German motion technology manufacturer Schaeffler and ThunderSoft have agreed a partnership to jointly develop and market central vehicle computing platforms for future vehicle architectures.

The collaboration will concentrate on modular and scalable multi-domain computing solutions intended to cut development outlay and reduce system complexity.

It is also designed to support automotive manufacturers as they move towards software- and artificial intelligence (AI)-based vehicles.

Schaeffler is contributing experience in the development, industrialisation, and high-volume production of complex automotive electronic systems.

Its work spans safety-relevant driving functions, powertrain systems, chassis solutions, and battery and energy management.

ThunderSoft is bringing expertise in central vehicle software platforms, operating systems, and high-performance computing architectures for infotainment and driver assistance systems.

The company is also providing access to an established technology ecosystem.

Schaeffler e-mobility CEO Thomas Stierle said: “Together with ThunderSoft’s software and platform expertise, we are creating scalable computing solutions, which consolidate safety-critical driving functions, driver assistance systems, and infotainment on a shared hardware basis.”

The partnership is positioned around an industry shift away from distributed electronic control unit (ECU) architectures towards centralised vehicle computers.

These systems consolidate multiple vehicle domains, including powertrain, energy supply, driving functions, and infotainment, within a single processing unit.

Schaeffler and ThunderSoft said they plan to develop fully integrated solutions mapping functions from driver assistance, infotainment, and driving domains onto a shared hardware platform.

The initial regional focus will cover Asia-Pacific and Europe, with plans to extend to China and North America over the longer term.

The press statement said regional regulatory requirements for connected vehicles will be incorporated from the outset.

ThunderSoft Intelligent Automotive vice president Xu Dongchao added: “Centralised computing platforms are becoming the cornerstone of intelligent vehicles. Through our collaboration with Schaeffler, we aim to accelerate innovation in software-defined vehicles and provide flexible, high-performance platforms for global deployment.”