TIER IV, an open-source autonomous driving software firm, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with automotive technology supplier Astemo to co-develop a next-generation software development platform for autonomous driving architectures.
The strategic alliance centers on licensing TIER IV’s Co-MLOps collaborative data-sharing architecture to construct Astemo’s internal development framework. The integrated platform will support the continuous training, evaluation, and improvement of production-grade end-to-end (E2E) autonomous driving AI models, targeting full commercialization around 2030. Utilizing this joint platform, Astemo plans to deploy commercial E2E AI driving systems into passenger vehicles starting in the early 2030s.
Scaling End-to-End AI Infrastructure for Level 4+ Autonomy
End-to-end AI architectures that combine object perception, path planning, and car control in a single deep learning pipeline are rapidly evolving as the standard approach in the design of advanced driver-assistance systems and self-driving cars.
With mobility companies heading towards Level 4+ autonomy in more challenging city settings, scaling up E2E AI architectures from experimental projects to production-ready autonomous vehicles necessitates adherence to automotive standards of safety and functional reliability. Developing such systems needs well-established MLOps architecture that can efficiently collect, curate, train, and benchmark huge amounts of driving data.
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Deepening Ecosystem Collaboration across Autoware and SOAFEE
The MoU marks a significant expansion of an established working relationship between the two companies. TIER IV and Astemo previously collaborated within the Autoware Foundation (AWF) and the Scalable Open Architecture for Embedded Edge (SOAFEE) initiative, where they helped build reference implementations for the cloud-native Open AD Kit based on Autoware. Astemo also joined TIER IV’s Co-MLOps project following its initial launch in January 2024.
By merging TIER IV’s open-source AI platform architecture with Astemo’s Tier 1 systems integration expertise-spanning powertrain, braking, suspension, and ADAS hardware-the initiative creates a direct path for the continuous deployment of production-grade autonomous driving software.
“Bringing E2E autonomous driving AI models into real-world deployment requires advancing both mass-production readiness and AI development infrastructure in parallel,” said Shinpei Kato, founder and CEO of TIER IV. “We are delighted to deepen our collaboration with Astemo by providing licenses for TIER IV’s Co-MLOps solution and related technologies. Astemo’s track record as a global Tier 1 supplier makes it an ideal partner for this initiative. Together, we will further expand the Autoware ecosystem and accelerate the deployment of safe, scalable autonomous driving technologies.”
“We believe that next-generation autonomous driving systems will be driven by E2E AI models and data-centric AI development platforms that enable their continuous evolution,” said Hiroshi Tamagawa, Executive Vice President, CTO and CISO of Astemo. “Through our collaboration with TIER IV, whose expertise spans autonomous driving and data platform technologies, we aim to further strengthen the internet-of-vehicles platform that Astemo is developing. By leveraging the combined ecosystems of our two companies, we will expand these technologies beyond the automotive industry into broader mobility applications, helping shape the future of continuously evolving mobility.”