Survey: QNX finds challenges, openings in SDV work

If you ask automotive software developers - and QNX Research did - you'll hear that OEMs would benefit from an update to their software strategies. In October, QNX released its “Under the Hood: The SDV Developer Report,” a survey of 1,100 auto industry software developers in North America, Europe, and Asia and came away with three main points. First, 58% of respondents said software recalls have “significantly” changed how they develop software. Second, 91% said they expect AI to play a “major role” in future software development, estimating AI could replace 35% of current roles by 2035. Finally, and music to QNX's ears, 80% said automakers should put their focus on application-layer innovations and not on software infrastructure.

That last finding describes the space where QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited, and automotive technology supplier Vector have created an initiative to first define what foundational software means for SDVs and then deliver those components to OEMs and Tier 1s, which can then focus on what makes sense for them as a brand or for a specific customer, Justin Moon, vice president of Core Product Engineering at QNX, told SAE Media.