Harman International, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) business of ZF Group. The transaction, which involves automotive compute solutions, smart cameras, radars, and ADAS software functions, is valued at €1.5 billion and represents a strategic step toward an integrated, centralized vehicle architecture for Harman.

As automakers accelerate toward SDVs (software-defined vehicles), the approach enables experiences that connect safety and assisted driving functions with comfort, connectivity, and in-vehicle intelligence, as Harman sees it. With this acquisition, the company says it 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.

“The industry is at an inflection point where safety, intelligence, and in-cabin experience must come together through a unified computing architecture,” said Christian Sobottka, Chief Executive Officer and President for the Automotive Division of Harman. “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. 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.”

By integrating ZF’s ADAS capabilities with Harman’s digital-cockpit offerings within a centralized compute design, the approach streamlines system design, reduces integration complexity, and supports more efficient innovation cycles, allowing the company to enable OEMs to scale differentiated, context-aware vehicle experiences.

“Since acquiring Harman in 2017, the company has scaled its automotive and audio business from $7 billion to more than $11 billion today,” said Young Sohn, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Harman and Senior Advisor, Samsung Electronics. “Adding ZF’s ADAS capabilities builds on that momentum. Harman will further expand its technology foundation to deliver safer, more intelligent, and more intuitive in-vehicle experiences. This acquisition reinforces Harman’s leadership in the industry’s transformation and underscores Samsung’s long-term commitment to the future of mobility.”

As part of the agreement, approximately 3750 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 receiving the necessary regulatory approvals.

“This transaction marks a major milestone in the execution of Harman’s long-term strategy and further strengthens our portfolio,” said Carolin Reichert, Chief Strategy Officer of Harman. “Throughout the process, we worked in a very constructive collaboration with ZF and demonstrated our ability to successfully execute a highly complex carve-out.”

Upon closing, Harman will integrate ZF’s ADAS capabilities into its centralized compute and digital cockpit roadmap, enabling OEMs to deploy more scalable, safety-integrated vehicle architectures. The companies will maintain strong support for existing programs while aligning engineering, ADAS, and compute teams to accelerate innovation for next-generation platforms.

“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.”