Harman to integrate ZF ADAS into Samsung’s Digital Cockpit

Samsung is taking a decisive step into the future of in-car technology. Its subsidiary Harman has announced the acquisition of the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems division from German automaker ZF. The price tag is 1.5 billion euros, or about $1.76 billion, making it one of the more notable deals in automotive electronics lately.

The acquired unit focuses on driver-assistance systems, computing platforms, radars, and intelligent cameras for vehicles. These are the building blocks of today’s driving features. For Harman, the purchase sharply strengthens its position in the realm of software-defined vehicles and the next wave of connected cars — a logical extension of where the market is heading.

Harman plans to fold ZF’s developments into its Digital Cockpit platform, built around a centralized computing architecture for tomorrow’s vehicles. The idea is to simplify electronic design, reduce integration complexity, and speed up the rollout of new features, while enhancing safety and the intelligence of the car. It’s a sign that the cockpit is increasingly becoming the brain of the vehicle.

ZF, for its part, said the deal will help reduce debt and allow the company to focus on the core technologies where it remains a global leader. For Harman, this is another step in scaling up: since Samsung acquired the company for about $8 billion, revenue has risen from $7 billion to more than $11 billion. With ADAS now reinforced, Harman aims to play a more prominent role in shaping smarter and safer cars — and the timing suggests the company wants that role sooner rather than later.