Week ending: Sun, Jan 11, 2026 (ET)
Volkswagen + Qualcomm: VW signed a long-term deal for Qualcomm infotainment SoCs starting 2027 to power its next software-defined vehicle platform (tied to its broader Rivian partnership).
Arm goes “Physical AI”: Arm launched a dedicated Physical AI unit to bundle automotive + robotics—another sign the compute stack for cars and factory robots is converging.
GM takes a $6B hit: GM booked a $6B write-down tied to pulling back U.S. EV plans and related contract changes—cost of pivoting midstream is very real.
Volvo EX60 tease: Volvo says the upcoming EX60 targets ~400-mile range and up to 400 kW DC fast charging—specs that (if real-world holds) reset expectations for “mainstream premium” EVs.
Mercedes driver-assist steps up: Mercedes demoed a more advanced surface-street driver assist approach—closer to point-to-point driving, with a safety-first positioning.
Sony Honda Mobility doubles down: The JV showed an updated Afeela concept direction at CES while sticking with a late-decade U.S. launch plan—software/UX is the headline, not drivetrain.
Foldable steering wheel for Level 4: Autoliv + Tensor unveiled a wheel that retracts when autonomy is active—packaging + safety architecture are becoming part of the “autonomy feature set.”
Open-source “Physical AI” tooling: Tensor open-sourced OpenTau, a training toolchain aimed at vision-language-action foundation models (robots, autonomous systems, etc.).
Robotics outlook: IFR’s “Top 5 robotics trends for 2026” says installations hit a record market value—AI + new applications are driving the next wave.
Industrial AI gets operationalized: Siemens used CES to push “industrial AI” from buzzword to deployments (digital twins, copilots, and partner ecosystems).
Autonomy is shifting toward freight-scale validation: AWS and Aumovio expanded work on AI-driven development/validation for self-driving systems—specifically targeting the “edge-case” problem ahead of Aurora’s planned 2027 autonomous trucking rollout. For suppliers, this is a pull toward better simulation, faster data pipelines, and safety-case tooling—not just sensors.
Medtech M&A gets tougher (and more explicit): A U.S. judge backed the FTC in blocking Edwards Lifesciences’ acquisition of JenaValve, centered on competition in specialized TAVR systems. Expect more diligence (and more “deal risk”) in niche, high-regulatory markets where there are only 1–2 serious players.
AI-SaMD keeps maturing (and scaling): AccurKardia landed FDA 510(k) clearance for AccurECG 2.0, positioning automated ECG interpretation as an enterprise-scale software platform. The opportunity is big—but it raises the bar on data governance, model performance monitoring, and deployment discipline.
The auto roadmap is increasingly about software-defined platforms and the compute supply chain (chips, cloud, validation), not just vehicle programs—so partners who can reduce complexity and accelerate verification win. Physical AI is no longer “robot demos”; it’s becoming an ecosystem (toolchains, digital twins, factory workflows) that will change how plants are designed and upgraded. In medtech, regulators are signaling they’ll protect competition and scrutinize consolidation—while AI software devices continue to scale, shifting competitive advantage toward teams with strong QA, monitoring, and compliance muscle.