Post by Fabian Lebersorger

Opening CARIAD‘s Automotive Software Campus in Berlin. And choosing optimism. This week, CARIAD CEO Peter Bosch and Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume opened our new AI-focused development center, the Automotive Software Campus by Volkswagen Group in Berlin, together with the president of the German Bundestag, Julia Klöckner, Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA) e.V. President Hildegard Müller and Bitkom President Ralf Wintergerst and our Chairs of the Central Works Council Gerhard Retzer and Claudia Richter. It's a place built for the future, where more than 1,000 colleagues are working on AI technologies that will power the car of tomorrow: systems that perceive, interact, and drive in increasingly human-like ways. One moment that truly stood out for me was the speech by Julia Klöckner. Her message was simple, but powerful: We should not approach change and innovation with fear, but with optimism and a clear sense of purpose. I second that. Not innovation for its own sake, but to make a real difference in people’s everyday lives. In our case, that‘s: → safer driving → simpler, more intuitive experiences → more comfort and accessibility That is exactly the mindset I see every day at CARIAD. But her point went further. Optimism is not just an important tech mindset, it’s a societal one. In Germany and across Europe, we need the courage to shape the future actively, not react to it with hesitation. Each of us has a responsibility to move forward with confidence and to bring others along, especially those who may feel uncertain about change. Because in the end, we should not leave room for fear and division to win. What gives me confidence: the people I work with. Every day, I see colleagues who are committed to building technology that improves lives. Hands-on, forward-looking, and with real conviction. I’m grateful to be part of this. A special thank you to everyone at CARIAD and in the Group who made this opening such a positive and inspiring moment for the Berlin CARIDIANS: Viktoria Solms, Michael Ortmeier, Ruben Lüüs, Tami Bayerlein, Charleen Wienroth, Verena Gasteiger, Maximilian von Harsdorf, Simon Chanias, Philip Müller, Jennet Rohrbach, Ulrike Schoger, Nicole Sedlak, Karsten Wolter, Robert Staudte, Cordula Schaefer, Jonas Hille, Sebastian Kirsch, Jasleen Kaur, Anna-Lena Lüpke, Maleen Gerckens, Ann-Katrin J., Lara-Kristin Heudorf, Okko Buss, Manuel Birke, Sabine Wüst, Katharina Platzer, Dr. Ingo Totzke, Lucas Peter Ruiz, Oliver Beck, Trung Bui, Jörg Fiene and Dr. Sebastian Rudolph