KD confirms the growing momentum of Optical Ethernet at AEC 2026

2026-03-27 · KD

KD’s participation in Automotive Ethernet Congress 2026 made one thing clear: optical technology is gaining real momentum within the automotive connectivity ecosystem. Held in Munich and organized by Elektronik automotive and Componeers, the event once again proved to be a key meeting point for the in vehicle networking community. For KD, this year’s edition was especially significant because the company saw a substantial increase in the number of exhibitors showcasing optical solutions, a strong sign of the market’s growing maturity and interest.

Over the course of the two day congress, KD’s team, including Carlos Pardo, Óscar Ciordia, Juan Pardo, Pablo Blázquez, Luisma Torres, Juan L. Matus and Luis Medina Valdes, had the opportunity to meet with partners, customers, and industry experts. These conversations focused on the evolution of in vehicle connectivity and the progress of software defined vehicle architectures. In this context, AEC once again demonstrated how quickly the technical conversation is moving forward and how Optical Ethernet has become an active and visible part of it.

At the exhibition area, KD showcased its latest Optical Ethernet solutions for automotive applications, highlighting technologies that are already aligned with the industry’s emerging needs. These included the 10GBASE AU optical camera system with fiber connectivity, developed in collaboration with Leopard Imaging and Corning; multigigabit camera demos showcased alongside Hinge; Optical Ethernet validation using Vector Testing Solution’s enhanced VN5650 platform, and the KD7251 optical receiver, compliant with IEEE 802.3cz and supporting 2.5, 5, and 10 Gb/s over automotive glass optical fiber. Through these demonstrations, KD reinforced its position as one of the companies helping bring optical connectivity from concept to real world deployment.

One of the major highlights of the event was the Optical Session, coorganized by KD together with Bosch and other partners from the ecosystem. The optical technology workshop was a real success and attracted strong engagement from attendees, especially during the panel discussion titled “Is the market ready for optical?”. The discussion sparked a lively exchange of views and confirmed the growing momentum behind a multi vendor optical ecosystem. For KD, the success of this session was another clear indication that the industry is increasingly ready to move optical solutions into mainstream automotive networking.

Overall, KD’s presence at AEC 2026 delivered a very positive outcome. Beyond the visibility achieved and the many valuable conversations held during the event, the congress confirmed that the automotive industry is moving decisively toward new connectivity architectures in which optical technologies will play an increasingly important role. The rise in the number of companies presenting optical solutions, together with the success of the workshop coorganized with Bosch, showed that optical Ethernet is no longer a future prospect, but a present reality in the automotive sector.

About KD

KD is a Spanish semiconductor company leading the market for high-speed data transmission through optical fiber in challenging environments. For 15 years, the company has been reinventing the way optical communications are made to make them robust and affordable enough for the automotive, consumer and industrial markets.