The collaboration focuses on creating an infrastructure capable of continuous data collection, model training, and performance evaluation. Unlike traditional systems, end-to-end AI models merge perception, planning, and control into a single learning process, a shift that requires strict adherence to automotive safety and mass-production manufacturing standards. TIER IV, known for its leadership in the open-source Autoware project, will provide the core architecture, while Astemo brings its expertise in functional safety, braking, suspension, and powertrain integration.

This partnership deepens a long-standing technical relationship between the two firms, which previously collaborated on the Open AD Kit framework within the Autoware Foundation and SOAFEE ecosystem. Under the new agreement, Astemo will license TIER IV’s Co-MLOps technology to establish an internal framework for refining AI models. Shinpei Kato, CEO of TIER IV, noted that the success of this technology relies on advancing development infrastructure alongside mass-production readiness. Hiroshi Tamagawa, CTO of Astemo, emphasized that the initiative will strengthen the company’s broader vehicle-internet platform, potentially extending these mobility solutions beyond standard passenger car applications.