Shawn Kerrigan, COO and co-founder at Plus

Can you briefly introduce yourself, your position, and your company? 

Plus is an AI company developing autonomous driving software to power a safer and greener future. Our full suite of autonomous driving software solutions covers ADAS to fully autonomous use cases. 

As COO and Co-Founder at Plus, I oversee our engineering, product, and operations across the U.S., Europe, and Australia. 

Shawn Kerrigan
COO and co-founder at Plus

What does the IAA TRANSPORTATION slogan “People and Goods On The Move” mean to you?

This is a future we at Plus are actively shaping through our AI-based autonomous driving software. It aligns perfectly with our mission, which is solving the “driving intelligence” problem to ensure that the movement of goods and people from point A to point B is smarter, safer, and more sustainable.

What are your expectations for IAA TRANSPORTATION 2024?

IAA TRANSPORTATION is always a great platform for fostering industry-wide knowledge exchange, learning about the latest innovations in transportation tech, and meeting with customers, partners, and industry friends. I am looking forward to seeing and discussing advancements in electrification, autonomous driving, and digital solutions that address our industry’s pressing challenges.

What topic will you be presenting at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2024?

With our global Tier 1 and OEM partners, Plus will be showcasing our latest autonomous driving solutions that are revolutionizing autonomous transport. I’m excited to share more about how our generative AI innovations are helping to accelerate the safe and scalable commercialization of automated and autonomous trucks.

What crucial topic of the future gets too little attention from the public in your opinion?

Electrification and autonomy are often discussed as two separate trends for the transportation industry. What’s often missed is that their intersection will create tremendous opportunities to help make electric commercial vehicles even more valuable for fleets, by improving safety, asset utilization, and range. 

In which area of the transport and logistics sector do you see the greatest potential and where do you see the most room for improvement?

Autonomous driving technology has transformative potential in improving road safety and reducing TCO through higher asset utilization and fuel economy, so we are pushing on all fronts with our key Tier 1 and OEM partners, including Bosch, Hyundai, Iveco, TRATON Group, and others, to help realize this full potential by bringing the technology to market.  

Regulation is going to be key to the wide scale deployment of autonomous vehicles around the world. While some countries have taken the lead in developing policies for autonomous vehicles, others have not. In the U.S., there continues to be a patchwork of policies on a state-by-state basis. Clear uniform national-level frameworks and policies will be tremendously helpful.

IAA TRANSPORTATION is the leading global platform for commercial vehicles, transport, and logistics. It brings together innovators from all areas of mobility. Who do you want to network with this September and why?

We look forward to spending more time with our Tier 1, OEM, and fleet partners, including Bosch, DSV, Hyundai, IVECO, TRATON Group, and others at IAA TRANSPORTATION. We are always eager and open to reconnecting with industry leaders and meeting new potential partners to see how we can leverage our innovative autonomous driving solutions to help them accelerate the development of their next-gen vehicles and products.

The shift in the transport and logistics sector towards sustainable solutions is significant. What is your vision for the sector in 20 years?

Over the next 20 years, we will see autonomous trucks proliferate from running on specific routes to wide scale deployment globally. This shift will not only impact the way goods are transported but also lead to changes in logistics networks, business models, and the workforce. While there are challenges to overcome, autonomous trucking is poised to be one of the most transformative trends in the industry over the coming decades.

All IAA Voices at a glance