2025 was not an easy year. But as the saying goes: crises are catalysts \u2013 for those who are willing to change. Today, the German automotive and supplier industry finds itself at a long\u2011anticipated turning point that is widely debated across the industry and in the media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We share several key theses also addressed by leading tech voices, such as Philipp Raasch <\/a>and others:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What we are seeing is a structural shift unlike anything in the past 30 years. The rules of the industry are changing \u2013 radically and irreversibly. Becoming a \u201csoftwarefirst company\u201d is not a matter of awareness \u2013 it is a question of execution. Many German car manufacturers face a tough reality: millions of lines of legacy code, hundreds of proprietary interfaces, and IT architectures that envolved over decades and became slow in the process. Our experience: we help OEMs untangle this complexity \u2013 from identifying technical debt to implementing modern development practices. The key lever is architecture decisions that sustainably improve scalability and time\u2011to\u2011market. This can be described as a three\u2011horizon architecture strategy: <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Software\u2011defined vehicles decouple hardware and software. Platforms such as Nvidia Drive<\/a>, Qualcomm Snapdragon Ride<\/a>, or Android Automotive<\/a> enable modular development. Our approach: support OEMs in making this decision based on facts, not ideology. The key lever is a clear definition of where differentiation truly matters: where in\u2011house development pays off, and where integration is faster and more cost\u2011effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This leads to an evaluation framework we call Strategic Technology Value Assessment (STVA), based on three dimensions: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Autonomous driving, predictive maintenance, personalized services \u2013 none of this comes from software alone. It requires powerful data pipelines and AI infrastructure. German OEMs need to catch up under stricter regulation, which makes the gap exponentially harder to close. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our experience: a central lever is making the value of data more visible \u2013 for OEMs and customers. When customers clearly benefit from datadriven services, acceptance increases. We add one crucial dimension to the usual scenarios: OEMs as orchestrators of automotive ecosystems. Instead of building everything in-house, the focus shifts to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our experience: the mindset shift is from \u201cNot Invented Here\u201d to \u201cBest Integrated Here.\u201d This will decide whether OEMs become leaders \u2013 or just feature suppliers inside someone else\u2019s platform. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Large\u2011scale software transformations realistically take 7 to 10 years. At the same time, competitors operate in 2\u2011 to 3\u2011year cycles. That means: Even if German OEMs do everything right today, the gap will initially widen \u2013 this is mathematically unavoidable. The challenge even intensifies by an additional factor: the core business must fund the transformation while it\u2018s profitability declines. This double bind makes speed not just important \u2013 but existential. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This transformation is not just an engineering challenge. It is an IT, data, and cultural revolution that will decide who remains relevant in the next decade. Winners will be OEMs that master complex technology and data ecosystems \u2013 not just those that build excellent cars. As a partner for digital transformation in automotive, we support OEMs across the key levers \u2013 from software architecture and data strategy to AI enablement. The next 3 to 5 years will decide the field. We bring architecture, tooling, and delivery experience that measurably increase speed and quality. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 2025 was not an easy year. But as the saying goes: crises are catalysts \u2013 for those who are willing to change. 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At Cognizant Mobility, our daily work with OEMs shows us the levers that determine future viability. This is where we focus: not just highlight the risks, but laying out concrete, and often overlooked steps to actively steer forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Underestimated Complexity of Software Transformation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Software development follows different rules than traditional automotive engineering. While local OEMs invested billions, Chinese competitors worked from a clean\u2011sheet approach – leveraging modern tech stacks, cloudnative\u2011 architectures, and agile development – without AUTOSAR slow downs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Critical legacy systems are stabilized using API abstraction layers. Monolithic ECU software is wrapped into microserviceready modules without touching the core system.
Result: faster feature delivery with minimal risk.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n
In parallel, establish cloudnative environments with DevSecOps pipelines. Shift from component teams to crossfunctional feature teams.
We\u2019ve supported OEMs to cut feedback cycles from months to weeks by adopting \u201cyou build it, you run it.\u201d
<\/li>\n\n\n\n
In the long term, an architecture based on consistent domaindriven design emerges. This clearly separates:
Commodity code (platform services such as authentication, telemetry)
Differentiation code (e.g. UX, driving dynamics algorithms)
So resources flow where they create real competitive advantage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nThe Platform Dilemma: Build vs. Buy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The strategic question remains: Should an OEM really try to build the next Android or iOS? Or is it smarter to use existing platforms and focus fully on a distinctive UX layer?
The industry shows two successful, yet very different paths: <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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The Overlooked Factor: Data and AI<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Chinese OEMs have a clear advantage here. They collect far more vehicle data, connect their ecosystems seamlessly with super\u2011apps like WeChat, and generate a strong data flywheel effect: more data \u2192 better AI \u2192 better products \u2192 more users \u2192 even more data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, we develop applications that improve charging interoperability by consolidating live availability data, harmonizing tariffs and roaming information, and standardizing APIs \u2013 especially where today heterogeneous protocols, incompatible backend systems, and missing end-to-end data flows cause inconsistent status messages and uncomfortable charging experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Ecosystem Play<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Time Factor: Why Speed Is Everything<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The challenge even intensifies by an additional factor: the core business must fund the transformation while it\u2018s profitability declines. This double bind makes speed not just important \u2013 but existential. <\/p>\n\n\n\nOur Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The resources exist. The real question is: is there enough courage to decide fast enough? <\/p>\n\n\n\n