Roland Arnold receives the Order of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg

Queen Silvia of Sweden has it. Ferdinand Porsche has it. And now Roland Arnold has it, too: the Order of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg-one of the highest honors the state can bestow. Only 1,000 living people are allowed to wear it. Since May 9, the founder of PARAVAN GmbH has been one of them - for his decades-long commitment to barrier-free mobility. In good company with scientists, technology pioneers and entrepreneurs like Reinhold Würth.

Pfronstetten-Aichelau/Mannheim, May 10, 2025 - Great recognition for a life's work that combines technology and humanity in a unique way: Roland Arnold, founder and managing director of PARAVAN GmbH, was awarded the Order of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg on Friday evening in a ceremony held in the Knights' Hall of Mannheim Castle. The state's highest honor is awarded annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the common good.

Commitment to an empowered life

Minister President Winfried Kretschmann recognizes the extraordinary achievements of Arnold, who once started his career in a garage on his brother's farm in Pfronstetten-Aichelau. A key personal experience became the turning point: “You immediately realized how important a vehicle suitable for the disabled would be - and so the idea for PARAVAN was born. With an impressive inventive spirit, you have since developed vehicles that enable people with restricted mobility to lead a self-determined life. Under your leadership, the pioneering drive-by-wire system was developed, which allows the vehicle to be controlled without a mechanical connection, and your work combines technological innovation with social responsibility.”

A moving moment. Roland Arnold reacted to the announcement of his award with great gratitude and palpable emotion: "It is a great honor for me to receive the Order of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg in recognition of my commitment to people with physical disabilities and my work in the field of barrier-free mobility. This award means a great deal to me - also on behalf of my family, the entire PARAVAN family and all those customers whom we have been able to help achieve greater independence, quality of life and participation in work and social life through our work".

After training as a car mechanic, Roland Arnold initially founded a tire shop with an attached body shop - down-to-earth, practical, solution-oriented. The decisive impulse that would fundamentally change his entrepreneurial work came from a key personal experience: on a rainy day, he watched a wheelchair user being laboriously lifted into a vehicle at a highway rest stop. He was not to be transported like a "dog in the trunk," as Arnold later vividly described it.

The scene stayed with him. The idea was born: to develop a vehicle that would not only transport people with severe physical disabilities, but also allow them to sit safely and independently behind the wheel - in their own wheelchair, without outside assistance. What began as a pragmatic solution to a human problem became the foundation of a global technology company. The Space Drive System - the world's first street-legal drive-by-wire system - was developed with a high degree of precision, innovation, and social responsibility. Originally developed for mobility for the disabled, it is now considered a key technology for autonomous driving - an impressive example of excellence "Made in Baden-Württemberg".

Arnold is the founder of PARAVAN GmbH in Pfronstetten-Aichelau, a company that focuses on highly specialized mobility solutions for people with physical disabilities - from intelligent vehicle conversions to pioneering steering systems. His developments have become an international reference not only in rehabilitation technology, but increasingly in the context of future forms of mobility.

State honors for the anniversary: 24 personalities honored

The number of living recipients is limited to 1,000, reflecting the high status of this award. The Order of Merit is traditionally awarded on April 25, the anniversary of the founding of the state of Baden-Württemberg, which will celebrate its 73rd anniversary in 2025. This year, 24 individuals from various areas of society were honored. In addition to Roland Arnold, Dr. Lisa Federle, an emergency physician and social entrepreneur from Tübingen, Dr. Nils Schmid, a member of the German Parliament from the Reutlingen district, Andreas Braun, a local politically committed integration commissioner from Neustetten, and Prof. Aleida Assmann, an internationally renowned cultural scholar, received the award.

In Good Company: Charismatic Personalities

With his award, Roland Arnold joins the ranks of entrepreneurs such as Reinhold Würth, who turned a family business into a global enterprise and is a major promoter of culture, and Dieter Schwarz, whose social commitment goes far beyond his role as founder of Lidl and Kaufland. Roland Mack, founder of Europa-Park, Ferdinand Porsche (Jr.), automotive pioneer and designer of the Porsche brand, and Dr. Hermann Scholl, long-time chairman of the Bosch board of management, were also honored. There is a special connection to Queen Silvia of Sweden, who was honored in 2003 for her worldwide commitment to the disabled.

They are all united by one attitude: social responsibility as part of entrepreneurial thinking - in the spirit of Baden-Württemberg's inventive and creative spirit.