In his autobiography, Roland Arnold encourages people to push boundaries and actively shape their own success. Personalities such as Ralf Schumacher, Paralympics winner Josia Topf and Trigema CEO Wolfgang Grupp pay tribute to Arnold's entrepreneurial courage and his groundbreaking innovations that redefine mobility and freedom.
It is very risky not to take any risks in life. This quote by Roland Arnold, founder and managing director of PARAVAN GmbH, runs like a red thread through his autobiography, Genial gezündet - Der Gamechanger der Fahrzeugindustrie, which will be published by Härter Verlag on 31 October. In it, Arnold tells his personal success story, which is characterised by an extraordinary vision and the strong will to see it through to the end. With his pioneering 'drive-by-wire' technology, Arnold has revolutionised the automotive industry - and changed the lives of thousands of people.
When Roland Arnold started out, his goal was clear: to become the world leader in vehicle conversions for the disabled. Today, PARAVAN is just that - a global pioneer in accessible mobility. But getting there was anything but easy. In his autobiography, the Swabian inventor describes the stages of his life, which was marked by strokes of fate at an early age. Arnold lost his father when he was just five years old, forcing him to take on responsibility at an early age. He talks about his school days, his struggle to find an apprenticeship in a garage and the challenges he faced in his early career. As well as setting up his first own tyre dealership, he relied on entrepreneurial ingenuity: as a contract thresher, he travelled with his own combine harvester in eastern Germany, where the business was particularly profitable due to the significantly larger fields. But one key experience was to change his life forever: At a motorway service station, he helped a paraplegic man into his car - and the idea of developing vehicle adaptations for the disabled was born.’
In 1998, Arnold founded his company PARAVAN, which is now recognised as the world market leader in the field of barrier-free mobility. His driving force? A vision: to restore mobility and independence to people with disabilities. This idea became the Space Drive System, a revolutionary drive-by-wire system that enables people with disabilities to control vehicles using a joystick, accelerator/brake slider or mini steering wheel. With this technology, Arnold also paved the way for autonomous driving - a key innovation for the future of mobility.
It is always a special moment when someone who has been in a wheelchair due to a severe stroke of fate and perhaps thought they would never be able to drive again stands in our hall and sees this: Miracles happen here,' Arnold writes in the book. A big word, I know, but I often hear it from our customers.
In his book, Arnold also looks back at the development of his vision: "I was convinced that Paravan would eventually write automotive history, although I didn't realise the extent of it at the time. I felt my way along and there were always moments when I realised the extent of my idea from a new perspective. And what I still needed to really get the vision rolling on the road.
Genius Ignited is not only the story of an outstanding entrepreneur and visionary, but also a motivational book. Arnold wants to show that success does not depend on a clear starting point, but rather on the willingness to take risks and use resistance as an incentive. His autobiography offers deep insights into the challenges he has overcome and shows that setbacks can often be used as a springboard for the next big step.
With 'Drive-by-Wire', Arnold has developed a technology that, after 138 years of automotive history, is fundamentally changing the way we get around. The system not only enables people with severe disabilities to drive safely and independently, but will also play a key role in the development of autonomous driving. New interior concepts and completely different ways of travelling, such as autonomous driving, will only become possible as a result. Today, thanks to Arnold's invention, people around the world have driven more than two billion kilometres on the roads - safely and autonomously.
Germany needs a lot more people like Roland who are willing to go the extra mile and push the boundaries. I take my hat off to such entrepreneurial courage,' says Ralf Schumacher, Formula 1 and DTM racing driver, impressed by Arnold's life's work. I got to know Roland Arnold a long time ago and appreciate him as an entrepreneur. The reader is immersed in his personal history of the automotive revolution and it also shows that in a family business it is only natural for the next generation to take on their father's task with pride,' says Wolfgang Grupp senior, entrepreneur and long-standing owner of the textile and clothing company Trigema Inh. W. Grupp KG Josia Topf, Paralympic swimming champion, also owes his freedom to Arnold and his Space Drive System: 'Thanks to my modified joystick-controlled BMW 1 Series, I now have unlimited mobility! Next time I'll bring my gold medal to Aichelau for a service check!
But what makes Roland Arnold so passionate about helping people with disabilities? In his book, he gives a deep insight into his motivation and talks about the challenges he had to overcome on the way to realising his vision. International companies such as Würth, Schaeffler, Bosch and ZF were so convinced by his idea that they flocked to the village of Aichelau with its 250 inhabitants. Arnold knew how to present his ideas with entrepreneurial skill - often using the company helicopter or Paravan jet as a 'flying door opener'. And what is the story behind the tornado on the Paravan site? Readers can also find out in Arnold's book.
Roland Arnold's autobiography is a book about pushing boundaries, the courage to innovate and the power of vision. A must read for anyone interested in technical innovation and the stories behind it. Incidentally, 100% of the proceeds from the book will go to the Roland and Martina Arnold PARAVAN Foundation, which supports families with disabled children and their mobility.
More information is available here!
