Synopsys is betting that digital twins will become the backbone of next-generation engineering. The chip design and software tools giant has introduced its Electronics Digital Twin (eDT) Platform, an open framework designed to help companies simulate entire electronic systems before the hardware is built.
Initially targeting automotive development, the platform aims to dramatically compress vehicle development timelines by enabling automakers to validate most software and system functionality in virtual environments. Synopsys says the platform could allow manufacturers to complete up to 90% of software validation before physical hardware becomes available, potentially saving years in development cycles.
The launch reflects a growing shift toward software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and complex AI-driven systems that require new approaches to engineering validation.
Digital Twins Meet Software-Defined Vehicles
Modern vehicles are rapidly becoming software platforms on wheels. Some estimates put the total codebase of a next-generation car at more than 600 million lines of software, often developed across hundreds of suppliers.
That complexity is pushing automotive engineering teams toward virtual-first development methods.
Synopsys’ new platform creates electronics digital twins (eDTs)—virtual replicas of electronic architectures that allow engineers to simulate interactions between silicon, software, and entire vehicle systems.
Ravi Subramanian, Chief Product Management Officer at Synopsys, said traditional engineering workflows are struggling to keep pace with this complexity.
“Automotive engineering teams are at their breaking point,” he said, citing rising software complexity, shrinking development cycles, and cost pressures.
The eDT platform is designed to address that challenge by connecting silicon design, embedded software, and full-system validation earlier in the development process.
Shifting Development “Left”
A key goal of the platform is to enable what engineers call shift-left development—moving testing and validation earlier in the lifecycle.
Instead of waiting for physical prototypes, developers can start building and testing software on virtual hardware models.
Volvo Cars is already working with Synopsys to deploy electronics digital twins as part of its vehicle development strategy.
According to Johannes Foufas, Technical Manager at Volvo’s Software Factory, virtualized electronic control units (ECUs) allow engineering teams to begin testing software long before physical systems are available.
That early validation can reduce development costs while improving software reliability.
For automakers racing to launch new EVs, autonomous driving features, and connected vehicle platforms, shaving months—or even years—off development timelines could become a competitive advantage.
Inside the eDT Platform
The new platform enables teams to create cloud-based eDT Labs, virtual environments that bundle simulation tools, silicon models, software frameworks, and scalable compute resources.
These labs support several high-value automotive workflows:
Early chip evaluation
Automakers can test virtual prototypes of new system-on-chip (SoC) designs or microcontrollers before committing to hardware selection.
Early software development
Developers can begin building vehicle software stacks months—or even years—before hardware prototypes are ready.
Collaborative engineering
Suppliers, OEM teams, and tool vendors can collaborate within shared virtual environments.
Continuous system validation
Digital twins can integrate into continuous integration pipelines for automated testing.
The idea is to replicate the full vehicle electronics environment—virtually—so engineers can iterate faster.
Open Ecosystem and Partner Integration
Synopsys is positioning the eDT Platform as an open ecosystem, integrating technologies from multiple partners.
The system includes virtualization and simulation tools from Synopsys, alongside ecosystem technologies such as the open-source SIL Kit developed with Vector Informatik.
The platform also incorporates silicon models, debugging tools, and software IP from a range of industry partners.
On the hardware side, the platform can run on cloud infrastructure such as Amazon Web Services, leveraging high-performance processors like the AWS Graviton4.
AWS says the combination of scalable compute and virtual vehicle simulation could dramatically shorten traditional automotive development timelines.
Historically, validating complex automotive systems required physical prototypes and multi-year testing programs.
Cloud-based simulation environments may reduce those cycles significantly.
Enabling Physical AI Systems
Another driver behind the platform is the rise of physical AI—AI systems embedded in real-world machines such as vehicles, robots, and industrial equipment.
These systems require tight integration between hardware, software, and AI models.
Arm is also part of the platform’s ecosystem. The company says developers will be able to access a virtual platform for its Zena Compute Subsystem (CSS) within Synopsys’ virtualization tools.
That capability allows developers to validate full software stacks using instruction-set architecture (ISA) parity, meaning the same binaries can run in virtual environments and production hardware.
In practice, this helps engineers test complex AI workloads much earlier in the design cycle.
Cloud Infrastructure for Automotive Simulation
One of the biggest technical hurdles in digital twin engineering is compute scale.
Full vehicle simulations require massive processing resources, especially when running complex workloads like AI perception models or large-scale system integration tests.
The eDT Platform addresses this by supporting flexible deployment models, including:
- SaaS-based cloud environments
- Bring-your-own-cloud (BYOC) deployments
- Integration with enterprise software factories
Cloud compute resources can be provisioned on demand, allowing engineering teams to spin up large simulation environments quickly.
The platform also includes enterprise-grade management tools such as role-based access control, encryption, administrative analytics, and workflow automation.
Why Digital Twins Matter for the Auto Industry
The automotive sector is undergoing one of the most dramatic technology transitions in its history.
Vehicles are evolving into software-driven platforms that integrate advanced driver assistance systems, AI-powered automation, and cloud connectivity.
That transformation has made traditional development processes—built around physical prototypes and sequential testing—too slow and expensive.
Digital twins are emerging as a solution by enabling virtual-first engineering.
Instead of building hardware prototypes for every design iteration, engineers can test systems virtually, identify problems earlier, and validate software continuously.
Major automotive suppliers and technology companies are racing to build platforms around this model.
Synopsys’ eDT Platform positions the company at the intersection of several major trends: silicon design, AI-enabled systems, and software-defined vehicle development.
What Comes Next
Synopsys says the platform is available now for customers interested in deploying electronics digital twins.
The company plans to demonstrate the technology at Embedded World 2026 and at its own Synopsys Converge 2026 developer conference.
If digital twin platforms gain widespread adoption, they could fundamentally reshape how complex AI-powered machines—from cars to robotics systems—are designed and validated.
For industries where safety, reliability, and rapid innovation are critical, virtual engineering environments may soon become the default starting point.
And in a world of software-defined vehicles, building the car might increasingly start with building its twin.
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