AutoDrive · Project

Safe Self-Driving Electronics That Work Even When Components Fail

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Imagine your car's brain has a backup brain, and that backup has its own backup too. AutoDrive brought together 67 European companies and labs to build electronic systems for self-driving cars that can detect their own faults, safely shut down if something breaks, and keep operating through redundancy — like having a co-pilot who takes over the instant the main pilot blinks. The goal was to make automated driving safe enough for everyday cars, not just luxury models, especially on rural roads and in bad weather where most fatal accidents happen.

By the numbers

consortium partners across full automotive value chain

countries in pan-European ecosystem

industry partners including semiconductor companies and OEMs

SMEs contributing specialized technology

58%

industry participation ratio

SAE Levels 3-5

targeted automation levels (hands-off to fully driverless)

The business problem

What needed solving

Today's automated driving systems cannot reliably surpass human driving capabilities, especially in unpredictable situations like rural roads and bad weather — exactly where most fatal accidents happen. There is no industry agreement on how safe the electronics and software must be before a car can legally drive itself at SAE Levels 3-5. Companies building autonomous vehicles need electronic components that can detect their own failures, safely shut down, or keep operating through redundancy — and no single company can define these standards alone.

The solution

What was built

AutoDrive delivered fail-aware (self-diagnosing), fail-safe, and fail-operational electronic component architectures for SAE Level 3-5 automated driving. Concrete outputs include hardware-in-the-loop test setups, driving simulator validations, and systems integrated into actual test vehicles, with 10 documented deliverables spanning the full stack from semiconductors to vehicle-level systems.

Audience

Who needs this

Automotive Tier 1 suppliers developing ADAS and autonomous driving modulesSemiconductor companies designing automotive-grade processors and sensorsCar manufacturers (OEMs) adding Level 3-5 automation to their vehicle lineupAutomotive safety certification and testing companiesFleet operators planning to deploy autonomous vehicles

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive Semiconductor & Electronics

enterprise

Target: Tier 1 or Tier 2 automotive electronics supplier

If you are an automotive electronics supplier struggling to meet safety standards for SAE Level 3-5 automation — this project developed fail-aware, fail-safe, and fail-operational component architectures validated through hardware-in-the-loop testing and vehicle integration. With 39 industry partners across 14 countries defining these approaches, the results could accelerate your path to functional safety certification.

Automotive OEM & Vehicle Manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Car manufacturer adding automated driving features

If you are a car manufacturer looking to bring automated driving to all vehicle categories, not just premium models — AutoDrive built and tested redundant hardware and software architectures that keep vehicles safe even when sensors or processors fail. The project integrated systems directly into test vehicles and validated them in driving simulators, giving you a tested blueprint for safer ADAS and autonomous systems.

Smart Sensors & Semiconductor Design

mid-size

Target: Sensor or chip designer for automotive applications

If you are a sensor or semiconductor company developing components for automated vehicles — AutoDrive created self-diagnostic electronic components that can detect their own failures in real time. Led by Infineon Technologies with 14 research institutes contributing, this work defines what fail-aware sensing and processing looks like for the next generation of automotive chips.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or adopt AutoDrive results?

The project data does not include specific licensing costs. AutoDrive was a Research and Innovation Action coordinated by Infineon Technologies with 67 partners, so results are likely distributed across multiple IP holders. Contact the coordinator to discuss licensing terms for specific components or architectures.

Can these results be used at industrial scale in production vehicles?

The project validated systems through hardware-in-the-loop testing, driving simulators, and vehicle-integrated units, which indicates readiness for pre-production validation. With 39 industry partners including semiconductor companies and OEMs, the architectures were designed with mass production in mind. Scaling to series production would require additional automotive-grade qualification.

Who owns the intellectual property from this project?

As a publicly funded EU project (RIA), IP typically stays with the partners who generated it. With 67 partners across 14 countries, IP is distributed. Infineon Technologies AG as coordinator can direct you to the right partner for specific component or system IP.

Does this meet automotive safety regulations?

AutoDrive specifically targeted SAE Levels 3-5 automation and aimed to establish quantifiable dependability measures for hardware and embedded software. The fail-aware, fail-safe, and fail-operational design approach directly addresses ISO 26262 functional safety requirements. Based on available project data, the results contribute to but do not replace full regulatory certification.

How long would integration take?

The project ran from May 2017 to October 2020, producing tested component architectures and vehicle-integrated prototypes. Based on available project data, the hardware-in-the-loop and simulator-validated results could feed into an integration cycle of 12-24 months depending on your existing platform maturity.

Can this work with our existing vehicle electronics?

AutoDrive designed architectures for electronic components and systems across all car categories, suggesting compatibility was a design priority. The 39 industry partners span the full automotive supply chain from semiconductors to OEMs, so the architectures account for real-world integration constraints. Specific compatibility would depend on your current platform.

Consortium

Who built it

AutoDrive assembled one of the largest automotive electronics consortia in EU research with 67 partners from 14 countries. The 58% industry ratio (39 companies) signals strong commercial intent — this was not an academic exercise. Coordinated by Infineon Technologies, a global top-10 semiconductor company, the consortium spans the entire value chain from chip designers to car manufacturers, with 12 universities and 14 research institutes providing the scientific backbone. The 14 SMEs bring specialized capabilities in areas like smart sensors and data processing. For a business looking to adopt these results, this means tested, industry-validated technology with multiple potential suppliers and integration partners already in the ecosystem.

INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AGCoordinator · DE
Infineon Technologies Romania and CO. Societate in Comandita Simplaparticipant · RO
DATIK INFORMACION INTELIGENTE S.L.thirdparty · ES
VDL BUS EINDHOVEN BVthirdparty · NL
MURATA ELECTRONICS OYparticipant · FI
SINTEF NORD ASparticipant · NO
AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBHparticipant · AT
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET GRAZparticipant · AT
OKMETIC OYparticipant · FI
UAB METIS BALTICparticipant · LT
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE INCORPORATEDparticipant · TW
INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AGparticipant · AT
KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLANparticipant · SE
IDEAS & MOTION SRLparticipant · IT
XENOMATIXparticipant · BE
ROBERT BOSCH GMBHparticipant · DE
QRTECH AKTIEBOLAGparticipant · SE
FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JULICH GMBHparticipant · DE
CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT SCPAparticipant · IT
STIFTELSEN SINTEFparticipant · NO
MERCEDES-BENZ AGparticipant · DE
TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OYparticipant · FI
FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATIONparticipant · ES
NXTECH ASparticipant · NO
INTERUNIVERSITAIR MICRO-ELECTRONICA CENTRUMparticipant · BE
BELGAN BVparticipant · BE
JAC ITALY DESIGN CENTER SRLparticipant · IT
VYSOKE UCENI TECHNICKE V BRNEparticipant · CZ
SINTEF ASparticipant · NO
MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AGparticipant · DE
OSTBAYERISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULEAMBERG-WEIDENparticipant · DE
VIRTUAL VEHICLE RESEARCH GMBHparticipant · AT
UNIVERSITA DI PISAparticipant · IT
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT DORTMUNDparticipant · DE
UNIVERSIDAD DE ALCALAparticipant · ES
VDL BUS & COACH BVthirdparty · NL
VDL ENABLING TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS BVparticipant · NL
POLITECNICO DI TORINOparticipant · IT
LANGE RESEARCH AIRCRAFT GMBHparticipant · DE
AVL LIST GMBHparticipant · AT
TTTECH AUTO GMBHparticipant · AT
MICROELETRONICA MASER SLparticipant · ES
POLITECNICO DI MILANOparticipant · IT
TTTECH COMPUTERTECHNIK AGparticipant · AT
HELIOX BVparticipant · NL
ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGparticipant · DE
ELEKTRONIKAS UN DATORZINATNU INSTITUTSparticipant · LV
VILNIAUS GEDIMINO TECHNIKOS UNIVERSITETASparticipant · LT
FLANDERS MAKEparticipant · BE
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVENparticipant · NL
STMICROELECTRONICS SRLparticipant · IT
TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE EUROPE BVBAparticipant · BE
AVL SOFTWARE AND FUNCTIONS GMBHparticipant · DE
MARELLI EUROPE SPAparticipant · IT
FEV EUROPE GMBHparticipant · DE
AYUNTAMIENTO DE MALAGAparticipant · ES
INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES DRESDEN AG & Co. KGparticipant · DE
IRIZAR S COOPparticipant · ES
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET DRESDENparticipant · DE

How to reach the team

Infineon Technologies AG (Germany) — contact through their automotive division or SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction

Order a report on this consortium See INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to access AutoDrive's fail-safe architectures or connect with specific consortium partners? SciTransfer can identify the right contact and arrange an introduction tailored to your technical needs.

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