The founding members of the Software Republique express the urgency for France and Europe to collectively build a sustainable ecosystem that aims to ensure their sovereignty in this field.
12 Apr 2021 | 3036 Views | By Autocar Pro News Desk
In a move to accelerate the development of greener and sustainable mobility across the globe, five leading companies serving the automotive segment have joined forces to create the Software Republique, a new ecosystem for innovation in intelligent mobility.
The joint announcement was made by Elie Girard, Bernard Charles, Luca ...
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In a move to accelerate the development of greener and sustainable mobility across the globe, five leading companies serving the automotive segment have joined forces to create the Software Republique, a new ecosystem for innovation in intelligent mobility.
The joint announcement was made by Elie Girard, Bernard Charles, Luca de Meo, Jean-Marc Chery and Patrice Caine, respectively the chief executives of Atos, Dassault Systemes, Groupe Renault, STMicroelectronics and Thales.
The partners will pool their complementary expertise, will develop and market together systems and software to provide an enriched and sustainable mobility offer for cities, regions, businesses and citizens. The focus will be on but not limited to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, connectivity, embedded electronics, and virtual twin technology, which will contribute to the excellence of these new products and services. This open innovation ecosystem, founded by five leaders in the automotive and technology fields, will welcome new members and develop open collaborations.
Tech disruption leading the change
Mobility is changing and offering new opportunities. According to the Boston Consulting Group, the global mobility market will grow by 60% by 2035 to reach 11,000 billion euros (Rs 90,937,000 crore). This growth is mainly driven by the emergence of technological disruptions – electric vehicles, new components, new after-sales services and other value-added services – whose share will increase from 5% to 45% of the global mobility market. Major industrial players on other continents, with state support, are already positioning themselves to develop many of these new technologies through enhanced integration strategies. The founding members of the Software Republique express the urgency for France and Europe to collectively build a sustainable ecosystem that aims to ensure their sovereignty in this field.
Three main areas of cooperation
To jointly develop and market intelligent mobility systems, enabling the implementation of an adapted and agile mobility offer, three main areas of cooperation have been identified:
Intelligent systems to facilitate secure connectivity between the vehicle and its digital and physical environment.
Simulation and data management systems to optimize flows for territories and companies.
Energy ecosystem to simplify the charging experience.
For example, the following topics are being discussed by the Software Republique partners:
Plug and Charge – the development of new technologies and services to allow an electric car, connected to a compatible charging point, to be automatically recognised, and to perform a charge without any action by the user.
Optimising mobility flows for territories – to facilitate access to and simulation of mobility information exchanges, instantaneously and openly across cities and regions to enable:
To foster innovation, the Software Republique will also seek to create an investment fund to finance the most promising start-ups and an incubator to host start-ups in the field of smart mobility technologies, where they will have access to a collaborative virtual development and experimentation environment, and mentoring through a value network. For the launch of the ecosystem for start-ups and universities, the partners of the Software Republique plan to organise a data challenge to contribute to the development of the technologies for the mobility of tomorrow: electric, connected and autonomous.
Elie Girard, CEO, Atos: “Atos is proud to be one of the founding members of the Software Republique. As a technology creator and integrator of complex solutions, we will make available to this unique ecosystem our digital expertise in reducing the carbon footprint and our innovative technologies in key areas such as artificial intelligence, digital security, cloud, IoT or high-performance computing. Combining the strengths of five of the world’s leading automotive and technology players, this initiative promises to accelerate the decarbonization of mobility.”
Bernard Charles, vice-chairman and CEO, Dassault Systemes: "Far beyond the automotive sector, it is a question of thinking in terms of use - mobility offering a work and leisure environment that is part of a sustainable economy. This experience economy goes hand in hand with an Industry Renaissance worldwide: the new mobility economy will be organised into new, collaborative value networks based on digital platforms. The Software Republique is thus a multi-industry and multidisciplinary ecosystem that aims to accelerate innovation and grow the driving forces of tomorrow. To achieve this, it will rely on the collaborative virtual environment provided by Dassault Systemes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform and on virtual twin experiences. It will also benefit from the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab start-up accelerator."
Luca de Meo, CEO, Groupe Renault: "In the new mobility value chain, on-board intelligence systems are the new driving force, where all research and investment are now concentrated. Faced with this technological challenge, we are choosing to play collectively and openly. There will be no centre of gravity, the value of each will be multiplied by others. The combined expertise in cybersecurity, microelectronics, energy and data management will enable us to develop unique, cutting-edge solutions for low-carbon, shared, and responsible mobility, made in Europe."
Jean-Marc Chery, president and CEO, STMicroelectronics: "STMicroelectronics has joined the Software Republique to bring its innovative semiconductor products and solutions for electrification and digitalisation of vehicles and mobility services. Our know-how is an enabler of the ongoing transformation towards more efficient solutions, in line with the expectation of stakeholders in terms of environmental impact. The partnership at the heart of this project will also help strengthen the links across the entire value chain, a key aspect during this phase of the transformation of this industry."
Patrice Caine, chairman and CEO, Thales: “The Software Republique brings a joint and disruptive momentum, essential to the mobility ecosystem. Based on a proven experience in digital security in very demanding markets such as transport, banking, defence or aerospace, Thales will share its expertise in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and connectivity, to strengthen the protection of vehicles, their data and those involved in mobility.”
As part of its sustainable vocation, the Software Republique will be based in Guyancourt at the Renault Technocentre in a building called Odyssee. Its interior and exterior structure is 100% wood, with one tonne of CO2 saved per square metre built in comparison to a standard building, and the 1,000 square metre roof of the building is covered with photovoltaic panels.