Continental wins CLEPA award for pioneering software innovation

Continental has been awarded the prestigious CLEPA Innovation Prize 2024 for outstanding technological achievements in the field of automotive software development. At a ceremony held in Brussels, Belgium, CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, presented the award in the ‘Digital’ category to the Smart Cockpit High-Performance Computer (HPC) Virtualization, a cloud-based solution that is revolutionizing the development of vehicles.

"We are extremely proud to receive the CLEPA Innovation Award for the third time. It is a great recognition of our research and development and our expertise in software development," said Jean-François Tarabbia, Head of the Architecture and Network Solutions. “Being recognized by our direct peers in the industry is particularly rewarding as it shows that our technologies are acknowledged for their innovative strength.”

Virtualization accelerates development 
The award-winning virtualization solution makes it possible to start software development using virtual electronic control units (vECUs) before the physical hardware is even available. For example, future applications and functions can be simulated and tested before the hardware for microcontrollers or processors is available. This allows the development of hardware and software to run largely independently of each other and at the same time in parallel, significantly reducing development time and identifying potential problems early in the development process.

The solution is based on the so-called CAEdge vECU Creator. The vECU Creator is part of Continental's cloud-based ‘Automotive Edge’ framework (CAEdge). CAEdge provides a state-of-the-art virtual environment for fast, efficient, and flexible software development that supports classic and adaptive AUTOSAR as well as Android, Linux and QNX environments. This solution is instrumental in enabling the continuous development and integration of new features for improved safety and a better driving experience over the entire lifecycle of a vehicle.

Smart Cockpit HPC Virtualization – first cloud-based SDV project 
Continental is already successfully using the virtualization solution in various development projects. One outstanding example is the digital twin of the Smart Cockpit High-Performance Computer (HPC), which enables the separation of software development and hardware availability.

The technology allows for high-speed simulation and connection of peripheral devices. Project complexity and development times can be reduced, and a production-ready product can be realized in just 18 months.

According to Continental, receiving the CLEPA Innovation Award confirms that hardware virtualization is recognized as a game-changing innovation in the future development of systems for the software-defined vehicle (SDV).