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BB's QNX Unit Unveils FuSa Platform for Advanced Robotics & Safety

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BlackBerry Limited’s (BB - Free Report) QNX division recently launched a state-of-the-art Functional Safety (FuSa) platform designed for advanced robotic systems. In association with Intel Corporation (INTC - Free Report) and NexCOBOT, a leading provider of smart robotic application components, this innovative platform consolidates robotic and safety controls onto a single NexCOBOT board. The integration aims to offer manufacturers and developers significant cost savings, reduced power consumption, enhanced thermal efficiency and minimized hardware failure risks.

The FuSa platform is engineered to handle compute-intensive workloads while adhering to essential safety certifications, enabling faster certification processes and reducing time-to-market and compliance costs.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape industrial automation, the demand for robust functional safety measures has never been greater. Built on Intel Core i7 processors and the QNX OS for Safety, this new platform addresses the growing need for safety-certified and integrated solutions in AI-driven industrial robotics. It delivers superior computing power and virtualization, supporting AI-powered vision systems, real-time motion control and other critical robotic applications while maintaining compliance with stringent safety standards.

NexCOBOT’s Safety Innovations

NexCOBOT has also introduced safety control platforms, motion and AI control systems, and robotic safety peripherals tailored for AI-powered robotic applications. NexCOBOT’s safety modular applications are designed to cater to diverse industrial requirements, providing flexible and customizable solutions. These applications incorporate certifiable safety components and software modules that seamlessly integrate into various robotic systems.

By complying with international safety standards, including ISO 10218, NexCOBOT’s safety modules enable essential safety functions such as position and speed monitoring powered by Intel’s platform. This adaptability empowers businesses to meet their evolving safety needs while maintaining high operational efficiency.

BB Focuses on QNX Division to Drive Growth 

BlackBerry has rebranded its 'IoT' division as 'QNX' and revamped the QNX brand to solidify its position in the automotive and embedded sectors. The company is witnessing strong demand for QNX solutions, particularly in advanced driver assistance systems and digital cockpits. The growing adoption of the QNX platform across both automotive and general embedded markets is a positive trend, with ongoing design wins expected to expand the QNX royalty backlog further.

Recently, BlackBerry’s QNX division strengthened its collaboration with Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD - Free Report) to support a broader range of AMD adaptive computing devices. The alliance extends the capabilities of QNX’s Software Development Platform (SDP) 8.0 to AMD Kria SOMs, AMD Zynq UltraScale+ and Versal adaptive SoC platforms, empowering developers with cutting-edge tools to build high-performance applications.

Also, QNX introduced the QNX General Embedded Development Platform, a powerful new solution designed to streamline the development of high-performance, scalable and secure embedded systems. Targeting industries such as robotics, medical technology and industrial automation, the platform aims to simplify development while ensuring compliance with stringent safety and security standards.

In January 2025, BB announced decisions focused on expanding its QNX division with innovation and advancements. QNX introduced a pioneer automotive software solution to streamline and enhance digital cockpit development. It also strengthened developer support to drive innovation in embedded software across industries.   

Also, QNX has teamed up with Microsoft Corporation (MSFT - Free Report) to accelerate Software-Defined Vehicles development using Azure Cloud. QNX, Vector and TTTech Auto's collaborative effort to transform the vehicle software platform is another encouraging development. Driven by strength in the QNX unit, BB expects fiscal 2025 revenues in the band of $230-$235 million for the IoT business, revised from the prior view of $225-$235 million.

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