Ampere opens software centre in Sophia-Antipolis

Renault spin out Ampere has opened a software research and development centre in the French chip regions of Sophia Antipolis.

The building is adapted to the specific needs of the company’s software activities with office and laboratory areas for over 200 engineers working on the development of future centralized architectures around the Software Defined Vehicle (SDV).

Software is expected to account for 40% of the cost of a car by 2030. To develop connected and intelligent electric vehicles, Ampere has 1,800 software engineers, integrated since the acquisition of the Intel teams in 2017, and who represent 50% of Ampere’s engineering.

Their skills and expertise are a major asset for Ampere, enabling it to offer Europe’s first Software Defined Vehicle as early as 2026. The company recently acquired a software development team in Tunisia.

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The centre is on the Sophia Antipolis European technology park, on a plot of over 4,600 m2. It features 800 m2 of software research laboratories with 70 test benches and 2,200 m2 of office space, for a total capacity of 340 staff. Ther is also an automotive test lab.

The software development skills base at the site includes AI, connectivity, Over The Air functionalities, driving aids, cybersecurity & safety, architecture, validation and software integration. These teams work daily with key tech partners such as Google and Qualcomm as well as research institutes, start-ups and universities.