Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteImec’s vision for future cars is not just more computing power: it is vehicle computing designed to remain reliable through heat, vibration, long service lives and changing software needs. At ITF World 2025, imec automotive vice president Bart Placklé described chiplets, reliability testing, new sensing research and industry standards as parts of that effort. They are research directions and program goals—not proof that these technologies are already ready for mass-market vehicles.
Why cars need a different computing approach
Modern vehicles are becoming software-defined, sensor-rich systems. More software functions and sensor data can increase demand for compute headroom, but automotive electronics operate in conditions unlike those of a temperature-controlled data center. Placklé emphasized heat, vibration and the long life expected of vehicle systems. In the EE Times Europe interview, he used 10–15 years as a contextual vehicle-system lifespan; that range was interview wording, not a formal industry-wide study.
“A car is going to be the most high-end compute device you own,” Placklé said, qualifying the comparison with a reminder: “But it’s not in a temperature-controlled server room; it’s out on the road.” His point is that capability alone is not enough. Computing hardware also has to survive the vehicle’s operating environment and remain supportable over time.
Software updates and new functions make spare computing capacity valuable, but the interview’s phrase “Software-defined vehicles are a joke without compute headroom” is Placklé’s assessment, not an independently measured finding. The practical challenge is balancing that headroom against cost, reliability, qualification and the ability to source components over a long vehicle lifecycle.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →#1 Best Overall
What chiplets could change in automotive computing
A chiplet is a smaller functional silicon component integrated with other components in a package or system. Instead of relying only on one large monolithic chip, a design can combine specialized blocks. Imec’s program describes exploring combinations of newer CPU or GPU technologies with mature, automotive-hardened process nodes, alongside reference designs.
The proposed appeal is flexibility: potentially reuse some functions, customize others for a vehicle platform, and combine technologies suited to different tasks. These are design goals, not established production advantages. A chiplet approach also makes interfaces between components, package reliability, qualification and supply continuity central engineering questions.
Rank #2
| Consideration | Monolithic design | Chiplet-based design |
|---|---|---|
| Functional integration | Functions are designed together on one large die. | Specialized components can be combined in a package or system. |
| Reuse and customization | Changes to the integrated design may affect the larger chip. | Potential to reuse or customize blocks, depending on interfaces and design choices. |
| Cost and yield exposure | A defect affecting a large die can expose more of the design to yield risk. Placklé framed the economic concern this way: “You can’t afford to throw away a billion-dollar design because of a single yield issue.” This was an interview statement, not a verified cost estimate for a specific automotive chip. | Modular design may alter yield and development trade-offs, but the sources do not establish a universal cost or yield advantage. |
| Interoperability | Interfaces are contained within the integrated design. | Connections between components need compatible, reliable interfaces and ecosystem coordination. |
| Automotive qualification | The complete design still needs to meet automotive requirements. | Package connections and combined components add validation and qualification work; the sources do not quantify how much. |
The official imec program frames chiplets as a way to investigate performance, reuse, cost and automotive-specific requirements. Whether they are a better fit depends on the particular vehicle system and on proving the package, interfaces and supply chain—not on modularity alone.
Why reliability testing is part of the chiplet work
Connections that work in a lab may face years of mechanical and thermal stress in a vehicle. Placklé posed the challenge as a question: “Will 10,000 connection points survive in a harsh environment for 15 years?” It is an interview illustration of the reliability problem, not a reported test result for a deployed component.
Imec describes building reference platforms and stress-testing packages with thermo-mechanical simulation vehicles and sensor-equipped dummy chips. The instrumentation is intended to help expose failure mechanisms such as delamination or connection failure so designs can be improved. These testbeds and reference models are validation work; they should not be mistaken for production-ready vehicle components.
Imec’s program also identifies safety, environmental demands, qualification, reliable performance and supply-chain consistency as concerns in adopting advanced packaging. Those issues matter together: a package must withstand operating stresses, meet automotive qualification expectations and remain supportable through a long vehicle life.
What new sensors and simulation could contribute
Imec’s automotive sensing research spans several modalities rather than a single replacement for existing sensors. The interview discusses CMOS cameras, shortwave-infrared (SWIR) imaging, radar and solid-state LiDAR using silicon photonics. Event demonstrations at ITF World 2025 included a 140-GHz radar for fine-grained detection, digital twins for radar, LiDAR, RGB cameras and SWIR imagers, sensor-fusion work, and solid-state LiDAR with integrated photonics.
- Camera and SWIR imaging: Research explores visible-light CMOS cameras and shortwave-infrared imaging as distinct imaging modalities. The cited material does not provide an apples-to-apples production comparison of their performance or cost.
- Radar: The event catalog described a 140-GHz radar demonstration for fine-grained detection. The interview also mentions a wide virtual-aperture radar system. These are research and demonstration descriptions, not evidence of a comparative road-safety trial.
- Solid-state photonic LiDAR: Imec described research into solid-state LiDAR using integrated silicon photonics. The event demonstration identifies a technology direction, not proof of commercial readiness.
- Digital twins and sensor fusion: Digital twins were presented for configuring radar, LiDAR, RGB and SWIR sensors and exploring sensor fusion. The available descriptions do not establish measured gains in safety, cost or real-world performance.
These technologies answer different sensing needs, and combining them creates its own integration and validation burden. The event material does not supply a broad, like-for-like production comparison across sensor types, so it cannot establish which modality is best for a particular vehicle or driving condition.
Recommended Free Tools
Best Value
Why standards and coordination matter
Chiplets only offer ecosystem-wide reuse if components can communicate through compatible interfaces. In the interview, Placklé described imec’s STAR initiative as an effort to bring OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and semiconductor companies together around interfaces, protocols and reuse. The official automotive chiplet program also lists standard interfaces and reference architectures among its goals.
Without agreement, companies risk building incompatible chiplet ecosystems that limit interoperability and scale. Placklé summarized the need as: “We need standards, not silos.” This is a call for coordination from an industry participant, not a finding or requirement issued by a standards body.
What the 2027 and 2030 dates mean
In the EE Times Europe interview published in 2025, Placklé said A-sample platforms needed to be available by 2027 and described OEM adoption around 2030 as a goal. Those were targets stated in May 2025. They are not confirmation that either milestone has since been met, and the interview alone does not establish current program progress.
What is established—and what remains open
Imec’s vision is a connected research program: explore modular compute, test packages under stress, investigate sensing and simulation, and coordinate interfaces so automotive systems can be reused and qualified. Its relevance lies in tackling long-life vehicle constraints alongside compute growth—not in a claim that a specific chiplet or sensor is already improving cars on the road.
- Described by imec: chiplet reference-design work, thermo-mechanical testbeds, instrumented dummy chips, sensor research and demonstrations, and efforts toward interface standards.
- Not established by the cited material: a production-wide chiplet cost or yield advantage, comparative sensor safety performance, achieved 2027 or 2030 milestones, or a quantified lifecycle emissions reduction.
Imec also says it is working to quantify electronics’ lifecycle footprint and to design lower-power architectures. The discussion provides no measured emissions reduction or completed lifecycle-assessment result, so environmental benefits remain an area of work rather than a quantified outcome.
Quick Recap
Sources
- EE Times Europe interview with Bart Placklé — interview statements, technical directions and stated program targets.
- Imec ITF World 2025 event page — event context and dates: May 20–21, 2025, in Antwerp, Belgium.
- Imec program abstract on automotive chiplets — program rationale and qualification concerns.
- Imec ITF World 2025 demo catalog — descriptions of radar, digital twins, integrated-photonics LiDAR and chiplet testbeds.
- Imec automotive chiplet packaging abstract — stated objectives including standard interfaces, reference architectures and reliability considerations.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
