pressure to deliver new features quickly and continuously is growing, while the need for efficient development processes and long-term maintainability remains critical.

OEMs face challenges such as fragmented software architectures, vendor lock-in, and the burden of complying with stringent safety and cybersecurity regulations. Software must not only be innovative—it must be secure, reliable, and maintainable for decades. These demands call for a more agile and collaborative approach to software development.

Safety and security: the cornerstones of automotive software

Unlike consumer electronics, failures in automotive software can have life-threatening consequences. Safety and security are not optional—they are foundational. Compliance with standards like ISO 26262 for functional safety and UN-ECE 155 for cybersecurity is both a legal and ethical obligation.

Developing software for critical systems requires rigorous validation, robust testing, and secure update mechanisms. Over-the-air updates must be designed to preserve system integrity, and cybersecurity must be embedded from the ground up to protect both vehicle functionality and passenger safety.

Collaborating for innovation with the Safe Open Vehicle Core

Innovation in automotive software thrives when the industry works together. Open Source Software (OSS) has emerged as a powerful enabler of this collaboration, offering a shared foundation that accelerates development and fosters transparency. By moving away from proprietary silos, OEMs and suppliers can focus their efforts on delivering unique value, rather than reinventing the basics.

The Safe Open Vehicle Core exemplifies this philosophy. It provides a standardized, open software stack that serves as a common platform for all participants in the automotive ecosystem. This shared core reduces fragmentation, streamlines integration, and supports compliance with safety and security standards. At the same time, it leaves room for differentiation, allowing companies to innovate on top of a reliable and well-maintained base.

Through open collaboration, the industry benefits from collective intelligence, faster problem-solving, and improved code quality. The Open Core model ensures that the software foundation remains robust, scalable, and adaptable to future needs—while enabling each stakeholder to contribute to and benefit from a truly community-driven approach.

At ETAS, we see this as more than a technical strategy. It’s a commitment to openness, safety, and long-term sustainability. By embracing the Safe Open Vehicle Core, we’re helping to build a future where automotive software is not only innovative, but also secure, reliable, and ready for the road ahead.

ETAS commitment: delivering a safe open vehicle core

As an active contributor to the Eclipse SDV initiative, ETAS is proud to support and help shape the Eclipse Safe Open Vehicle Core (S-CORE) project. S-CORE is a safety-oriented, open-source middleware platform designed to run on top of POSIX-compliant operating systems such as QNX or Linux, and targets ASIL-B applications in the automotive domain, capable of meeting the highest standards of functional safety and real-time performance.

S-CORE provides a modular and service-oriented software layer that enables dynamic application deployment, inter-process communication, and lifecycle management of in-vehicle software components. It supports service discovery, secure communication, and resource management, making it suitable for modern vehicle architectures that require flexibility, scalability, and safety.

The platform is built to support multi-domain integration and update mechanisms that are robust and secure. It enables application isolation, health monitoring, and policy-driven execution control, which are essential for maintaining system integrity over the vehicle’s lifetime. These capabilities allow OEMs and suppliers to develop and deploy complex software functions, as required for driver assistance, on a shared, safety-compliant foundation.

At ETAS, we are committed to delivering a production-grade distribution based on S-CORE as part of the ETAS Vehicle Platform Suite, tailored to the needs of automotive software developers. This includes integration with other open-source components from the Eclipse SDV ecosystem, support for industry-standard tooling, and alignment with modern CI/CD workflows. Our goal is to provide a reliable and extensible platform that empowers innovation while ensuring compliance with safety and cybersecurity requirements.

Driving the future of mobility—together

The Open Core approach is more than a technical strategy—it’s a mindset shift. It enables faster development, reduces costs, and fosters continuous innovation. It strengthens security through transparency and ensures long-term maintainability through community-driven support.

By contributing to S-CORE, ETAS helps establish a transparent, secure, and maintainable software foundation for the next generation of software-defined vehicles. At ETAS, we believe that openness and collaboration are essential to shaping the future of automotive software. By working together, we can deliver safer, smarter, and more innovative vehicles—faster and more efficiently than ever before.