The objective of the GENESYS project is to develop a cross-domain reference architecture for embedded systems that can be instantiated for different application domains to meet the requirements and constraints documented in the ARTEMIS strategic research agenda. These requirements are composability, networking, security, robustness, diagnosis, integrated resource management and evolvability. The reference architecture will address common issues, such as complexity management, separation of communication and computation, support for different levels of quality of service, security, model-based design, heterogeneity of subsystems, legacy integration, optimal power usage, and diagnosis. It will provide domain-independent services that can be customized to the needs of a particular application domain. Domain-specific platform services will be converged such that components from different application domains can be consistently integrated while preserving relevant properties. The project will result in a conceptualization of the cross-domain architecture, a specification of cross-domain core services and optional services for the selected application domains, and four exploratory prototypes that will demonstrate and help to evaluate the feasibility of selected central architectural concepts in the different application domains. The expected impact of GENESYS is a reduction of development costs and a speed-up of the time-to-market of embedded system development in different ap-plication domains, thereby strengthening the European presence in the competitive world-wide em-bedded systems markets. The support for cross-domain reuse of components is of particular relevance to innovative European SMEs that plan to enter those markets with high-tech products under increas-ing time pressure. The consortium consists of many major European embedded system suppliers and OEMs encompassing a broad range of application domains, supported by leading research and academic organizations.