Safety is a crucial factor in the automotive industry – especially in the areas of functional safety, SOTIF (Safety of the Intended Functionality), and cybersecurity. But what do these terms mean? And how does EVOMOTIV ensure that innovative technologies are safely integrated into vehicles? In an interview, Özgür, specialist for functional safety at EVOMOTIV, exciting insights into his everyday work.
Dear Özgür, please introduce yourself briefly!
My name is Özgür, and I am a specialist in functional safety, SOTIF, and cybersecurity. My responsibilities include implementing processes in vehicle development, training employees, developing concepts, and implementing methodological approaches.
What excites you about your job?
New projects, systems, and technologies require constant adaptation. The more complex vehicle systems become, the more you have to think outside the box and shift your perspective to fully understand them. There's no copy-paste from one project to the next—each time you have to think anew, develop innovative vehicle safety concepts, and develop new methods to advance functional safety.
What makes a difference EVOMOTIV in your area from other companies?
EVOMOTIV is characterized by considering safety processes in the automotive industry well in advance. Not when it's too late or a project is already underway, but early on. This means that we consider right from the start: How can we set up safety processes? How can we develop frameworks for functional safety? This ensures that we can operate successfully later in customer projects and develop safe products.
What is the biggest technical challenge?
The biggest challenge is designing safety processes in vehicle development so that they are also feasible for artificial intelligence in the automotive sector. At the same time, we need to develop quickly. Standards-compliant safety processes are essential, but can lead to delays in traditional development environments. Therefore, we rely on automation and effective tool landscapes for functional safety. This enables developers to efficiently implement automotive cybersecurity standards without being slowed down by manual and time-consuming processes.
What three things should everyone know about your field?
Safety processes must be implemented from the outset. They serve as the foundation for quality assurance – comparable to laying the foundation for a house first, rather than adding a garden fence afterward.
Processes help to systematically safeguard against risks. Developers sometimes overlook problems – we ensure that errors are identified early with structured processes and the dual control principle.
Every new interface increases potential security risks. Every new feature makes a system more complex, which is why fault tolerance in vehicle systems remains a constant challenge.
Which innovation will have the greatest impact on your field in the next 5 years?
Artificial intelligence in the automotive industry is becoming increasingly important in customer projects. This means we need to develop not just rigid but dynamic security concepts that can evolve over time. At the same time, we need to ensure that the underlying cybersecurity processes are robust and secure.
How do customers benefit from your knowledge?
Customers save time because we consider automotive safety concepts early on. This helps avoid errors in vehicle development. By working proactively, we enable developers and testers to focus specifically on the relevant safety requirements.
How do you work in your field?
We work in agile teams within the automotive industry, with each department having its own specific areas of focus in vehicle development process management. Depending on the project focus, we collaborate closely to ensure that vehicle safety standards are implemented in compliance with the standards. Our goal is to translate complex safety requirements into practical solutions so that customers receive the greatest possible added value.
How do you explain your job to a child?
I ensure that machines function safely. I'm a kind of detective, methodically searching for potential problems so that people aren't put in danger.
Dear Özgür, thank you very much for the interview and the exciting insights!
Functional safety is an essential component of modern vehicle development. EVOMOTIV We rely on well-thought-out safety processes, innovative solutions, and a forward-looking approach to ensure the highest automotive safety standards. Our expertise helps customers work more efficiently while developing future-proof systems. If you would like to learn more about our work, visit our website or contact us directly!
The interview with Özgür is also available as a video – Part 1 and Part 2 can be seen here.
