In a white paper titled “Mobility applications for software-defined vehicles – an approach based on verifiable credentials,” Continental highlights its innovative position in digital mobility. It shows how vehicles could eventually develop into flexible platforms for intelligent software solutions, such as real-time traffic control, going beyond just being a mode of transportation.
As a critical technology for increased security and data protection in connected mobility applications, the publication focuses on so-called verifiable credentials (VCs).
A critical first step toward the future of safe, software-defined mobility, Continental provides a workable strategy for how verifiable credentials might facilitate reliable communication between vehicles, infrastructure, and digital services.
A defined, cryptographically safe method for digitally encoding data, including user or vehicle characteristics, is known as verifiable credentials.
This allows for reliable and distinct identification. In order to tackle the primary challenges of growing connectivity and digitization in the automotive industry, Continental claims to be leading the way alongside renowned industry and research partners in the publicly funded cooperation project GAIA-X 4 AGEDA, a subproject of GAIA-X 4 Future Mobility.
Verifiable Credentials As A Key To The Safe Mobility Of Tomorrow
The use of mobility applications is becoming more and more essential to addressing tomorrow’s mobility needs. Many problems are raised, nevertheless, by their incorporation into the vehicle, the requirement for an open ecosystem link, and the decentralized administration of identities and data.
Therefore, a framework that guarantees both the smooth integration of new apps and adherence to stringent security and data protection criteria must be developed.
“Research by colleagues has shown that verifiable credentials are a promising approach for the secure use of mobility services in vehicles. They enable a high level of security and data protection when using software-defined vehicles as an execution platform for mobility services,” explains Nino Romano, Chief Technology Officer at Continental Automotive.
Based on the results of the GAIA-X 4 AGEDA project, the white paper outlines the necessary fundamentals and describes the key aspects of how the use of verifiable credentials provides an effective way to make access to vehicle data and functions secure and flexible. The white paper underscores the importance of the developed framework for the mobility of the future. It makes clear that the concepts embedded within it are central to integration into modern, software-defined vehicle architectures. “Software-defined vehicles as part of a cloud ecosystem are the key technology for future mobility concepts,” says Romano. “With a reliable and trustworthy digital framework, the vision can become reality.”
The complete white paper is now available for download.
