Proposals need to particularly address the following aspects:

The open architectures and building blocks of the Software-define vehicle middleware and API framework developed under this project shall aim at exposing the vehicle's features and functionalities in the form of standard modular services and APIs, simplifying the development and certification of in-vehicle and edge-cloud applications, simplifying the access to vehicle data, functions and resources, making vehicle upgrades easier, simplifying the adoption of existing and new regulations, verification, validation and certification, and adding agility and speed to automotive engineering.

Layer-based solutions introducing a level of abstraction which allows the SDV middleware and API Layer framework to be independent from the automotive SDV Virtualization, OS and Hardware Abstraction Layer. The concept of hardware abstraction layers interface (HALI), which facilitates the integration and the decoupling of vehicle hardware from software, represents the foundation on which these solutions should be based. The reuse of results from the project focusing on building blocks around the HAL from the call HORIZON-KDT-JU-2023-2-RIA Topic 2 is envisioned.

Modular platforms based on the concept of standardised, interoperable and non-differentiating “building blocks”, based on open source components as far as appropriate, enabling in-vehicle and cloud-based applications and ensuring the integration and support of existing frameworks such as ECPLISE SDV, AUTOSAR Adaptive, COVESA, SOAFEE, digital.auto, etc. Modularity is fundamental to promote the evolution of a European platform for the SDV Vehicle of the Future.

Support the evolution towards domain- or vehicle-centralised E/E architectures, consolidating vehicle functions at domain-level (e.g., powertrain, autonomous driving, cockpit, body, OTA update, maintenance, …) with dedicated domain controllers, and simplifying the evolution toward zone- and vehicle-centralisation, with central control unit(s) running functions or services in and across different SW domains in a vehicle.

Ensure the coverage of safety and security, including secure access to on-board (and off-board) resources, features and services, and data provision, exploiting for example an increased use of virtualisation, software building blocks isolation, and defined (and possible also standardised) interfaces.

Building on the SDV Virtualization, OS and Hardware Abstraction Layer building blocks developed in related projects, development of reference implementations of the SDV Middleware and API framework for the SDV Vehicle of the Future in different scenarios of OEMs and TIERs. Reference implementations shall allow the concrete evaluation of the SDV platform with demonstrators.

Highly-automated engineering methods, tools and tool-chains using existing or developing missing engineering building blocks for toolsets, supporting the DEVOPS continuous approach and virtual engineering, including design, development, test, validation solutions to improve the efficiency, productivity, quality and trustability of the engineering process and keep it in the temporal constraints of the time to market of ADAS, AD, infotainment, sensing and control systems. Engineering process support should rely on existing solutions wherever possible, extended and/or complemented by newly developed methods, toolchains, and tools, when required (e.g. phases of the engineering process not covered, missing tools, improvement of existing tools, etc.). Building blocks are encouraged to be open-source wherever adequate.

The consortium should be coordinated by a leading European industrial actor of the automotive industry (OEM, tier-1), or by a neutral organisation well established in the automotive software sector. The consortium must include: 

a large and representative number of European OEMs of motorised vehicles (passenger cars, trucks, buses, motor cycles, off-road) with headquarters in several Member States of the European Union and/or its associated countries; 

a large and representative number of European tier-1 automotive suppliers and technology companies, including semiconductor companies and software engineering experts;

a representative number of tool providers specialized on the described engineering toolchains above;  

innovative SMEs across the value chain; 

leading universities and research and technology organisations bringing the newest advances in relevant digital and other technologies and/or acting act as neutral mediators. 

actors from across a significant number of Participating States of the Chips-JU program with a strong focus on the automotive sector.

Proposals are encouraged:

To allocate tasks to cohesion activities with the projects selected under the call HORIZON-KDT-JU-2023-3-CSA Topic 3 on Coordination of the European software-defined vehicle platform on and the call HORIZON-KDT-JU-2023-2-RIA Topic 2 on Hardware abstraction layer for a European Vehicle Operating System.

To allocate tasks to cohesion activities with the [call 2024 automotive HW?].

To allocate tasks to cohesion activities with the [related CCAM and 2ZERO projects].

To allocate tasks to cohesion activities with the [related national SDV projects]