OSEK/VDX is a joint project of the automotive industry. It aims at an industry standard for an open-ended architecture for distributed control units in vehicles. A real-time operating system, software interfaces and functions for communication and network management tasks are thus jointly specified.

The term OSEK means “Offene Systeme und deren Schnittstellen für die Elektronik im Kraftfahrzeug” (Open systems and the corresponding interfaces for automotive electronics.) The term VDX means “Vehicule Distributed eXecutive”.

Companies involved include Opel, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, IIIT – University of Karlsruhe, PSA, Renault, Bosch, Siemens and Volkswagen.