The Center for Data Innovation recently spoke with Hendrik Kramer, CEO of Fernride, a company based in Germany developing autonomous vehicle solutions. Kramer explained that Fernride is helping logistics industries across Europe by retrofitting existing vehicles, or equipping new ones, with mountable AI-powered autonomous systems to enhance operations.
David Kertai: What inspired Fernride’s creation?
Hendrik Kramer: Fernride was created to tackle some of the biggest pain points in logistics, namely, worker shortages and hazardous jobs, which have led to delays and inefficiencies across supply chains, including in my home country of Germany.
We install AI-powered autonomous systems onto existing vehicles to boost operational efficiency and streamline logistics. Our goal is to deliver a flexible autonomous driving system that can be deployed across a range of industrial settings, from container terminals and yard logistics to defense supply chains and open-road trucking. By upgrading existing vehicles with our technology, we enable automation without the high costs of replacing entire fleets.
Kertai: What role does data and AI play in optimizing vehicle performance?
Kramer: Data and AI are the backbone of how we optimize vehicle and fleet performance. They enable safer, more efficient, and more reliable operations by powering real-time decision-making, predictive maintenance, and continuous system improvement.
Our autonomous stack, FERNRIDE Driver, can operate independently or in tandem with remote human operators to handle complex logistics and transport tasks. We follow the principle of “as much AI as possible, as much human as needed,” to strike the right balance between efficiency and safety, while continuously learning from data to improve system performance over time.
Kertai: How is Fernride adapting its technology for defense logistics?
Kramer: Building on our success in civil logistics, Fernride is now expanding into defense logistics through our new unit, Fernride Defence. We adapt our proven AI-powered autonomy system for military use by retrofitting it onto service vehicles, helping deliver sovereign autonomous capabilities for European armed forces.
Our initial focus is on automating trucks for defense supply chains to reduce the need for personnel on potentially dangerous missions, freeing up troops for other tasks and increasing overall operational capacity. By integrating unmanned, data-connected mobility solutions into existing fleets, we aim to give European forces a decisive edge while leveraging the vehicles they already operate.
Kertai: How do you ensure safety and reliability in your autonomous vehicle software?
Kramer: Safety and reliability are built into every layer of our technology through a rigorous safety-by-design approach. Safety isn’t an afterthought, it’s at the core of our development process.
We have assembled a team of leading experts in functional safety, cybersecurity, and system validation. Together, they’ve created a robust framework aligned with global standards, ensuring every scenario is tested, every risk assessed, and every system redundantly designed for real-world use. Fernride validated this commitment by becoming the first company to receive TÜV SÜD’s Machinery Directive certification for an autonomous terminal tractor—a European safety certification for industrial machinery—proving our readiness for industrial-scale deployment. Safety, transparency, and continuous improvement form the foundation of the trust we build with our partners.
Kertai: What challenges do you face in scaling autonomous solutions?
Kramer: The biggest challenge in scaling our system is managing the variations in infrastructure standards, operational requirements, and safety protocols across different countries in Europe. Each country presents its own legal and operational hurdles, making harmonization essential but difficult.
We address this by working closely with partners to adapt to different contexts and build trust in the technology. Scaling also means integrating autonomy into existing industrial workflows, which takes time and collaboration. By combining a strong safety record with flexible solutions that work with any vehicle, new or existing, we’re creating a path for autonomous logistics to scale reliably across industries.
