Globally leading ADAS expert joins CARIAD

Competitive ADAS solutions are key for the Volkswagen Group on its path of becoming the  Global Automotive Tech Driver. As a synergetic software unit, CARIAD steers the central management of technology areas like ADAS. By building one scalable software stack in-house for all Volkswagen brands, CARIAD is reducing development cost and leveraging real-world data and scale. This goes in line with the strategic goal of becoming an in-house developer of software solutions. 

To further accelerate the in-house development, Manuel Birke will join CARIAD as Chief Technology Officer In-House ADAS Stack as of July 1, 2025. CARIAD CEO Peter Bosch welcomes Birke in his new role: “We are adding another top tech leader to the team. Manuel is one of the leading experts in the global ADAS community and has worked in the tech and automotive industry for more than 15 years. This will accelerate our journey to democratize and introduce leading automated driving functions for all customers.”

Manuel Birke was most recently responsible for the development of Cruise’s AV Software Platform in San Franciso and led the development of Luminar’s lidar perception stack for Level 3 automated driving. He follows Günter Schiele, who has led CARIAD’s ADAS team since 2022. 

Automated Driving Development for the Volkswagen Group

In 2022, CARIAD and Bosch have joint forces to accelerate the development of advanced driver assistance and automated driving functions in the Automated Driving Alliance. Experts from both companies are collaborating to develop scalable driving systems up to Level 3. By leveraging real-world data and an agile development approach, the Automated Driving Alliance aims to bring new driving functions to market efficiently and reliably, ensuring greater safety and comfort for drivers and passengers. Features developed by the Alliance will be integrated in the end-to-end technology ADAS stack.