Group of 12 form ASRA to develop next-gen chipsets – Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota in it

That cars have become reliant on electronics is already known, but it’s all becoming increasingly more so with electrification and autonomous driving technology coming to the forefront and multimedia systems demanding higher computing power with each new panel that comes along.

Semiconductors are integral to all this, and improving on their performance and abilities as vehicles get more sophisticated and complex is something automakers are looking to accomplish, in the fastest, most cost effective manner.

With the belief that working together accomplishes things faster, a number of Japanese automakers have banded together to form a research arm aimed at developing chips for the next generation of cars.

Twelve companies, made up of automotive, electrical component and semiconductor firms, have established the Advanced SoC Research for Automotive (ASRA), which is aimed at conducting research and development of high-performance digital semiconductors (System on Chip, or SoC) for use in automobiles, with the target of having these SoC in mass-production vehicles from 2030 onward.

The group of 12 is led by automotive manufacturers, in this case Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota. Other participating companies are electrical component manufacturers Denso and Panasonic Automotive Systems as well as semiconductor firms Cadence Design Systems, MIRISE Technologies Corporation, Renesas Electronics Corporation, Socionext and Synopsys Japan.

In a press statement, the group said that while automakers will play a central role in the research conducted by ASRA, bringing together the technological and experiential knowledge of electrical components and semiconductor companies will enable it to apply cutting-edge technologies practically.

Specifically, ASRA said it plans to research and develop SoCs for automobiles using chiplet technology and combining different semiconductor types. It said the advantages of chiplet technology include higher performance and multi-functionality and will result in higher yield chips.

Most importantly, it will also ensure timely commercialisation of SoCs with functions and performance optimised for automotive requirements. ASRA said it aims to establish in-vehicle chiplet technology by 2028 and to install SoCs in mass-produced vehicles from 2030 onward.

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