In Częstochowa, a team of 870 engineers is designing, building, and testing advanced components for the automotive sector, particularly in the areas of electronics and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). One of their flagship projects is an ultra-fast computer for automated driving functions. This work is carried out at the ZF Electronics Engineering Center, part of the global ZF Group—one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers. This means that solutions developed by Polish engineers are being used by car manufacturers around the globe.
“Beyond technological challenges, the automotive market is shaped by economic and geopolitical factors—rising costs, declining production volumes, and uncertainty stemming from global tensions and protectionist policies,” says Rafał Zatorski, Director of the ZF Electronics Engineering Center in Poland, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. “Rare earth metals, crucial for the production of some automotive components, are becoming increasingly scarce. This significantly impacts the industry.”
Among the major challenges facing the automotive and engineering sectors is decarbonization. The European Union has made several strategic decisions to transform the industry, including the planned ban on sales of combustion-engine vehicles after 2035. Manufacturers have already started transitioning to electric drivetrains.
“This transformation isn’t happening as quickly as expected, despite the return of subsidies in countries like Germany and Poland. EVs are still relatively expensive, and electricity prices have surged, reducing the economic advantage of electric cars,” Zatorski explains. “Infrastructure remains a major hurdle, so this transition will take more time. ZF invested in electromobility years ago—though we don’t make batteries, we do deliver complete electric drive systems including motors, inverters, control electronics, and software.”
Another major trend in the automotive sector is automation, with different markets and companies advancing at various paces. This development hinges on modern technologies like ADAS, which are integral to semi- and fully-automated vehicles.
“ADAS, or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, are designed to support the driver. At our engineering center, we’re deeply involved in developing these technologies. It begins with data perception using radar, cameras, lidar, and ultrasonic sensors, processed by high-speed computers. We design the hardware, develop software, build advanced algorithms, and conduct extensive testing in labs and on test tracks,” Zatorski says.
Since its beginnings in 2005 with just 45 engineers, the Częstochowa center has grown nearly 20-fold. Originally part of TRW, it became part of the ZF Group in 2015. The team started with passive safety systems like airbags—critical for protecting drivers and passengers—and now focuses on electronic safety systems. They collaborate closely with engineering teams in Germany, the U.S., the UK, France, China, and India.
“We are one of ZF’s global R&D units. We design systems like ADAS, airbags, and high-speed computers, which are also manufactured here in Częstochowa and then delivered to automotive clients worldwide,” Zatorski explains.
The R&D efforts in Częstochowa led to the establishment of the ZF Electronics Plant in the city, where advanced electronic components for ADAS are produced. The collaboration between the engineering center, ZF’s global R&D network, and the local manufacturing site enables full-cycle development—from concept to production—of cutting-edge automotive technologies. One of these is ZF ProAI, an ultra-fast computer for automated driving.
“ZF ProAI is one of the fastest automotive-grade computers in the world. We’re nearly finished developing this for two major premium clients. It’s powered by NVIDIA Orin and offers 256 trillion operations per second,” says Zatorski. “Its modules are scalable. A single module supports Level 2 autonomous functions, but linking modules doubles the computing power, enabling Level 3 autonomy. We’ve already delivered such a solution to a client.”
Development of ZF ProAI began in 2021. It’s designed as a central computing platform suitable for all vehicle types, applications, and electronic architectures, capable of supporting all levels of autonomy (from L0 to L5). Zatorski sees supercomputers playing a growing role in the future of mobility.
“In traditional cars, each function—braking, steering, drivetrain—has its own controller. Now the trend is to integrate these into a single powerful central unit. This cuts costs and improves performance,” he explains. “ADAS sensors gather enormous amounts of data from radar and cameras. That data must be processed in real-time so the vehicle can respond appropriately. High-speed computers make this possible.”
Another key project involves S-Cam 4.8 cameras, based on Mobileye’s EyeQ4 processor. These combine advanced object recognition with longitudinal and lateral vehicle control. Special lenses and imaging sensors enable features like automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assistance. ZF is also developing high-resolution imaging radar systems designed for advanced autonomy levels (L2+, L4, and beyond).
ZF’s Częstochowa center is also pioneering steer-by-wire technology, which allows vehicles to be driven without a mechanical steering column.
“Steer-by-wire represents the shift from mechanical to electromechanical systems, with heavy use of electronics. We developed it from scratch here in Częstochowa, and it’s now in use by two clients—one in China and one in Europe,” says Zatorski. “What once seemed unimaginable—steering wheels connected to wheels only by wires—is now a reality.”
According to Zatorski, steer-by-wire is a major step toward full autonomy, where steering wheels may no longer be used for driving and could even serve alternative functions, like a gaming joystick, while the car drives itself.
“I wouldn’t dare predict when full autonomy will be achieved. From a technical standpoint, there are still many challenges. It’s not difficult to build a single autonomous vehicle—the sensors and algorithms are there. But a truly autonomous world requires cars that communicate and coordinate with each other via complex systems. We’re still a long way from that,” Zatorski concludes.
