BlackBerry and AMD Partner to Power Next-Generation Smart Automation
Santa Clara, Tuesday, 10 March 2026.
Today, BlackBerry and AMD launched a high-performance computing platform to bring advanced physical AI to life, revolutionizing safety-critical systems across the automotive, robotics, and medical industries.
Expanding x86 Architecture for Real-Time Systems
On March 10, 2026, QNX, a division of Waterloo-based BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB, NASDAQ: BB), officially expanded its software ecosystem to support Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) Ryzen Embedded x86 processors [1][2]. This integration is facilitated through the newly available QNX Software Development Platform (SDP) 8.0, providing developers with a robust x86 alternative tailored for real-time embedded systems [1]. By moving beyond AMD’s adaptive computing portfolio, the collaboration targets complex, consolidated systems requiring both high compute performance and deterministic behavior [1]. According to Grant Courville, Senior Vice President of Products and Strategy at QNX, this expansion allows customers to build systems that guarantee both high compute power and predictable behavior [1].
Elevating Safety with Hypervisor 8.0
Coinciding with the AMD hardware integration, BlackBerry QNX also announced the general availability of its QNX Hypervisor 8.0 for Safety on March 10, 2026 [2]. Built upon the foundation of QNX SDP 8.0, this safety-certified embedded virtualization platform is engineered to meet stringent functional safety requirements, including the rigorous ISO 26262 ASIL D standard, which represents the highest degree of automotive hazard classification [GPT] [2]. The release is strategically positioned to support the rising prominence of Physical AI in sectors where reliable safety guarantees are non-negotiable [2].
A Foundation for Physical AI and Future Growth
The introduction of these highly reliable edge computing solutions builds upon QNX’s massive existing footprint. Founded in 1980, making the company’s foundational technology 46 years old, QNX software currently operates in over 275 million vehicles worldwide [1]. Its deterministic operating systems are also deeply entrenched in the healthcare sector, utilized by nine of the world’s top ten medical device manufacturers [1]. This extensive market penetration provides a fertile ground for the widespread deployment of the new AMD-powered architecture [1].