Harman to acquire ZF’s ADAS business for €1.5 billion
By integrating ZF’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) capabilities with Harman’s flagship Digital Cockpit offerings within a centralized compute design, the acquisition bolsters Harman’s roadmap for next-generation vehicle architectures.
Harman International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) business of Germany’s ZF Group, comprising leading automotive compute solutions, smart cameras, radars and ADAS software functions. The transaction is valued at EUR 1.5 billion.
With this acquisition, Harman has secured strategic inroads in the ADAS and central compute platforms markets, reinforcing a foundation that anchors and advances its role in the fast-growing SDV market, according to a media release.
By integrating ZF’s ADAS capabilities with Harman’s flagship Digital Cockpit offerings within a centralized compute design, the acquisition bolsters Harman’s roadmap for next-generation vehicle architectures. The combination creates a foundation for future central compute solutions that bring assisted and automated driving solutions, safety and user experiences on a shared platform. This approach streamlines system design, reduces integration complexity and supports more efficient innovation cycles, allowing Harman to enable OEMs to scale differentiated, context-aware vehicle experiences, the media release said.
“With this agreement, we take a strategic step to expand our portfolio with complementary ADAS capabilities that unlock a new class of cross-domain experiences ranging from perception-informed audio cues to more personalized, situation-aware driving,” said Christian Sobottka, Chief Executive Officer and President, Automotive Division, Harman. “Combined with Harman’s long-standing automotive expertise and supported by Samsung’s broader technology leadership, this positions us to help OEMs design the next generation of intelligent, empathetic and connected vehicles.”
“With Harman, we have found the ideal partner to fully unlock the growth and innovation potential of our ADAS business,” said Mathias Miedreich, CEO of ZF Group. “At the same time, this deal makes an important contribution to reducing our company’s debt and allows us to focus our resources on the core technologies in which ZF is a global leader.”
As part of the agreement, approximately 3,750 ZF employees across Europe, the Americas and Asia are expected to transition to Harman upon closing of the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to necessary regulatory approvals.