Infineon Technologies and Qualcomm Technologies are collaborating to develop and deploy central car computers for software-defined vehicles (SDVs).
Both companies signed an agreement for a microcontroller (MCU)-based design pattern using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride reference platforms for high-performance computing (HPC) and in-vehicle AI.
The goal is to create a path for the deployment of car computers that combine driver assistance and automated driving functions with digital cockpit systems.
At Electronica 2026, held Nov. 10 to 13 in Munich, Germany, Infineon will showcase its technologies for AI applications, including microelectronics for centralized SDV architectures.
Combined ecosystem for software-defined vehicles
Under the agreement, the companies will collaborate to expand the Snapdragon Ride ecosystem. This includes integrating Qualcomm’s systems-on-chip (SoCs) with Infineon’s hardware and software for safety management, connectivity and memory management.
According to Peter Schiefer, president of the automotive division at Infineon, these components “need to work together seamlessly” for safe vehicle operation, and the combination of the companies will provide “essential functional building blocks and integration expertise” to build a trust foundation for SDVs that use AI.
What the MCU-based subsystem does for software-defined vehicles
The MCU-based subsystem is designed to operate alongside Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride and Ride Flex reference platforms as a complementary technology.
While the Snapdragon Ride platforms handle the computing and AI workloads, the subsystem keeps vehicle behavior reliable by:
- Monitoring system health
- Coordinating safety mechanisms
- Enabling real-time control of safety-critical functions
The subsystem is built using Infineon’s Aurix MCU and its Optireg integrated circuits for power management.
Infineon will also contribute its Brightlane automotive Ethernet and USB connectivity ICs and its Semper NOR flash memory to the SDV platform.
