Restricted by factors such as high technical barriers and production costs, companies such as Netherlands-based NXP, Germany-based Infineon, and STMicroelectronics (ST) dominate the global market for main control MCU chips, posing certain challenges to the development of China's airbag control unit industry.

The airbag control unit (ACU), also known as the airbag electronic control unit, is the core control device for automotive airbag systems. It offers advantages such as high functional safety levels, rapid response speeds, and high integration, making it widely used in passenger and commercial vehicles.

The components of an airbag control unit include ignition driver chips, main control MCU chips, power management modules, communication interfaces, acceleration sensors, and collision sensors. The main control MCU chip is the core computational component of the airbag control unit, responsible for processing sensor data, running collision algorithms, and making ignition decisions. Restricted by factors such as high technical barriers and production costs, companies such as Netherlands-based NXP, Germany-based Infineon, and STMicroelectronics (ST) dominate the global market for main control MCU chips, posing certain challenges to the development of China's airbag control unit industry.

According to the <2026-2031 Airbag Control Unit (ACU) Industry Market In-Depth Research and Investment Prospect Forecast Analysis Report> released by the SinoInsight Industry Research Center, the use of airbag control units in conjunction with seatbelts can effectively reduce the risk of passenger injury in collision accidents, making them a core component of automotive passive safety systems. In recent years, with national policy support and technological advancements, the development pace of China's automotive industry has accelerated. According to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China's passenger car production reached 30.27 million units and sales reached 30.103 million units in 2025. Against this backdrop, the development space for the airbag control unit industry will further expand.

In recent years, to regulate market development, relevant Chinese authorities have introduced multiple industry and group standards related to airbag control units, including the and the . As industry standards continue to improve, China's airbag control unit industry will gradually move towards high performance and quality.

Major global manufacturers of airbag control units include Germany's Bosch, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Continental AG, and Sweden's Autoliv. Domestically, several Chinese companies have entered the research, development, and production sectors of the airbag control unit industry, including ICTK Technology, C*Core Technologies, Jicheng Automotive Electronics, Songyuan Safety Systems, Wonder Auto, and Jin'an Shiteng. C*Core Technologies has launched airbag control unit chips with independent intellectual property rights, achieving industry-leading product performance.

An industry analyst from SinoInsight stated that airbag control units, as components of automotive passive safety systems, have broad application prospects. With the accelerated development of China's automotive industry in the future, the market demand for airbag control units will further increase. Currently, several Chinese companies possess the capability to supply airbag control units, and the industry's development trend will remain positive in the future.