Intel Reportedly creates a self-driving tech business unit

Earlier this week Intel  announced a partnership with Mobileye and Delphi centered on self-driving technology, with the goal of delivering a f

ully functioning system by 2019. Now, the company is officially elevating ambitions in the automotive space creating a new business unit known as the Automated Driving Group within the company. The group will be solely dedicated to innovating the future of driving and designing the next generation of advanced driver assist systems and autonomous driving solutions.

ADG’s formation is part of a larger management reorganization at Intel and will be led by Doug Davis, a long-time Intel executive and former head of the IoT group. Reporting to Davis will be Kathy Winter, who comes to Intel from new partner Delphi and will act as VP and GM of the new business unit, handling more of the day-to-day responsibilities of managing the team.

Semiconductor companies like Intel, Qualcomm and Nvidia have set their sights on what many expect to be one of strongest segments of the tech hardware economy for the next decade. Intel in particular recently announced that it’s making $250 million bet on self-driving tech via its Intel Capital investment arm. It also formed a partnership with Mobileye and German automaker BMW to provide chips for a self-driving car that the company intends to begin producing by 2021.

The recently announced alliance with Delphi and Mobileye is not tied to a particular car manufacturer but rather to developing an autonomous-car system that can then be sold to automakers.

Intel will be providing the specialized chips for said platform, which will be shown off in a test vehicle at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. The system will reportedly use Core i7s as placeholders for a yet to be revealed Intel SoC. Delphi will supply the radar, LiDAR, and cameras while Mobileye will provide real-time mapping, a mobile vision system, and multi-domain controller.