TIER IV collaborates with Renesas to build an open AI-native computing platform for SDVs: Integrating R-Car Gen 5 automotive SoCs with Autoware and reference AI models

TIER IV, the pioneering force behind open-source software for autonomous driving, is collaborating with Renesas Electronics Corporation to build an open AI-native computing platform for software-defined vehicles (SDVs). The collaboration combines TIER IV’s autonomous driving software technologies such as its reference AI models as well as Autoware, the world’s leading open-source software for autonomous driving, with Renesas’ next-generation R-Car automotive system-on-chips (SoCs) to deliver scalable solutions spanning Level 2+/2++ advanced driver assistance through Level 4 autonomous driving. Together, this collaboration aims to establish an open hardware and software platform that enables the continuous evolution of AI-powered vehicles.

Background

The automotive industry is entering the era of SDVs, where vehicle capabilities are increasingly determined by software, AI and high-performance computing rather than fixed-function hardware alone. At the same time, end-to-end (E2E) AI models are emerging as a new foundation for autonomous driving, while automotive computing platforms are evolving rapidly to support increasingly demanding AI workloads. Delivering production-ready autonomous driving therefore requires close integration between AI software, system software and automotive processors.

As the key developer of Autoware, TIER IV initiated the collaboration with Renesas to further expand the open ecosystem and advance safer, more intelligent and continuously evolving mobility.

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Scope of the collaboration

1. Establishing an open reference platform

TIER IV will adopt Renesas’ R-Car Gen 5 as one of the primary reference computing platforms for Autoware and future AI-native autonomous driving technologies.

The two companies will jointly optimize and promote this integrated hardware and software platform for automakers and Tier 1 suppliers worldwide, enabling faster development and deployment of SDVs.

2. Optimizing Autoware and reference AI models on R-Car Gen 5

TIER IV will port and optimize Autoware on Renesas’ R-Car Gen 5 automotive SoCs. Building on this software foundation, TIER IV also plans to deploy its reference AI models – E2E autonomous driving AI models – on R-Car Gen 5.

By combining conventional autonomous driving software with AI-native driving models on a common computing platform, the joint development aims to deliver highly scalable autonomous driving solutions covering both today’s production advanced driver-assistance systems and future Level 4 autonomous driving systems.

3. Exploring next-generation AI computing technologies

Looking beyond current-generation automotive SoCs, TIER IV is developing AI accelerators optimized for transformer-based autonomous driving AI as well as next-generation sensing technologies including LiDAR and 4D radar.

Initial demonstration

TIER IV plans to demonstrate Autoware and its reference AI models running on Renesas’ R-Car X5H at Automotive World 2026, which is taking place September 9-11 at Makuhari Messe in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The demonstration will showcase the integration of open autonomous driving software, AI-native driving models and automotive-grade computing on a unified platform.