Secures HARMAN’s strategic foundations in ADAS and centralized automotive electronics platforms to define the fast-growing SDV market
STAMFORD, Conn.--BUSINESS WIRE--
HARMAN International, a global leader in automotive technology and lifestyle audio, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) business of ZF Group, comprising leading automotive compute solutions, smart cameras, radars and ADAS software functions. The transaction is valued at €1.5 billion.
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Mathias Miedreich, CEO of ZF Group; Young Sohn, Chairman of the Board of Directors, HARMAN and Senior Advisor, Samsung Electronics; and Christian Sobottka, Chief Executive Officer and President, Automotive Division, HARMAN, sign a definitive agreement for HARMAN to acquire ZF’s ADAS business – strengthening HARMAN’s leadership in software-defined vehicles and advancing a unified safety-to-experience platform for automakers worldwide.
A Strategic Step toward an Integrated, Centralized Vehicle Architecture
HARMAN’s “Consumer Experiences. Automotive Grade.” strategy focuses on bringing the speed, intelligence, and intuitive experiences consumers expect from leading technology brands into vehicles, while also meeting the highest standards for automotive safety, reliability, and long-term platform support. As automakers accelerate toward software-defined vehicles (SDV), this approach enables experiences that seamlessly connect safety and assisted driving functions with comfort, connectivity, and in-vehicle intelligence. 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.
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 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, Automotive Division, 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.”
“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.”
“Samsung has a successful record of strategic acquisitions that accelerate innovation and expand what’s possible for our customers,” said Young Sohn, Chairman of the Board of Directors, HARMAN and Senior Advisor, Samsung Electronics. “Since acquiring HARMAN in 2017, the company has scaled its automotive and audio business from $7 billion to more than $11 billion today. 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.”
“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.”
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 receiving necessary regulatory approvals.
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.
About HARMAN
HARMAN is a global leader in Lifestyle Audio and Automotive technology. We create intelligent experiences that enrich people’s lives on the road, in their homes, on the stage, and everywhere in between. Our iconic audio brands — including JBL®, Harman Kardon®, AKG®, Bowers & Wilkins®, Denon®, and Marantz® — bring premium sound to consumers and audio/visual professionals worldwide. More than 50 million vehicles globally rely on HARMAN’s technologies to deliver safer, smarter, and more intuitive in-cabin experiences. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., HARMAN has approximately 26,000 employees around the world.
About ZF
ZF is a global technology company supplying advanced mobility products and systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology. Its comprehensive product range is primarily aimed at vehicle manufacturers, mobility providers and start-up companies in the fields of transportation and mobility. ZF electrifies a wide range of vehicle types. With its products, the company contributes to reducing emissions, protecting the climate as well as enhancing safe mobility. Alongside the automotive sector – passenger cars and commercial vehicles – ZF also serves market segments such as construction and agricultural machinery, wind power, marine propulsion, rail drives and test systems. With some 161,600 employees worldwide, ZF reported sales of €41.4 billion in fiscal 2024. The company operates 161 production locations in 30 countries.
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Contact details:
Media:
HARMAN
Dawn Geary
Director, Global Communications, Automotive
[email protected]
ZF Group
Mirko Gutemann
Spokesman Corporate R&D, ADAS/AD Technology, Safety Technology
[email protected]
