SPI in the Italian automotive industry: issues from the automotive SPIN Italy

Today automotive is an application field where innovation is growing at the highest rate. Innovation in automotive is principally due to the market-driven demand of new features that only electronic devices on the vehicles can provide. Electronic devices, more and more complex and connected by CANs (Control Area Networks), control more than 85% of the automobile's functionalities. The way the automotive industry is facing the challenges arisen in the last years is the subject of this paper. The authors, starting from the experience of the Automotive SPIN Italy, give a picture of the achievements and the open issues in the Italian automotive industry.