September 30, 2026
SCSK Corporation (Head Office: Koto-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President: Takaaki Touma; hereinafter “SCSK”) and Vector Informatik GmbH (Headquarters: Germany; Presidents: Dr. Thomas Beck, Dr. Matthias Traub hereinafter “Vector”) commence a collaboration on September 30, 2026, to develop a common software platform (software platform for edge ECUs*2) for small, resource-constrained ECUs*1. The solution will target compact ECUs used for functions such as vehicle doors, sensors, air conditioning and other systems, addressing the growing need for efficient edge software solutions in Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) architectures.
The collaboration is intended to deliver an integrated solution that combines Vector’s MICROSAR IO, a lightweight software base layer for sensor and actuator control units with very limited hardware resources, with SCSK’s vehicle software platform, “QINeS-Lite*3”. By aligning both software platforms, the two companies aim to reduce integration effort, improve development efficiency and help automakers and suppliers bring compact ECU applications to market faster.
*1) Electronic Control Unit: Compact computer device that electronically controls systems in automobiles and other applications.
*2) Edge ECU: including sensor and actuator applications
*3) QINeS-Lite： Lightweight automotive software platform for small-scale ECUs
1. Background
In the automotive industry, the advancement of electrification and connectivity in the SDV is driving an increasing demand for continuously evolving vehicle functions through software. Amid these developments, even small-scale ECU domains now face requirements for cybersecurity, diagnostics and functional safety. As software becomes more complex, ECU-by-ECU development approaches are becoming less efficient and increasing development costs and engineering efforts. Therefore, improving software asset reusability and development efficiency has become a critical but mandatory challenge. This is reflected in the growing number of requests from European automotive suppliers for small-scale ECU development solutions.
2. Solution Overview
SCSK and Vector will provide an evaluation bundle pre-integrated on Renesas Electronics’ RL78/F2x hardware, combining Vector’s “MICROSAR IO” with SCSK’s “QINeS-Lite” as an integrated edge software solution.
With this evaluation bundle, the two companies aim to help OEMs and suppliers reduce software development man-hours and shorten edge ECU development lead times by 50–80%, depending on project scope and reuse potential.
Image: SCSK and Vector join forces to deliver a software platform for resource-constrained
automotive ECUs.
Image rights: Vector Informatik
3. Roadmap
Following the trial provision of the evaluation bundle planned for October 2026, SCSK and Vector intend to further expand their collaboration beyond the evaluation phase. The two companies aim to provide customers with an integrated software platform for developing safety-critical applications on compact edge ECUs, helping OEMs and suppliers improve development efficiency, enhance software reusability, and accelerate SDV adoption.
【Phase 1】: Trial provision begins (Planned for October 2026)
【Phase 2】: Commercial release for development (Planned for Q2 2027)
【Phase 3】：Product release (Planned for the end of 2027)
4.MICROSAR IO Product Overview
MICROSAR IO is Vector’s lightweight software base layer for intelligent sensor and actuator applications in zonal architectures. Designed for resource-constrained microcontrollers, it combines a lean application framework with a service-based communication stack, enabling deployment on ECUs with very limited memory resources.
The platform supports a wide range of communication technologies, including CAN, LIN and 10BASE-T1S Ethernet, allowing OEMs and suppliers to select the most suitable bus system for each application. Its bus-agnostic architecture helps reduce variant complexity and improves software reusability across vehicle platforms.
By separating OEM-independent edge functionality from vehicle-network-specific integration, MICROSAR IO simplifies development, supports scalable edge ECU architectures and provides a stable foundation for cost-efficient sensor and actuator solutions with minimal ramp-up.
5.About Vector Informatik
Vector is a leading ecosystem partner for developing and operating software-defined systems. It unifies open platforms, AI-powered engineering workflows, tools, reference solutions and services into a modular foundation spanning the entire lifecycle. Manufacturers and suppliers in Automotive, MedTech, Aerospace, Industrial IoT, Agriculture and Railway rely on Vector to develop, operate and continuously evolve intelligent software-defined systems faster and more safely. This allows Vector’s customers and partners to focus on the capabilities that differentiate their products in the market. Customers can adopt the ecosystem as a whole or build their own using its modular components. Moreover, Vector contributes its technology and expertise to leading partner ecosystems and industry standards initiatives. The independent foundation-owned company, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, employs more than 4,500 people worldwide and generated revenue of EUR 930 million in 2025.
For inquiries regarding this news release:
【for products, services】
QINeS Section, Product Services Dept., SDM Business Development Center,
Mobility Business Group
SCSK Corporation
https://www.qines.jp/inquiries/
【for press】
Corporate Communications Dept.,
Sustainability Promotion & Corporate Communications Div.,
SCSK Corporation
E-mail: pr.sp@scsk.jp
Note: All products, company and service names listed are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.