Founded by TrustMotion, Infineon, Qualcomm Incorporated, and TTTECH, the association builds on the success of The Autonomous initiative, which has brought together global leaders from industries, academia, policymaking and regulatory bodies, and research since its start. The new association will provide a neutral platform for collaboration across automotive, robotics, industrial automation, and
The Autonomous Becomes Independent Association to Advance Safe Autonomous Systems and Robotics
- NXP, TrustMotion, Infineon, Qualcomm Incorporated, and TTTECH establish an independent, neutral and open multi-stakeholder platform for cross-industry collaboration
Vienna, Austria, September 24, 2026 – The Autonomous initiative, launched in 2019 by TrustMotion (former TTTech Auto), today announced the founding of the new association named “The Autonomous – Global Platform for Safe Autonomous Systems and Robotics”, an independent and open multi-stakeholder organization dedicated to advancing safe, secure, and robust autonomous systems through cross-industry collaboration.
Founded by NXP, TrustMotion, Infineon, Qualcomm Incorporated, and TTTECH, the association builds on the success of The Autonomous initiative, which has brought together global leaders from industries, academia, policymaking and regulatory bodies, and research since its start. The new association will provide a neutral platform for collaboration across automotive, robotics, industrial automation, and other autonomous system domains.
As AI-driven autonomous technologies move from pilot projects to large-scale deployment, the industry faces a common challenge: building the trust required for autonomy to scale. The Autonomous Association aims to address this challenge by fostering collaboration on the foundational technologies, standards, and best practices needed for safe, secure, and robust autonomous systems.
“The future of autonomy depends on industry-wide collaboration,” said Ricky Hudi, Chairman of The Autonomous Association. “By bringing together leading organizations from across the ecosystem, we are creating a neutral platform to accelerate innovation and help establish the trusted foundations required for autonomous systems to scale.”
The association’s mission is “Shaping the future of safe, secure, and robust autonomous systems through cross-industry collaboration”. Through working groups, expert forums, publications, and events, members will collaborate on key challenges and opportunities facing the autonomy ecosystem.
The founding members represent complementary capabilities across semiconductor technology, safe software platforms, system architecture and industrial technology. Together, they will help define the association’s initial strategic direction and support the development of a broader global community.
“There is no physical AI market without trust in the autonomous devices around us, and trust starts with the right system architectures that can combine safety, security, AI and deterministic guardrails. Through the Autonomous Association, we are bringing industries together to build the secure and intelligent foundations needed to scale autonomous systems broadly,” said Lars Reger, EVP & CTO NXP.
“Safety must be designed into autonomous systems from the very beginning. The Autonomous Association creates a neutral platform where industry leaders can collaborate on the architectures and software foundations that make trusted autonomy possible,” added Stefan Poledna, CTO TrustMotion and Lead NXP System Incubator.
“As AI increasingly moves from the cloud into machines that perceive, reason and act in the physical world, establishing trust in autonomous systems becomes essential. Through The Autonomous Association, we are collaborating across industries to advance the safety, security and intelligent edge technologies needed to help scale trusted autonomy and unlock the full potential of physical AI,” said Nakul Duggal, EVP and Group GM, Automotive, Industrial and Embedded IoT, and Robotics, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
“Safe, secure and robust autonomous systems are what truly bring physical AI to life, in vehicles and intelligent robots alike. Through the Autonomous Association, we join forces to accelerate the path from technological promise to trusted real-world deployment. Semiconductors are the foundation on which this transformation is built, enabling systems to scale across industries,” highlighted Peter Schäfer, EVP & CSO Automotive, Infineon Technologies.
“Whether in mobile machinery, robotics, industrial automation, or aerospace, autonomous systems rely on common foundations of safety, reliability, and system integrity. The Autonomous Association brings together leading experts to address these shared challenges and help accelerate trusted autonomy across industries,” said Georg Kopetz, CEO and Co-Founder TTTECH.
The foundation of The Autonomous Association establishes an organizational framework intended to secure the initiative’s neutrality, independence and continuity while broadening its scope beyond automotive. Robotics, smart machines, health technology, agricultural technology and advanced air mobility are among the additional fields identified for cross-industry exchange.
The association invites companies, research organizations, academic institutions and other relevant stakeholders to participate in its activities and contribute to the development of trusted foundations for autonomous systems.
The establishment of The Autonomous Association was announced during The Autonomous Main Event 2026 in Vienna on Sept 23-24, where industry leaders from mobility, robotics, semiconductor technology, and policy organizations gathered to discuss how trust can enable and scale the next phase of autonomous system deployment.
About The Autonomous Association
The Autonomous Association is a neutral, independent and open multi-stakeholder platform dedicated to shaping the future of safe, secure and robust autonomous systems. It facilitates cross-industry collaboration across automotive, robotics and emerging autonomous domains, bringing together industries, academia, policymakers and regulators. Through knowledge exchange, events and expert collaboration, the association advances trust-by-design principles, scalable AI, system-level solutions and aligned standards to support the responsible deployment and scaling of autonomous technologies worldwide.
Media Contact
The Autonomous
Susanne Einzinger
Phone: +49 160 9686 5710
Email: susanne.einzinger@trustmotion.com
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