C Talk | ETAS: Empowering the Evolution from SDV to AIDV

"As AI advances rapidly, there is a visible shift from 'software-defined vehicles' to 'AI-defined vehicles' in automotive industry."

This is how Thomas Irawan, President and Chairman of the ETAS Board of Management, summarizes the latest evolution in the automotive sector during his recent interview with Gasgoo.

While "software-defined vehicles" has become an industry consensus, AI is fast emerging as the key differentiator in smart mobility—powering everything from assisted driving and voice assistants to code generation and user experience. Positioned at the forefront of this transformation, ETAS is leveraging its expertise in embedded software and middleware to drive the shift toward AI-defined vehicles.

For ETAS, this transition presents both challenge and opportunity: evolving software architectures must handle growing system complexity and new AI-driven demands, while middleware becomes critical for fast, safe deployment. As Thomas notes, "Middleware, as a trusted platform, enables decoupling, rapid rollout, and efficient development. With our powerful and flexible middleware, we're ready to meet the new needs brought by AI."

From the Embedded AI Coder to internal AI-enhanced development workflows, ETAS is deeply embedding AI into both customer offerings and its own engineering systems. The company has also restructured internally to better align with fast-changing market needs and streamline its focus across three business domains: software development tools, on-board software and off-board software and services.

With China leading in areas like electrification, user experience, and software innovation, ETAS sees the country as a strategic growth market. "More and more innovations start in China before spreading globally," says Thomas. Through a dual approach of "developed in China, for both China and the world," ETAS is committed to supporting local innovation and helping Chinese customers expand globally, particularly with robust security, safety, and compliance capabilities rooted in over 30 years of engineering excellence.

As the line between software and intelligence continues to blur, ETAS is laying the technical foundation—secure, scalable, and AI-ready—for the next era of mobility.

For more insights from the interview, please watch the video above.