Article: The great unbundling: from integrated architecture to orchestrated fluidity in the software defined vehicle era Journal: International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management (IJATM) 2026 Vol.26 No.6 pp.1 - 19 Abstract: This paper theorises a fundamental paradigm shift in architecture theory, driven by the software defined vehicle. It posits the inverted mirroring path, a conceptual framework that overturns the traditional causal logic of the mirroring hypothesis. In this new paradigm, product architecture ceases to be a mirror of internal organisational structure and instead becomes a dynamic strategic interface that actively mediates exogenous forces - institutional mandates, market dynamics, and user experience. The Chinese SDV ecosystem exemplifies this architectural unbundling: flexible industrial policy, a user base demanding perpetual evolution, and a proactive swarm strategy pursuing emergent heterogeneity have institutionalised a fluid design paradigm. Within this paradigm, the boundary configuration on what to integrate, decouple, or outsource becomes the primary locus of competition and value creation. Consequently, competitive advantage is redefined: it derives not from optimising a fixed architecture, but from a firm's capacity to orchestrate architectural fluidity within an open, evolving socio-technical system. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: The great unbundling: from integrated architecture to orchestrated fluidity in the software defined vehicle era

Authors: Zejian Li

Addresses: Faculty of Economics, Osaka Sangyo University, Nakagaito 3-1-1, Daito-shi Osaka, 5748530, Japan

Abstract: This paper theorises a fundamental paradigm shift in architecture theory, driven by the software defined vehicle. It posits the inverted mirroring path, a conceptual framework that overturns the traditional causal logic of the mirroring hypothesis. In this new paradigm, product architecture ceases to be a mirror of internal organisational structure and instead becomes a dynamic strategic interface that actively mediates exogenous forces - institutional mandates, market dynamics, and user experience. The Chinese SDV ecosystem exemplifies this architectural unbundling: flexible industrial policy, a user base demanding perpetual evolution, and a proactive swarm strategy pursuing emergent heterogeneity have institutionalised a fluid design paradigm. Within this paradigm, the boundary configuration on what to integrate, decouple, or outsource becomes the primary locus of competition and value creation. Consequently, competitive advantage is redefined: it derives not from optimising a fixed architecture, but from a firm's capacity to orchestrate architectural fluidity within an open, evolving socio-technical system.

Keywords: software defined vehicles; SDV; architecture orchestration; swarm strategy; architectural flexibilisation; decoupling; socio-technical systems; product architecture evolution; Chinese automotive industry; BYD; NIO.

DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2026.153370

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 2026 Vol.26 No.6, pp.1 - 19

Received: 20 Aug 2025
Accepted: 19 Dec 2025
Published online: 06 May 2026 *

Title: The great unbundling: from integrated architecture to orchestrated fluidity in the software defined vehicle era

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