IAA Voices Conference Special: Interview Apex.AI

Serkan Arslan leads Apex.AI’s business and account development for autonomous vehicles and transportation, working with customers, ecosystems, and industry partners to accelerate developing software-defined next-gen autonomous cars based on Apex.OS.

Imagine you are in a time machine and on your way "back to the future". In which year would you like to get off and why?

Serkan Arslan: "My destination is definitely in the future, in the year 2040. Because then we would have no more traffic jams, accidents would be unknown and emissions would have long been history. I would arrive in a time when software defined transportation has become reality. In the years before, software would have proven to be the great driver of innovation and would have ensured that our mobility needs were met to our full satisfaction. Driving time would no longer be wasted and travel would once again be an all-round positive experience."

If you had one superpower that would help you professionally, what would it be?

Serkan Arslan: "There is a superpower in all of us, but in recent years it has lain dormant in far too many people: the joy of discovery, the urge to explore and break new ground. I would like to uncover this urge and encourage decision-makers in the industry to shake off the strong inertia of the old days and break new ground."

What trend are you currently following with great interest professionally?

Serkan Arslan: "What fascinates me is the evolution of technology, which is being driven by software at an enormous pace. Of course, on the one hand in the mobility industry, but here I am an insider and I know very well what software can do for our industry. In fact, in medicine, I expect even greater advances and possibilities to be opened up by software that can at least alleviate suffering and diseases in the future, maybe even prevent them.

What is/was the biggest game changer for you in the logistics or transport industry over the past ten years?

Serkan Arslan: "For me, the combination of software innovation and AI together with the cloud connection of vehicles and services are the big gamechangers. Without them, we would not have automated and safe logistics or mobility today."

What innovation do you currently see internationally as a blueprint on the path to climate neutrality?

Serkan Arslan: "We still have to think more holistically here. Because without efficient use of energy in vehicles, charging infrastructure, but also in manufacturing and upstream in the logistics chain, we will hardly achieve climate neutrality in a reasonable period of time."

What are your hopes for the IAA TRANSPORTATION?

Serkan Arslan: "My wish would be that the many innovations at the IAA Transportation get into vehicles and thus onto the road as quickly as possible."

What are you particularly looking forward to at the IAA Conference?

Serkan Arslan: "The conferences at the IAA have always had one great strength: they were, and hopefully will continue to be, great contact exchanges where you could network with the relevant experts from industry, mobility and transport providers. I'm particularly looking forward to these conversations with the participants again this year, in addition to the panels."

 

Biography

Serkan Arslan leads Apex.AI’s business and account development for autonomous vehicles and transportation, working with customers, ecosystems, and industry partners to accelerate developing software-defined next-gen autonomous cars based on Apex.OS. Serkan brings more than 20 years of international experience in automotive and software domains, including autonomous vehicles, infotainment & cockpit systems, connectivity, transportation, and mobility services.

Before joining Apex.AI, he held various positions with companies, including Nvidia, Daimler Group, and Delphi. He has an advanced bachelor’s degree in Transportation and Logistics from the University of Heilbronn and currently lives in Stuttgart, Germany.