SC Automotive Engineering has signed a reseller agreement with Secondmind, giving the Japanese engineering company access to Secondmind's software for vehicle development customers in Japan.
According to the companies, the agreement is SC Automotive Engineering's first partnership with a technology company from outside Japan.
Under the arrangement, SC Automotive Engineering, known as SCAE, will add Secondmind's model-based engineering software to its services for automotive original equipment manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers. The focus is on vehicle design and development as carmakers manage more complex programmes linked to connected, autonomous, shared and electric vehicles.
UK-based Secondmind develops software that uses data-efficient active learning to reduce the amount of simulation and physical testing required during engineering work. Its tools target two parts of the development process where complexity is most acute: design space exploration and calibration.
In design work, engineers often rely on large volumes of simulation to test combinations of design variables and meet performance targets. Secondmind says its design space exploration software can cut the number of simulations by up to 80% and help engineers assess uncertainty as they evaluate trade-offs.
The company cited one engine manufacturer that found three times more feasible designs in half the time compared with its existing simulator. According to Secondmind, that gave engineers more options earlier in the process and reduced the likelihood of rework later in development.
Calibration is another labour-intensive part of automotive engineering, particularly for e-motors, engines and other power systems. Secondmind says its calibration product automates experimental design and limits physical testing to the data judged most useful for meeting performance objectives, reducing calibration time by more than 50%.
It also pointed to work with Mazda Motor Corporation, which it said achieved a 59% reduction in engineering hours for calibration compared with conventional methods.
Japan market
For SCAE, the partnership adds external software to a consulting and engineering offering built around automotive development expertise. The company was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation and employs specialists with experience at carmakers and suppliers.
Its business spans design, prototyping, evaluation and consulting across different types of mobility. By adding Secondmind's software, SCAE aims to combine that engineering background with artificial intelligence tools developed outside Japan for domestic manufacturers and suppliers.
Toshimi Yamanoi, President and CEO of SC Automotive Engineering, outlined the company's rationale for the deal.
"At SCAE, our mission is to bridge the most innovative technologies emerging globally with Japan's automotive engineers. Secondmind is exactly the kind of partner we were looking for - a company with genuinely transformative technology and proven results. The feedback we have received from our customers on Secondmind's capabilities gives us real confidence that it will change the way Japanese automakers design and test products. This partnership opens an exciting new chapter for SCAE, and we look forward to the impact we will create together," said Yamanoi.
Engineering pressure
The tie-up comes as vehicle makers face growing engineering demands from electrification, software integration and tighter development schedules. Those pressures have pushed manufacturers and suppliers to look for ways to cut the time and cost of simulation, testing and calibration without compromising design targets.
Secondmind has positioned its software as a way to manage those trade-offs by using smaller datasets more effectively. The approach may appeal in programmes where physical tests are expensive and simulation workloads expand quickly as more design variables are introduced.
Gary Brotman, Chief Executive Officer of Secondmind, said the agreement broadens the company's route to market in Japan through an established engineering partner.
"We're grateful to SCAE for welcoming Secondmind as its first technology partner from outside Japan. This partnership represents a meaningful milestone for us, but more importantly, it opens the door to bringing the benefits of data-efficient Engineering AI to more SCAE customers across Japan. By uniting SCAE's trusted engineering leadership with our industry-leading model-based design and calibration technologies, we will help OEMs and their suppliers manage rising engineering complexity, shorten development cycles, reduce cost burdens, and deliver the uncompromising quality that defines Japan's automotive industry. We're excited to support SCAE in shaping the future of vehicle development and innovation," said Brotman.