HARMAN International, the Samsung Electronics-owned automotive technology supplier, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire ZF Group’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business in a transaction valued at €1.5 billion.
The deal adds a broad ADAS portfolio to HARMAN, including automotive compute solutions, smart cameras, radars, and ADAS software functions. HARMAN said it plans to integrate the acquired capabilities into its centralized compute and digital cockpit roadmap, positioning the combined platform to support automakers as they move toward software-defined vehicle architectures that consolidate assisted driving, safety, and in-cabin experiences on shared compute foundations.
HARMAN framed the acquisition as an expansion of its strategy to bring consumer-like speed and intelligence into vehicles while meeting automotive-grade safety, reliability, and long-term support requirements. By combining ZF’s perception and ADAS assets with HARMAN’s Digital Cockpit offerings, the company said it aims to reduce integration complexity for OEMs, streamline system design, and enable faster innovation cycles as vehicle electronics shift toward more centralized architectures.
For ZF, the divestiture is expected to support balance sheet priorities while allowing the supplier to concentrate resources on its core technology areas. The companies also emphasized continuity for current customer programs, with plans to align engineering, ADAS, and compute teams following closing.
Approximately 3,750 ZF employees across Europe, the Americas, and Asia are expected to transition to HARMAN when the transaction closes. The companies said the deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to required regulatory approvals.
KEY QUOTES:
“The industry is at an inflection point where safety, intelligence and in-cabin experience must come together through a unified computing architecture. With this agreement, we take a strategic step to expand our portfolio with complementary ADAS capabilities that unlock a new class of cross-domain experiences ranging from perception-informed audio cues to more personalized, situation-aware driving. Combined with HARMAN’s long-standing automotive expertise and supported by Samsung’s broader technology leadership, this positions us to help OEMs design the next generation of intelligent, empathetic and connected vehicles.”
Christian Sobottka, Chief Executive Officer and President, Automotive Division, HARMAN
“With HARMAN, we have found the ideal partner to fully unlock the growth and innovation potential of our ADAS business. At the same time, this deal makes an important contribution to reducing our company’s debt and allows us to focus our resources on the core technologies in which ZF is a global leader.”
Mathias Miedreich, CEO, ZF Group
“Samsung has a successful record of strategic acquisitions that accelerate innovation and expand what’s possible for our customers. Since acquiring HARMAN in 2017, the company has scaled its automotive and audio business from $7 billion to more than $11 billion today. Adding ZF’s ADAS capabilities builds on that momentum. HARMAN will further expand its technology foundation to deliver safer, more intelligent and more intuitive in-vehicle experiences. This acquisition reinforces HARMAN’s leadership in the industry’s transformation and underscores Samsung’s long-term commitment to the future of mobility.”
Young Sohn, Chairman of the Board of Directors, HARMAN and Senior Advisor, Samsung Electronics
“This transaction marks a major milestone in the execution of HARMAN’s long-term strategy and further strengthens our portfolio. Throughout the process, we worked in a very constructive collaboration with ZF and demonstrated our ability to successfully execute a highly complex carve-out.”
Carolin Reichert, Chief Strategy Officer, HARMAN
