South Korean chipmaker SK hynix has obtained a high-level European certification recognizing its competency in automotive software development processes, the firm said Tuesday.

It also marks the first time a Korean chipmaker has obtained the Automotive Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination (ASPICE) Level 2 certification.

ASPICE is a standard of automotive software development introduced by European carmakers to evaluate the reliability and competency of auto part suppliers' software development process.

SK hynix said it applied the German engineering company Siemens’ certification solutions into its digital transformation technology to meet the standards.

This has resulted in enhancing the firm's overall research and development processes, ranging from automotive software design and product engineering to workflow, the chipmaker explained.

SK hynix said that the certification is expected to lead to an increased supply and stronger profitability of the company’s NAND solution products such as universal flash memory and solid-state drive, for which the combined market is expected to grow beyond an average of 20 percent every year.

According to the chipmaker, the importance of technology in the areas of electric and electronic parts for vehicles is growing, as electric vehicles and autonomous driving systems become more prevalent.

In particular, as the advanced driver assistance system and infotainment industries become more sophisticated, the importance of software quality management as well as compatibility and stability has also grown. This has created a market environment where auto parts manufacturers must obtain the ASPICE Level 2 or an equivalent, the chipmaker said.

The chipmaker added that it plans to obtain ASPICE Level 3 certification by further advancing its software development process.

“Our achievement comes at a time when the product competitiveness of automotive memory solutions is more important than ever,” said Ahn Hyun, head of solution development at SK hynix.

“We will aim higher and continue our efforts for development and stronger product competitiveness of automotive memory chips.”