The automotive industry is undergoing a seismic shift, transitioning from traditional hardware-centric designs to software-defined vehicles (SDVs) that demand unprecedented computational power. At the forefront of this transformation is the IMEC Automotive Chiplet Program (ACP), a pioneering initiative aimed at revolutionizing vehicle electronics through chiplet architectures. By fostering collaboration across the automotive ecosystem, IMEC is addressing the unique challenges of automotive chiplets, paving the way for safer, more efficient, and customizable vehicles.
This blog explores the IMEC ACP, its key members, and the groundbreaking work it targets.
What is the IMEC Automotive Chiplet Program?
The IMEC Automotive Chiplet Program, launched by IMEC—a world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies—is a pre-competitive research effort designed to accelerate the adoption of chiplet architectures in the automotive industry. Chiplets are modular chips that perform specialized functions and can be seamlessly integrated to create sophisticated computing systems. Unlike traditional monolithic chip designs, chiplets offer scalability, flexibility, and cost efficiency, making them ideal for meeting the high-performance computing needs of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), autonomous driving, and in-vehicle infotainment (IVI).
The ACP addresses the automotive industry’s unique challenges, including stringent reliability requirements, cost constraints, and the need for energy-efficient solutions to preserve battery life in electric vehicles. By leveraging IMEC’s expertise in advanced 2.5D and 3D packaging, the program aims to develop standardized chiplet architectures and packaging technologies that ensure robustness, interoperability, and scalability. The ultimate goal is to create an open chiplet ecosystem that reduces development time, enhances supply chain resilience, and enables rapid customization for car manufacturers.
Who Are the Members of the IMEC ACP?
The IMEC ACP brings together a diverse group of industry leaders from across the automotive and semiconductor value chain, fostering collaboration to tackle technical challenges and drive standardization. In October 2024, at the Automotive Chiplet Forum in Ann Arbor, Michigan, IMEC announced the first committed members of the program:
Arm: A leader in processor IP, Arm contributes expertise in chiplet system architectures and reusable IP components, enabling interoperable and high-performance compute solutions for automotive applications.
ASE: As the world’s largest outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) provider, ASE focuses on heterogeneous integration, ensuring reliable connections between chiplets from different foundries.
BMW Group: A leading automotive OEM, BMW brings insights into the system-level needs of next-generation vehicles, helping shape chiplet architectures for real-world applications.
Bosch: A major Tier 1 supplier, Bosch contributes expertise in automotive electronics and system integration, ensuring chiplets meet stringent safety and reliability standards.
Cadence Design Systems: A key player in electronic design automation (EDA), Cadence supports the program with tools and methodologies for designing and verifying chiplet-based systems.
Siemens: Siemens provides advanced design and simulation tools, aiding in the development of chiplet architectures optimized for automotive performance and safety.
SiliconAuto: A newer player in the automotive semiconductor space, SiliconAuto contributes to the development of specialized chiplets for automotive applications.
Synopsys: Another EDA leader, Synopsys offers solutions for chiplet design, verification, and integration, ensuring compliance with automotive standards.
Tenstorrent: Known for its AI and high-performance computing solutions, Tenstorrent brings expertise in scalable compute architectures for AI-driven automotive applications.
Valeo: A global automotive supplier, Valeo, as a founding member, focuses on modular compute platforms and collaborates closely with IMEC’s new competence center in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
This diverse group, spanning OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, semiconductor vendors, and EDA organizations, reflects the collaborative spirit of the ACP. By pooling resources and expertise, these members aim to create a robust chiplet ecosystem that benefits the entire automotive industry.
Targeted Work of the IMEC ACP
The IMEC ACP focuses on several critical areas to make chiplet architectures viable for automotive applications. The program is structured to address both technical and standardization challenges, ensuring chiplets meet the industry’s demanding requirements.
Key areas of focus include:
1. Reference Architectures and Digital Models
The ACP is developing digital models of chiplet architectures tailored to automotive needs. These reference architectures serve as blueprints for building scalable, high-performance computing systems for ADAS, autonomous driving, and IVI. By creating these models, the program provides OEMs with valuable insights for early software development, enabling faster integration of chiplet-based solutions into vehicles.
2. Physical Testbeds and Reliability Testing
To ensure chiplets meet automotive-grade reliability standards (e.g., AEC-Q100 grade 2), the ACP is building physical test structures based on IMEC’s 3D integration research. These thermo-mechanical testbeds mimic real-world conditions, such as temperature cycles and vibrations, to evaluate interconnect technologies and packaging solutions. The insights gained are shared with all partners, accelerating the development of robust chiplet designs.
3. Standardization for Interoperability
A key hurdle for chiplet adoption is the lack of industry-wide standards. The ACP is working to establish standardized interconnects (e.g., UCIe and CSA) and protocols to ensure interoperability between chiplets from different vendors. This standardization enables OEMs to mix and match chiplets, reducing vendor lock-in and enhancing supply chain resilience. IMEC’s Automotive Chiplet Forum plays a critical role in driving consensus on these standards.
4. Performance Scaling and Energy Efficiency
Chiplets allow for modular integration of specialized processing units, enabling performance scaling without the need to redesign entire systems. The ACP is exploring chiplet designs that deliver the computational power required for AI-driven applications (e.g., autonomous driving) while optimizing energy efficiency to extend battery life in electric vehicles.
5. Cost Efficiency and Rapid Customization
By enabling modular designs, chiplets reduce development costs and time-to-market. The ACP aims to create chiplet-based solutions that allow OEMs to quickly adapt systems across car models and generations, similar to swapping LEGO blocks. This flexibility is crucial for meeting evolving market demands and technological advancements.
6. Advanced Chip Design Accelerator (ACDA)
In partnership with the State Government of Baden-Württemberg, IMEC launched the Advanced Chip Design Accelerator (ACDA) in Heilbronn, Germany, in March 2025. This competence center focuses on developing state-of-the-art chiplet, packaging, system integration, sensing, and edge AI technologies. The ACDA supports the ACP by fostering talent development and working toward reference design implementation, further accelerating chiplet adoption.
Why Chiplets Matter for the Automotive Industry?
The shift to chiplet architectures is driven by the limitations of monolithic chip designs, which struggle to meet the increasing computational demands of SDVs. Chiplets offer several advantages:
Scalability: Chiplets enable performance scaling by integrating specialized compute units, supporting everything from entry-level ADAS to full Level 5 autonomy.
Cost Efficiency: Modular designs reduce development costs and allow for rapid hardware updates, minimizing the need for costly redesigns.
Supply Chain Resilience: By enabling a multi-vendor ecosystem, chiplets reduce reliance on a small number of suppliers, making the supply chain more robust.
Flexibility: OEMs can mix and match chiplets to create customized solutions, differentiating their vehicles in a competitive market.
Energy Efficiency: Optimized chiplet designs lower power consumption, critical for extending the range of electric vehicles.
However, the automotive industry faces unique challenges, including a 10–15-year lifespan for vehicles, stringent safety standards, and the need for cost-effective solutions. The ACP’s collaborative, pre-competitive approach addresses these challenges by pooling expertise and resources to de-risk chiplet adoption.
The Road Ahead
The IMEC Automotive Chiplet Program is a game-changer for the automotive industry, fostering innovation and collaboration to meet the demands of next-generation vehicles. By bringing together industry giants like Arm, BMW, Bosch, and Valeo, along with semiconductor and EDA leaders, the ACP is laying the groundwork for a standardized, open chiplet ecosystem. The program’s focus on reference architectures, reliability testing, and standardization ensures that chiplets will deliver the performance, safety, and efficiency required for software-defined vehicles.
As the ACP progresses, its work will likely double the processing power of today’s vehicles by 2030, enabling advanced AI-driven features and immersive infotainment experiences. With initiatives like the Advanced Chip Design Accelerator in Germany, IMEC is also building a talent pipeline to support this transformation. For companies in the automotive value chain, joining the ACP or participating in the Automotive Chiplet Forum offers a chance to shape the future of mobility.
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