Shape the Future of Mobility Yourself
Matthias Löffler, Head of Strategy, Portfolio & Business Development Connectivity at ZF, feels in exactly the right place. Because at a system supplier like ZF, technologies for the mobility of tomorrow are developed, programmed and constructed in-house. Perfect for him.
The now 37-year-old was already passionate about cars and engines as a student. It was only logical that he enrolled at the University of Stuttgart in 2007 to study mechanical engineering with a focus on vehicle and engine technology. However, a second passion increasingly came to the fore for Matthias Löffler during his studies: the desire to program. For his first big project - his diploma thesis - he was able to combine both. The task was to develop software and the structural design for the electronic accelerator pedal of a racing sports car. The reward for his work: A car with its drive-by-wire system achieved a class victory in the legendary 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.
FutureStarter Matthias Löffler is Head of Strategy, Portfolio & Business Development Connectivity at ZF.
Ten years later, Matthias Löffler heads the Strategy, Portfolio & Business Development Connectivity department at ZF and feels he is in exactly the right place. “I was interested in the topics of big data and digital ecosystems right from the start of my professional life,” is how he describes his career, which led him to Lake Constance after working at two renowned automobile manufacturers. At his previous employers, he gained cross-cultural experience around the world and led AI teams that focused on the connection between engineering and intelligent, data-driven product development. This initially involved defining technical use cases with large amounts of data, data-driven business models and later cross-series solutions for connectivity and artificial intelligence.
“At ZF it doesn’t mean that we have to commission the relevant services or systems, but rather we do it ourselves”, says Matthias Löffler, pictured here on the right. Left: Mihai Coanda, Software Coordinator HD Maps at ZF.
“What appeals to me here is the depth of added value”
Not for one minute has he regretted the decision to switch from an automobile manufacturer to a system supplier: “The depth of added value here appeals to me. Whether it's about artificial intelligence, connectivity, software, or the development of particularly powerful central computers: At ZF it doesn't mean we must commission the corresponding services or systems, but rather: we do it ourselves. And I know some colleagues at automobile manufacturers are a little bit jealous of this.”
The possibilities at ZF remind him of his studies at the University of Stuttgart: “In 2007, we had one of the five fastest computers in the world in the high-performance data center there and almost unlimited possibilities. Even back then, it became clear to me how data-driven the future would be.” A correct assessment, as proved at the beginning of 2023, when ZF presented its new product ProConnect at the CES in Las Vegas: “In the future we will become more and more software-defined and see autonomous vehicles that create a whole new experience with digital services, over-the-air updates and cloud edge functions,” explains Matthias Löffler. “This requires strong networking and the exchange of large amounts of data. Through our connectivity platform, we connect vehicles to the cloud, other road users and the traffic infrastructure such as traffic lights. ZF ProConnect is one of the first platforms on the market to meet the highest requirements in terms of security. The first customer orders for equipping new vehicles have already been received.”
“Exploit the entire networking ability”
ZF ProConnect cannot be compared with current networking solutions: “In the future, for autonomous driving, it will not be enough to simply integrate a SIM card into the car that sends some data back and forth,” explains Matthias Löffler. “For automated vehicles at level 3 or 4, we have to exploit the full range of networking capabilities: cellular, satellite, Bluetooth, WiFi, cloud edge and V2X. ProConnect offers all of this – plus a whole set of digital services.”
Matthias Löffler (left) and Michael Burkhart, Senior Manager Connect Development & Vailidation at ZF, with two variants of ZF's modularly configurable connectivity platform ProConnect.
A front row seat for the journey into the future
“The perfect interaction of our digital eco-systems is interesting for manufacturers because they generally do not develop these systems themselves in the company, but depend on a perfectly coordinated and easy-to-integrate overall package,” says Matthias Löffler, drawing a parallel to ZF’s history: “Even when it comes to transmissions, many manufacturers would rather trust the expertise of a company like ZF than develop an 8-speed automatic transmission themselves.”
Automotive manufacturers trust ZF, among other things, because of the perfect interaction of all the company's digital ecosystems.
The difference: With the ZF ProConnect, customers can choose between individual modules or the complete package. For example, there is a special version of ProConnect for high-precision positioning via satellite, which is primarily used to connect autonomous vehicles with the “Global Navigation Satellite System” (GNSS).
After processing the data, its position can be determined with an accuracy of up to 10 cm - important, for example, in automated lane changes or hub-to-hub applications for trucks, where it is not enough to know only approximately where the vehicle is.
The father of two feels like a FutureStarter at ZF: “We develop and test solutions like the ZF ProConnect here in test vehicles directly on site. I enjoy the collegial, friendly and yet goal-oriented spirit. Above all, it feels good to be right where the future of mobility is being made - both software and hardware. We are on an exciting and crazy journey towards the future and have a front row seat.”
