Insights from Maria Anhalt, CEO of Elektrobit, at the Sharing the Roadmap executive exchange.
The automotive industry is undergoing a seismic shift. By 2031, 35% of vehicles are expected to be built on standardized software platforms—a pace of change nearly eight times faster than experts predicted just four years ago. At the Sharing the Roadmap summit, Maria Anhalt, CEO of Elektrobit, shared her vision for this software-first future, offering practical insights into overcoming challenges, attracting top talent, and fostering groundbreaking innovation.
“Software is the new engine of value in the automotive industry,” Anhalt declared. She drew comparisons to the tech world, where hardware, software platforms, and applications evolve on distinct life cycles. By adopting similar principles, automakers can unlock exponential growth in software-driven business models.
While hardware innovation remains crucial, Anhalt emphasized the need for flexibility: “Your car should function like a modern smartphone—capable of running the latest software, even on older hardware.” This separation of hardware and software life cycles is critical for monetizing features and scaling innovation.
To realize the software-first vision, Anhalt identified three primary challenges:
While vehicles aren’t “smartphones on wheels,” Anhalt pointed out several lessons the automotive industry can draw from tech leaders:
Anhalt shared a striking example of the software-first approach in action: Elektrobit’s collaboration with Sony on the Afeela car, unveiled at CES 2023.
Sony, a newcomer to the automotive industry, approached vehicle design from a user experience perspective rather than a driver-first mindset. Elektrobit partnered with Sony to:
Remarkably, despite collaborating with multiple partners and evolving requirements, the project was delivered in just three years. Anhalt credited the success to an agile, co-creative approach: They've never had a 400-page contract. Every three months, they reviewed progress and decided how to proceed. It was a true partnership.
Addressing the talent challenge, Anhalt called for a fundamental shift in how automotive companies attract and retain technical talent:
In today’s hyper-competitive environment, Anhalt underscored the importance of partnerships: No single company can own all the expertise needed for success. Collaboration accelerates speed, expands scope, and brings innovative solutions to market faster.
The Afeela project exemplifies this ethos. Sony leveraged Elektrobit’s automotive expertise while integrating its strengths in content, gaming, and user experience design. It’s not about building cars, as Anhalt indicated. For Sony, the vehicle is a platform to expand their ecosystem into new markets.
Anhalt concluded her presentation with a call to action: The future belongs to those willing to rethink everything—business models, organizational structures, and collaboration strategies. She highlighted four pillars for success:
“The software-first future is here,” Anhalt concluded. “It’s up to us to embrace it and drive the transformation forward.”
Key Takeaways for CIOs and Top IT Managers:
With Elektrobit’s insights, the path to a software-driven future has never been clearer—or more achievable.
The Software Excellence Network is a dynamic forum for CIOs, CTOs, and technology leaders, fostering collaboration and innovation in software development. It provides exclusive access to expert insights, case studies, and cutting-edge strategies to overcome challenges in scaling software productivity, managing complexity, and leveraging emerging technologies for competitive advantage.
A Note to Our Readers
This article provides a summary of the key ideas shared by Maria Anhalt during her presentation. While it highlights the main concepts and innovations she discussed, the full depth of her insights and examples is best appreciated by viewing the entire session. To explore these ideas further and hear directly from Maria Anhalt, we encourage you to watch the complete presentation. For any questions or additional information, feel free to contact us.
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