Samsung Electronics has significantly strengthened its competitiveness in the global battlefield business.

Samsung Electronics' subsidiary Harman International announced on the 23rd that it has acquired the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) business of ZF Friedrichshafen AG in Germany.

This acquisition, worth 1.5 billion euros (approximately 2.6 trillion won), is Samsung Electronics' first large-scale M&A in the automotive sector in eight years since its acquisition of Harman in 2017.

Samsung Electronics has been actively pursuing future growth engines this year by pursuing major mergers and acquisitions in various fields, including air conditioning (FlaktGroup), audio (Masimo), and digital health (Xealth).

Among them, the acquisition of ZF's ADAS business is evaluated as a key strategy for strengthening the competitiveness of the global electric vehicle business.

ZF is a leading German electrical equipment company with over 100 years of history, and has a wide portfolio including transmissions, chassis, and electric vehicle drive parts.

The ADAS business unit acquired by Harman has over 25 years of accumulated technological expertise and is leading the global ADAS smart camera market. It is ranked first and has been providing differentiated ADAS solutions through collaboration with various SoC companies.

Through this acquisition, Harman will secure core technologies such as front cameras and ADAS controllers, and will make a full-scale entry into the high-growth ADAS market.

In particular, as the automotive industry rapidly transitions to Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs), demand for centralized controllers that integrate digital cockpits and ADAS is rapidly increasing, which is expected to further strengthen Harman's competitiveness.

Centralized controllers are the next-generation architecture preferred by automakers because they allow for flexible expansion of functionality through over-the-air (OTA) updates.

The market size is also expected to grow at an average annual rate of 12%, from KRW 62.6 trillion in 2025 to KRW 189.3 trillion in 2035.

“By adding the ADAS business to our portfolio, we are positioning ourselves strategically at a key technology inflection point in the automotive market where digital cockpits and ADAS are integrating,” said Christian Sobotka, CEO of Harman.

ZF CEO Matthias Midreich also expressed his expectations, saying, “Harman is the optimal partner to maximize the potential of the ADAS business.”

The acquisition of ZF's ADAS business is expected to be completed within 2026.