CHANGING THE WAY THE WORLD MOVES
Founded in 2018, Critical TechWorks was created through a strategic partnership between BMW Group and Critical Software. The joint venture is exclusively dedicated to developing the next generation of software systems for BMW’s future vehicles.
As a global leader in the automotive industry, BMW increasingly relies on software as a core driver of innovation — not only in vehicle technologies, but also across production, logistics and distribution. From infotainment and safety systems to autonomous driving and factory operations, software now underpins nearly every aspect of the automotive value chain.
DRIVING THE FUTURE
From an initial shortlist of hundreds of companies, Critical Software was selected as BMW’s partner to help shape the future of mobility. The creation of Critical TechWorks led to the establishment of one of BMW’s largest research and development centres worldwide.
The joint venture focuses on a wide range of advanced technology areas, including cloud and embedded development, data analytics, cybersecurity, connected systems and artificial intelligence — all central to BMW’s long-term software strategy.
THE ROAD TO EXCELLENCE
Critical TechWorks operates with a deeply embedded agile mindset, spanning both project delivery and operational management. This approach enables the development of complex, large-scale technologies across multiple programmes and stakeholders within the BMW Group.
Best practices in Scrum, DevOps, user experience design, software architecture and modern software toolchains form the foundation of how teams work — ensuring that systems can evolve quickly while meeting demanding quality, performance and reliability expectations.
A STORY OF SUCCESS
Five years after starting operations, Critical TechWorks has grown into a thriving community of thousands of engineers working across dozens of projects, contributing to some of BMW’s most innovative software-driven systems.
With teams based in Lisbon and Porto, the joint venture continues to expand, playing a key role in shaping how vehicles are designed, built and experienced. Critical TechWorks is helping redefine the role of software in mobility — and the road ahead points firmly toward continued innovation.