The hub is expected to employ around 200 technical specialists that will be responsible for enhancing the MyToyota and LexusLink+ applications, which are used by more than two million European customers to access remote vehicle functions, battery‑charge monitoring and a wide range of ownership‑convenience services. The team will also contribute to the development of the cloud infrastructure that enables connected services for Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Europe, while additionally providing cybersecurity support.

“Toyota has been present in Poland for 35 years and this project strengthens Toyota’s commitment in this market,” said Thierry Boitel, vice president of research and development, Toyota Motor Europe. “Poland was selected as the location for the Toyota Digital Hub due to its strong pool of highly skilled specialists and the presence of leading technical universities.”

The establishment of the Toyota Digital Hub marks a further investment by Toyota in Wrocław. Since 2015, the Shared Services Centre has operated in the city, providing accounting and tax advisory services for all Toyota units in Europe.

“The Toyota Digital Hub is set to play an important role in Europe by expanding Toyota’s software development capabilities and positioning Toyota Motor Europe as a trusted partner in future global software‑defined vehicle development,” said Luis Lopes, vice president information and technology, Toyota Motor Europe.

“The decision to locate Toyota Digital Hub in Poland confirms our country’s strong investment appeal and its solid position as a hub for modern technologies,” said Andrzej Domański, Polish minister of finance and economy.

Recent news, Pony AI launches self-improving physical AI engine PonyWorld 2.0

Performed by Exida, an authority in functional safety, the assessment was conducted in accordance with IEC 61508 requirements, with domain experts ensuring full alignment and compatibility with ISO 26262, the automotive industry’s functional safety standard. Codethink says the evaluation represents a major milestone in its mission to transform how the world engineers, verifies and trusts software.

The assessment concluded that, when considering the process objectives of both IEC 61508 and ISO 26262, the Trustable Software Framework and its reference implementation provide an approach to software development that aligns with – and in many cases surpasses – the rigor and requirements defined for SIL 3 software under IEC 61508.

The report adds that organizations implementing the TSF according to the reference model can proceed with confidence to measure their progress toward future certification and ensure they meet the requirements for a successful assessment.

“This assessment validates that trust in software, especially open source, can be both measurable and auditable”, said Paul Sherwood, Codethink chairman. “Functional safety is no longer a checkbox, it’s a design principle. The Eclipse Trustable Software Framework gives organizations the means to demonstrate integrity at every stage of development.”

The Eclipse Trustable Software Framework defines six tenets: provenance, construction, changes, expectations, results and confidence, each mapped to the objectives of IEC 61508 and ISO 26262. This structure enables companies to align open source and proprietary development with safety-critical rigor, ensuring traceability and reproducibility from concept to deployment.

By embedding these principles directly into everyday engineering workflows, TSF bridges the divide between compliance and innovation.

John Ellis, president USA and head of product at Codethink, said, “Codethink’s recent TSF functional safety assessment underscores a pivotal shift for the automotive sector, from static, checklist-based compliance to a model of continuous, evidence-driven assurance. The assessors concluded that ‘Trustable sets out an approach to software development which meets and in many cases exceeds the rigor and expectations established for software in IEC 61508 at SIL 3,’ validating that the Eclipse Trustable Software Framework brings measurable, ongoing compliance into the heart of the software-defined vehicle. In an industry still trapped in periodic audits and paper trails, TSF demonstrates that safety and trust can be continuously verified, not merely asserted once per release cycle.”

“We remain focused on the real work of engineering safety, security, and reliability, not simply collecting certificates”, said Sherwood. “At its core, this is about trust: Trust that software will behave as intended, and trust that our systems and mitigations will perform when it matters most.”

In related news, Applied Intuition completes ISO/SAE 21434 cybersecurity certification

As vehicles become increasingly software-driven, cybersecurity is now a core element of automotive engineering and must be integrated from the earliest stages of development. Modern software-defined and autonomous vehicles face complex cybersecurity risks across multiple attack surfaces, including wireless interfaces such as Bluetooth and wi-fi, in-vehicle communication protocols like CAN, and threats such as global navigation satellite system (GNSS) spoofing and jamming.

Automotive cybersecurity standard ISO/SAE 21434 provides a clear, risk-based framework that helps manufacturers and suppliers identify, assess and mitigate cyber risks across every stage of the vehicle lifecycle.

In related news, Foretellix integrates Foretify physical AI toolchain with Nvidia Drive AV platform

With more than 250 solution providers, The Future of Automotive Testing Conference and the Innovation Showcase, it’s the ideal place to discover new solutions, share ideas and build valuable connections.

There will truly be something for everyone, whether you’re an NVH specialist seeking new acoustics testing tools, an EV engineer in need of high-voltage test equipment, an ADAS expert looking for the latest lab systems, or a simulation specialist in need of a tool or a test driver searching for a new vehicle rental partner.

The Innovation Showcase will take place on day one and day three, enabling visitors to learn more about some of the latest technologies on display. Its interactive format is always a big hit. On day two, ATTI will host The Future of Automotive Testing Conference, beginning at 9:55am with an onstage interview featuring ATTI columnist Jon M Quigley, and with a program that features a wealth of influential industry figures.

Serving as the testing sector’s foremost communications platform, ATTI will also report live news throughout the show and gather intelligence for upcoming magazine issues. Don’t hesitate to share your ideas or news with ATTI.

For a comprehensive preview, see the September edition of Automotive Testing Technology International magazine.

Automotive Testing Expo North America will take place at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan, on October 22-23. Visit the expo website to register for your free expo pass.

The Future of Automotive Testing Conference

This day of high-level content will explore various topics and provide an engaging opportunity to learn from and connect with industry peers. Situated among the exhibits, it will have a relaxing atmosphere, and visitors will be able to dip in and out at their leisure. A highlight will be ATTI’s on-stage interview with Jon Quigley, who worked for Volvo for many years and now runs his own company, Value Transformation. With his broad experience and portfolio of contacts, he’s a very good person to know. He loves sharing his thoughts, too, hence his new gig as ATTI’s regular columnist.

Read Quigley’s latest column on p36 of the September issue.

Also during the conference, Venkat Adusumalli, software engineering manager at Stellantis, will reveal how Stellantis is using AI to accelerate E/E system testing and validation workflows. Click here for a pre-show interview with him.

Innovation Showcase

The free-to-attend Innovation Showcase also provides an interactive platform for learning about new technologies. Speakers will welcome questions and discussion after their presentations, making it a great way to explore ideas together. Like the conference, it will take place within the main hall, so it will be very easy to listen in while wandering through the exhibits, or to come and go throughout the day.

Technology debuts

The industry is moving quickly and it can be a challenge to keep up. Every year there is an abundance of new technologies on display. Some are incremental improvements to existing products, others are entirely new. It’s always surprising how companies find ways around bottlenecks. Often, these developments emerge from ongoing conversations between supplier and customer, ultimately benefiting multiple companies.

Read ATTI‘s comprehensive expo preview in the September issue.

Face-to-face discussions  

It sounds obvious, but the most fruitful conversations are usually the ones that happen in person – it’s how journalists find the best stories. Year after year, exhibitors and visitors report having forged unexpected collaborations at the show, in the form of technology tie-ups or service partnerships.

Detroit’s revival 

A lot of money has been plowed into Detroit in recent years, as evidenced by the stunning renovation of Michigan Central Station, which is well worth a visit. Much of the investment has been in the tech sector. Eleven years ago – when the station was still derelict – ATTI took a tour of some of the labs at GM and what was then the FCA headquarters (see The right wave length, November 2014, Seasonal highlights, September 2015, and Powerbase, March 2015). The facilities were impressive then and are even more so now, thanks to several years of investment in innovation leading to Detroit’s resurgence as an automotive powerhouse.

Visit the Automotive Testing Expo North America website to secure your FREE pass, which will give you access to the expo, the Future of Automotive Testing Conference and the Innovation Showcase

This certification sets a precedent for the secure, standardized integration of AI into autonomous driving technologies. As AI becomes increasingly central to advanced mobility, enhancing sensing capabilities, real-time decision-making and overall system intelligence, it also introduces critical safety challenges due to its complexity and unpredictability. Addressing these challenges requires structured assurance processes that are globally recognized.

Published in December 2024, ISO/PAS 8800 is the first global standard specifically developed to address AI safety in the automotive sector. It provides a framework for the development, deployment and continuous monitoring of AI systems to ensure operational safety.

The certification of Geely Auto followed an extensive independent audit process conducted by SGS-TÜV Saar. Multiple assessments were carried out throughout the project lifecycle, culminating in a final review that confirmed full compliance with ISO/PAS 8800.

In related news, PlusAI has released a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) designed to track progress toward the commercial readiness of SuperDrive. Read the full story here

As of July 2024, OEMs must adhere to the UNECE regulations to sell any vehicle and product within its 56 member states. Notably, the key regulations include R155, which focuses on cybersecurity, and R156, which addresses software updates. In addition to achieving compliance, OEMs must implement the necessary supporting management systems across their organizations to maintain that compliance. These systems must also be audited by a technical service for the OEMs to sell vehicles in UNECE regions.

Chris Cole, product line director Bentley Motors, said, “We’re proud of this close collaboration with MHP Consulting UK, and the fact that Bentley has met the cybersecurity legislative requirements set out by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Not only have our joint teams achieved certification with zero non-conformities, they have pushed the boundaries of innovation, further entrenching cybersecurity as a cultural imperative into the Bentley brand. This is a major achievement for our team and ultimately means that our GT range of vehicles meets the highest cybersecurity and software update management systems.”

As part of this initiative, even though Bentley’s systems were already highly advanced and largely aligned with UNECE requirements, the company still needed to ensure full compliance with both R155 and R156 regulations to meet regulatory and type approval standards. To do so, Bentley turned to MHP Consulting for expertise and support. The project leading to Bentley’s successful compliance was delivered in two key stages.

In the initial phase of their collaboration, Bentley and MHP Consulting UK took a proactive approach by engaging with a technical service to help develop the necessary concepts and processes in line with UNECE requirements, supporting Bentley’s strategic direction and regulatory compliance. As a result of this close partnership, Bentley focused on communication with external auditors and regulatory authorities, while MHP Consulting UK documented the key actions, insights and behaviors related to the initiative. The successful audit preparation included: 

• Sophisticated audit strategy development – executing a thorough dress rehearsal.
• Successful integration of requirements in new and existing processes and their implementation.
• Successful adaption of group-wide policies and processes (e.g. ISO21434 / R155/156).
• High process maturity in consideration of ISO21434​.
• Successful onboarding of CSMS/SUMS relevant IT tools.
• High managerial commitment.

Well-structured governance ensured that policies and practices were well-defined and aligned with industry standards. ​

Phase 2 of the project involved operationalizing, executing and running Bentley’s customized CSMS/SUMS management system, which would not have been possible without the solid foundation established in Phase 1 as this foundation enabled the program to deliver a successful first surveillance audit. Phase 2 accomplished the following:

• A strong program governance structure.
• Extensive surveillance audit preparation. ​
• Collected concrete evidence about the process operationalization.
• Worked closely and in a cross-functional manner with the business​.
• Demonstration of running CSMS and SUMS relevant IT tools across the business​.

Bodo Philipp, CEO of MHP Consulting UK, commented, “Achieving UNECE compliance is crucial for an OEM’s market access, and can therefore mean a bottom-line impact of millions, even billions, depending on the brand. It is key for OEMs to work with proven experts that can help them to navigate the regulatory landscape successfully – especially as the industry becomes more and more dependent on data, internet access and connected services.

“Our teams have done incredibly successful transformative work together. They’ve led the charge on this initiative, and have set new standards within Bentley – a fantastic achievement.”

Read about leading specialists and their current cybersecurity testing strategies in the June 2025 edition of ATTI

Vehicles are complicated systems operating in complex environments, requiring more than a single philosophical approach to testing. This technical evaluation requires a comprehensive testing strategy, focusing on five key approaches: compliance, combinatorial, stochastic, extreme and attack testing. Each method targets different types of defects and failures.

Effective testing will consider the product (hardware/software), the application, the environment and cybersecurity. The approaches we choose will depend on the associated risks and available resources.

Compliance testing is crucial to product development and quality assurance. It ensures that a product adheres to specified standards, regulations or requirements (often called specifications). Standards and regulations can originate from outside the company (for example, government or industry bodies such as SAE International), while product requirements and specifications often come from the customer or development entity.

The testing relies on documented requirements – clearly defined standards or regulations the product must adhere to. It is essential to identify which standards are applicable, including specific sections or paragraphs that apply to the product. This must be coupled with access to relevant compliance documentation, such as industry standards or legal regulations (FMVSS 101, for example).

The vehicle is not subjected to one single stimulus at any given time but to myriad parameters and the magnitude of those inputs (for example, elevated temperature while under a specific vibration profile). We use two- and three-factor variable combinatorial testing, and this will impact the test planning. 

Combinatorial testing involves systematically exploring the interactions between different factors to identify potential issues and ensure robust product performance. Factors in technical products include hardware components, software configurations, environmental conditions and user behaviors. Combinatorial testing is particularly valuable when dealing with complex systems in which numerous variables can influence product behavior.

The real world is random, and it is advantageous to replicate this randomness in product development. To do so, we use stochastic testing, which is rooted in probability theory and introduces an element of randomness into the testing process. This is especially important  when testing software or embedded products as, from experience, the sequence of events to which the product is subjected can evoke latent failures.

Although it is true that we can never imagine and test every possibility, not exploring the product’s viability in the face of this randomness is analogous to putting one’s head in the sand. Automation can help replicate randomness in testing.

Exploratory testing is a hands-on, unscripted approach in which testers actively explore the application, leveraging their domain knowledge and intuition. Instead of predefined test cases, testers navigate the system, identifying defects and gaining a deeper understanding of their intricacies.

The test engineer’s creativity is important here because some of the tests may not be scripted but instead rely on the engineer’s intuition and understanding of how customers will use the product, and interactions within the system. One of the primary limitations to product specifications is that it is impossible to articulate all desired behaviors and all the unwanted product behaviors in a timely document.

Vehicles have databuses and Bluetooth elements, which create possibilities for manipulation. It has probably been more than a decade since I heard of a vehicle being hacked and the ABS manipulated. Attack mode testing goes beyond conventional testing and into the security realm by actively emulating the tactics of malicious actors. This involves ethical hacking, penetration testing and vulnerability assessments to identify and rectify potential weaknesses in vehicle systems.

Experience suggests it is easy to fall into the trap of focusing or limiting product testing to requirements- or compliance-based approaches. There are times when this is the necessary approach, but on its own it will lead to field failures and customer disruption that would have otherwise been predictable. Simply understanding the workings of the product in a benign environment tells us nothing about it, relegating this learning to post-production, where it comes at a higher cost through warranty expenses, customer dissatisfaction and litigation. It is time to think beyond a single testing approach and be guided by what is at stake (risk), and the time and talent available to explore and learn.

Quigley discusses the importance of having a common lexicon for testing and verification in the March edition of ATTI (p58). 

Jon M Quigley is a seasoned automotive test engineer with over 20 years of experience at both suppliers and OEMs, including more than a decade each at Volvo and Volvo Trucks. He has also authored nearly 20 books on product development and management

The research was conducted by Perforce Software, in partnership with Automotive IQ and the Eclipse Foundation, and is discussed in the 2025 State of Automotive Software Development report. The annual survey provides exclusive insights into the current challenges of developing safe and secure automotive software, especially in the context of increasingly connected and autonomous vehicle systems.

In fact, safety was the top concern in AI-driven vehicle development for 49% of respondents. As a result, teams working under functional safety standards must take extra precautions when implementing AI, since its algorithms are often non-deterministic and require specific handling.

“Automotive software development is becoming more dependent on AI systems, but the software must still be developed, deployed and maintained with safety in mind,” said Jill Britton, Perforce’s director of compliance. “AI systems bring additional challenges to achieving functional safety and to provide guidance, new and updated standards are emerging for their use in safety-critical applications.”

The report also reveals that AI is now driving autonomous vehicle design for 42% of automotive professionals, a 9% increase from last year, with 41% of respondents stating that AI is influencing at least some components in connected vehicles. The leading areas of AI/ML application were ADAS, followed by in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems and lidar components.

In last year’s report, security had overtaken safety as the top concern. However, with the rapid adoption of AI/ML in the development and design of connected and autonomous vehicles, safety has returned as the higher priority in 2025.

Automotive software professionals are increasingly recognizing that high-quality code is essential for both safety and security. However, the complexity of modern codebases makes maintaining that quality difficult –especially for less experienced engineers.

Among respondents with less than one year of experience, 57% identified code complexity as their top concern; this was 45% for those with one to three years of experience. In contrast, 37% of professionals with more than five years of experience cited limited testing resources as their primary quality challenge.

While broader market conditions – such as the global economy and the need to stay competitive – continue to drive most organizations, the report consistently highlights a focus on maximizing existing resources (49%) and upskilling current talent (42%).

To manage increasingly complex codebases, developers are relying on static analysis tools to ensure compliance with industry standards like MISRA and ISO 21434. The survey also found that 30% of teams are prioritizing software quality improvements by using static analysis, version control and continuous testing tools.

Other notable findings include:
· 86% are using at least one coding standard, which is important for code quality.
· 53% use static analysis/SAST tools.
· 89% are required to track code quality metrics to reduce errors — an increase of 12%.
· EV software development is stabilizing, with 47% working extensively on EV systems.
· AI-driven development is growing, with 71% adopting ISO/DPAS 8800 for AI functional safety assurance.

As regulations continue to evolve, demonstrating compliance with functional safety and security standards is more important than ever. The upcoming release of MISRA C:2025 is expected to affect 53% of automotive developers, emphasizing the growing need for strong software quality and compliance tools.

Download the full 2025 State of Automotive Software Development report here.