The Pillars of Growth: Why QNX Thrives in China
QNX technology is chosen time and again because it provides the trusted foundation necessary for mission-critical automotive systems. Our core strengths in safety, security, reliability, real-time performance, and determinism are not just features; they are non-negotiables in the development of intelligent vehicles. This is underscored by our industry-leading certifications, including ISO 26262 – ASIL D for functional safety and ISO 21434 for automotive cybersecurity. These certifications are not just badges; they are proof points that help automakers meet stringent international standards and accelerate their time to market, supporting their ambitions to expand beyond China.
Key QNX technologies like QNX OS for Safety and QNX Hypervisor are fundamental building blocks. They enable the consolidation of multiple systems with mixed criticality onto a single hardware platform, significantly reducing development and long-term ownership costs while maintaining the highest standards of safety and security. In the era of complex, centralized electronic and electrical architectures, this capability is essential.
Deepening Roots: Key Partnerships and Collaborations
QNX's growth in China is intrinsically linked to the strong, authentic partnerships we've forged with leading domestic OEMs and Tier 1s. These collaborations are bringing next-generation intelligent vehicle solutions to mass production today.
Recent milestones highlight the breadth and depth of these relationships
ADAYO by Foryou General Electronics: QNX technology, including QNX Hypervisor, is the foundational software platform for its new Digital Cockpit Domain Controller, specifically geared towards Chinese automakers. This builds on previous successful deployments and explores the deep integration of AI technologies like DeepSeek and multimodal interaction capabilities for enhanced user experiences.
Autolink: Has selected QNX OS for Safety 2.2 and QNX Hypervisor for Safety 2.2 (ASIL D) to power its AL-A1 Cockpit-Driving Integrated Domain Controller. Built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon Ride Flex platform, this single-chip solution integrates cockpit and advanced driving functions and is set to be deployed by multiple leading Chinese OEMs. Autolink highlighted QNX's performance and "outstanding reputation in automotive safety and reliability" as primary reasons for choosing QNX.
Hangsheng: Its Mozi 2.0 Computing Platform, a cockpit-driving integrated domain controller for Chinese commercial vehicles, is built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon Ride Flex platform and utilizes QNX Hypervisor for Safety. This platform integrates infotainment, digital instrument clusters, L2+ ADAS, and next-gen AI voice assistance.
ThunderX: A leading Chinese automaker is deploying the ThunderX Cockpit-AD fusion domain controller, powered by QNX OS for Safety, QNX Software Development Platform (SDP), and QNX Hypervisor for Safety, in multiple EV and SUV models. QNX software enables ThunderX to consolidate systems and build full-stack capability for cockpit-driving integration.
Rockchip: Its RK3588M QNX-virtualized intelligent cockpit solution is already in mass production with multiple leading Chinese OEMs and Tier 1s. The solution uses the QNX OS (ASIL-D) for the instrument cluster and QNX Hypervisor for virtualization, enabling immersive multi-screen experiences and meeting functional safety standards. This collaboration exemplifies the ‘Chinese chip + international OS’ paradigm.
SemiDrive: Building on the mass production success of its X9 cockpit chip paired with QNX solutions in over 50 mainstream models from automakers like SAIC, Chery, Changan, FAW, GAC, BAIC, Dongfeng Nissan, and Dongfeng Honda, QNX and SemiDrive are strengthening their collaboration to develop an AI cockpit solution based on SemiDrive’s next-generation X10 Series SoC chip. It highlights the "deep synergy of AI computing power and virtualization technology" provided by the combination of X10 and QNX Hypervisor. SemiDrive is the leading domestic smart cockpit chip provider.
KOTEI: KOTEI's DDS (Data Distribution Service) now supports QNX software, enabling safety-critical communication for various automotive applications and laying the groundwork for next-generation E/E architectures. KOTEI values QNX's "industry-leading security, reliability, and functional safety".
Beyond these examples, QNX has secured new wins with industry leaders like WeRide for next-gen ADAS and Leapmotor for its B10 electric SUV, providing the highest level of safety assurance as these brands advance intelligent driving and look to expand globally.
These partnerships underscore a clear trend: the integration of cockpit and driving domains and the shift towards centralized architectures are critical directions for the industry. QNX’s safety-certified, highly performant, and portable software is uniquely positioned to enable this complex consolidation and drive greater intelligence and connectivity.
Addressing Market Dynamics and Future Outlook
While the Chinese automotive electronics sector sees the rise of increasingly competitive domestic OS developers, QNX maintains its unique advantages through its proven track record in safety, security, and reliability, which are essential for critical systems like instrument clusters and ADAS. We recognize the challenges and support our partners by providing proven solutions that shorten product development cycles and enable them to bring innovations to market more quickly and cost-effectively.
Amid ongoing geopolitical shifts and supply chain complexity, QNX maintains a technology-neutral position and focuses on delivering customer value. We pursue parallel globalization and localization strategies to enhance resilience, offering flexible licensing and local deployment to improve customer control and agility.
Looking ahead, QNX continues to innovate. Our QNX SDP 8.0 offers significantly improved multi-core performance and is optimized for high-performance edge computing, supporting the development of future centralized electronic and electrical architectures. We are also exploring support for technologies like MCU and RISC-V architectures in the future. Our commitment is to provide the essential foundational software that allows automakers to accelerate development time, reduce complexity, and focus on creating differentiated end-user experiences without compromising safety and security.
Conclusion
QNX's continued growth in China is a testament to the critical role our foundational software plays in powering the nation's automotive evolution. By providing the necessary safety, security, reliability, and performance, we enable our partners to innovate faster, manage complexity, and build the intelligent, software-defined vehicles of tomorrow.
As Mattias Eriksson, President of QNX, recently told the NE Times: “One of the unique advantages of QNX is that we can help customers meet the stricter regulations and certification requirements for automotive functional safety in Europe and the United States. These requirements may not be mandatory in China, but they must be followed in many overseas countries.”
As the industry accelerates towards a software-defined future, QNX remains the trusted foundation. For China's automotive future, powering progress with precision-engineered performance – it all starts here.