Global engineering leader FEV has entered into a strategic partnership with Japanese tech firm Nature Architects (NA) to co-develop cutting-edge vehicle structures. The collaboration aims to redefine standards in lightweight design, functionality, and development speed using advanced AI-driven methodologies.
FEV brings its deep expertise in vehicle development, offering platform data and benchmark models, while Nature Architects contributes its proprietary AI-based design platform, which leverages form finding, metamaterials, and origami-inspired engineering to create innovative structural solutions.
An initial joint project to optimize a side impact structure has already been successfully completed. This resulted in a weight reduction of up to 51 percent in the sill reinforcement while maintaining the same energy absorption and thus the same level of passenger safety. The results of this innovative approach, which shortens development times and thus opens up considerable cost-saving potential, were then successfully validated in the overall vehicle model.
“With Nature Architects, we are gaining a partner whose unique design platform ideally complements our portfolio,” says Michael Hog, Group Vice President Vehicle at FEV. “Together, we are creating the basis for a completely new, functionally and weight-optimized component design for our customers, regardless of whether the underlying requirement comes from the areas of deformation, vibration, acoustics, heat transfer, or flow.”
“Our platform allows us to develop new structural concepts beyond human intuition,” says Mr. Tomoya Hayashi, Project Manager at Nature Architects. “Combined with FEV’s engineering expertise, this creates a space for innovation with high customer value.”
In the first phase of their partnership, FEV will focus on the German market by leveraging its strong relationships with local OEMs, while Nature Architects (NA) will deepen its engagement with Japanese automakers. Over the medium term, the collaboration aims to scale their jointly developed AI-based technologies globally and expand into new markets.
This partnership highlights FEV’s leadership in AI across the entire automotive development chain—from strategy and data governance to advanced LLM workflows, accelerated simulation and testing, data-driven diagnostics, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance. These capabilities are expected to significantly reduce development time and effort, while accelerating time-to-market.
