Fostering Future Business
Samsung Electronics is stepping up its efforts for the future automotive software business. As Sohn Young-kwon, the president and director of the Samsung Strategy Innovation Center (SSIC), has a bigger role to play, the company is showing more active moves for fostering future business.
Renovo, an automotive software developer in Silicon Valley, the US, said on December 12 (local time) that the company would load the "Aware," an AMoD operating system (OS) into its self-driving test vehicle in concert with the SSIC.
The SSIC decided to invest in the company with Verizon in September. Both SSIC and Renovo have received autonomous driving test licenses from the Californian state government of the US.
This product is characterized by its ability to help an autonomous driving system work or synchronize together with different software without undermining the security of the autonomous driving system. The product seems an operating system focused on connected functions that link smartphones with road traffic information and home appliances.
"An autonomous vehicle is able to safely run if the vehicle can run with various technologies used in cars and IT (information technology) products, networks, and artificial intelligence (AI)," Renovo said.
Renovo is planning to develop autonomous navigation software along with the SBU for the development of the Advanced Driver Assistance System or ADAS which was recently established inside Harman by Samsung Electronics.
Harman whose chairman of the board is president Sohn recently unveiled new software called "Harman Virtual Works" that can confirm the audio design of cars by way of virtual simulation. This solution enables users to virtually check how sound is realized according to the locations of audio devices or the design of a car and virtually design and experiment by applying desired performance. Harman announced that the company had a plan to extend the use of the solution to other products such as AI speakers as well as automotive audio equipment.
President Sohn showed his intention to nurture the data analysis-related software business at the Samsung CEO Summit held in the US last October, saying "Samsung is now a data company." He also said that his company would establish a 300 million dollar automotive innovation fund and actively invest in technological venture companies for future new business such as autonomous driving vehicles.
The industry expects Samsung Electronics to verify new technology of start-ups and technological venture companies invested in by the SSIC headed by president Sohn and then provide general solutions for autonomous driving vehicles along with Harman's automobile electric devices. Actually, Samsung is actively investing in automobile-related technological ventures such as Quanergy (LiDAR), SiO (batteries), Vinli (connected car systems) and Nunotomy (autonomous driving software) by utilizing the SSIC and Samsung Venture Investment.
Meanwhile, Sohn will take on discovering new business items by expanding his roles to the CE (Consumer Electronics) and IM (IT and Mobile) sectors in addition to the existing DS (Device Solution) Division. The SSIC has also become a companywide organization from a unit belonging to the DS Division.