Gasgoo Munich-Neusoft Reach and ORITEK signed a strategic cooperation agreement on October 24 to jointly develop zonal controller (ZCU) solutions integrating domestically developed chips and foundational software, according to a post on Neusoft Reach's WeChat account.The partnership will combine Neusoft Reach' s NeuSAR software platform with ORITEK' s Gongbu 565 series chips for software-hardware adaptation, joint development and market expansion, supporting the development of next-generation automotive electrical/electronic (E/E) architectures based on domestic technologies.
Image source: Neusoft Reach
Zonal Controllers Become Key to E/E Architecture Upgrades
Automotive E/E architectures are increasingly shifting toward a centralized computing and zonal control model. As a key link between central computing platforms and vehicle actuators, ZCUs play an important role in this transition. Amid concerns over supply chain security, cost control and customized integration, domestically developed chip-and-software solutions are becoming increasingly important for automakers seeking performance, reliability and cost efficiency.
Neusoft Reach' s Software Platform and Safety Capabilities
Neusoft Reach has brought a full-stack software platform covering AUTOSAR Classic Platform (CP), Adaptive Platform (AP) and middleware into mass production in China. Its NeuSAR cCore foundational software complies with AUTOSAR R21-11 and R23-11 standards and supports multicore deployment for next-generation in-vehicle communications. The company says the software was among the first in China to obtain ISO 26262 ASIL-D functional safety certification. Its cybersecurity framework follows ISO/SAE 21434, supporting centralized computing and zonal control architectures across functional modules, safety requirements and product performance.
ORITEK' s Gongbu 565 Chips Target Third-Generation E/E Architectures
ORITEK is developing an intelligent chip platform for physical-world applications under its “Everything+AI” strategy. The Gongbu 565 series is described as China' s first high-end ZCU main control chip designed for third-generation automotive E/E architectures. Its “1+3” architecture is intended to expand the ZCU' s role beyond protocol signal routing to include high-performance routing, edge computing, real-time communications and intelligent power management.
The chip series also incorporates resistive random-access memory (RRAM) technology in mass production and features an AI acceleration engine. According to the source, it offers advantages over mainstream international products in time-sensitive networking (TSN) hardware forwarding latency, AI computing power and interface options.
Joint Development and Market Expansion
The partnership will combine Neusoft Reach' s experience in safe, reliable foundational software and mass production with ORITEK' s chip capabilities for centralized computing and zonal control architectures. The companies aim to develop cost-effective ZCU solutions with improved production efficiency to meet demand for vehicle E/E architecture upgrades and large-scale adoption of domestically developed chips and software.
Neusoft Reach and ORITEK plan to deepen technical collaboration and market coordination, identify emerging market needs, and jointly define next-generation foundational software and automotive chips. They also intend to explore applications in other smart terminals and intelligent equipment, with the aim of building an open automotive electronics ecosystem based on domestic technologies.
