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BMW Group Joins Eclipse Foundation’s Software Defined Vehicle Working Group

• By John K. Waters
• August 6, 2024

The BMW Group has officially joined the Eclipse Foundation’s Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) Working Group as a strategic member, enhancing global collaboration on open-source software for modern vehicles. The SDV Working Group aims to develop open-source technologies for automotive applications.

BMW brings more than 20 years of experience in in-house software development to this initiative, the Foundation said in a statement, contributing its expertise in areas such as digital vehicle access, over-the-air upgrades, and vehicle backend structures.

"BMW has mastered software from chip to cloud for generations," said Frank Weber, BMW AG’s Board Member for Development, in a statement. "The number of digital functions in cars is growing rapidly. All players in our industry can benefit significantly from more cooperation in developing and securing software that does not differentiate from competition."

Modern vehicles increasingly rely on vast amounts of code, often running into hundreds of millions of lines. This trend has driven collaboration among manufacturers and suppliers to develop standardized software solutions. According to the Eclipse Foundation, the software code volume in vehicles from different OEMs is substantial, with significant overlap in basic functionalities, highlighting the potential for shared development efforts.

"We see open-source as an active collaboration model for software development and expect a lot from the joint activities in the Eclipse SDV Working Group," said Christian Salzmann, Vice President of BMW Group Global Software Strategy and Software Factory, in a statement. "BMW's involvement in open-source projects like Zuul demonstrates its commitment to collaborative software development.

The Eclipse SDV Working Group has rapidly become a central hub for open-source software development in the automotive industry. "We’re thrilled to have an innovative leader of BMW’s caliber join as a strategic member," said Mike Milinkovich, Executive Director of the Eclipse Foundation. " Their contributions will play a pivotal role in driving this transformative shift in modern vehicle design."

As a strategic member, BMW will guide the direction of the SDV Working Group and lead multiple projects. BMW has been a member of the Eclipse Foundation for more than a decade, supporting initiatives such as openMDM and openPass working groups. Additionally, BMW will continue its involvement in AUTOSAR (Automotive Open System Architecture), which advances standards for electrical electronics architecture in collaboration with various industry stakeholders.

The Eclipse SDV Working Group comprises more than 50 members, including major automotive manufacturers, global cloud providers, and technology leaders. It aims to develop open-source solutions for the automotive industry, adopting a “code first” approach to create the industry's first open-source software stacks for future vehicle generations.

BMW’s development division, particularly the Software Factory, will be actively involved in the SDV Working Group's projects, the company said, collaborating with partners to develop software for series projects. BMW employees will also participate in SDV Hackathons and Community Days, working closely with experts from other member companies.

This collaboration underscores BMW's commitment to advancing open-source software development in the automotive industry, driving innovation and enhancing the digital capabilities of modern vehicles, the company said.