Software-Defined Vehicles: Rewiring the automotive electronics supply chain

This report explains how Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs) are reshaping the automotive electronics supplier landscape by shifting architectural control and value capture away from traditional Tier-1 “black-box” ECU integrators toward OEM-led platform ownership, paired with specialized partners across semiconductors, software, and electronics manufacturing services (EMS).OEMs are internalizing software development and platform control.

Key topics covered:

• Tier-1 suppliers face margin compression and fragmented roles
• EMS partners gain influence in hardware manufacturing
• Central computer supply chain is becoming modular and OEM-centric
• China is accelerating SDV adoption with faster development cycles and vertical integration
• New monetization models and operational efficiencies drive SDV momentum
• Suppliers must choose between specialist, integrator, or EMS partner strategies
• OEMs face unresolved issues around liability, validation, and production ownership