The automotive industry is undergoing its most radical transformation yet. With vehicles evolving into fully software-defined systems (SDVs), the role of embedded software developers has never been more critical. According to a new global study by QNX (the Under The Hood: SDV Developer Report), more than 1,100 automotive software engineers were surveyed—and their findings send a clear message to OEMs: focus less on infrastructure, and more on delivering applications and experiences.
Key insights include:
-80% of developers believe OEMs should prioritise application-layer innovation over foundational software infrastructure.
The biggest productivity blockers: long development cycles (37 %), complex debugging & testing (36 %), integration complexity (36 %), low platform scalability (36 %) and regulatory compliance issues (35 %).
-While 91% of developers expect artificial intelligence to play a major role in automotive software within 3-5 years, they also anticipate significant changes in required skills: cybersecurity (58 %), functional safety (53 %) and AI/ML integration (51 %) top the list.
-Collaboration is critical: 93% of respondents say cross-industry partnerships between OEMs, Tier 1s and software vendors are essential.
If you’re working in automotive software, now is the time to shift your mindset. Focus your efforts on the applications and services your end-users engage with, rather than re-inventing low-level infrastructure. Leverage reliable platforms and trusted software partners so your engineering team can stay agile and innovative.
At ITEC LTD (official representative of QNX in Israel), we partner with OEMs and Tier 1s to help navigate these strategic challenges—delivering foundations that enable rapid development of feature-rich, safe, and scalable in-vehicle software.
Want to see how QNX’s foundational software can help you overcome these hurdles? Contact us today to learn more.
