AITAD in Handelsblatt: Resilience through technological independence

In its latest report on the Nexperia crisis, Handelsblatt also quoted AITAD GmbH from Offenburg. The article highlights the impact of the ongoing delivery stoppage by the Dutch-Chinese semiconductor manufacturer on the European automotive industry – and uses AITAD as an example to show that there are strategies that can ensure stability even in global bottlenecks.

AITAD founder and managing director Viacheslav Gromov sums it up in the article:

“We never rely on just one supplier. Otherwise, we would have been out of business quickly during the previous chip crisis.”

This attitude describes the core of the company’s strategy: AITAD consistently focuses on technological independence, modular hardware concepts, and its own development structures when developing and testing its embedded AI systems. While many electronics manufacturers are struggling due to their dependence on individual suppliers, the Offenburg-based technology company established a multi-source principle early on.

Embedded AI as a strategic response

Since its founding in 2018, AITAD has been developing electronic AI systems that enable machine learning directly at the sensor or circuit board level – in other words, where the data is generated. This so-called embedded AI processes information locally and in real time without having to transfer large amounts of data to the cloud first.

The advantage: the systems respond without latency, are data-secure, and do not require a permanent network connection.

This approach not only enhances the performance of the products, but also the resilience of the entire supply chain. This is because AITAD’s embedded AI systems are designed to be compatible with different chip architectures and components. If one manufacturer fails, the design can be adapted with manageable effort – without compromising functionality or quality.

This flexibility has proven particularly valuable in the automotive sector, where AITAD works for renowned customers such as BMW, among others. In times of global chip shortages, the company was able to continue projects while other market participants were forced to halt production.

Full-stack approach as a stability factor

AITAD’s strength lies in its holistic development model. All key steps – from the design of the sensor boards and AI algorithms to testing and validation procedures – take place in-house.

This full-stack approach not only creates efficiency, but also control over quality, delivery times, and technological adjustments.

“Embedded AI only works reliably if hardware and software are thought of as a single unit,” says Gromov. “That’s why we develop both in parallel – and thus remain independent of short-term market movements.”

The Handelsblatt article makes it clear that this philosophy is more than just a business advantage. It contributes to technological sovereignty in Europe: less dependence on global supply chains, more expertise and added value in our own country.

Lessons from the chip crisis

The past few years have shown how fragile international supply chains in the semiconductor market are. Trade conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and production bottlenecks have pushed even large corporations to their limits. For small and medium-sized technology companies, this situation often threatened their very existence.

AITAD shows that there is another way. Through early diversification, its own test environments, and close partnerships with European development and manufacturing partners, the company was not only able to survive the chip crisis, but also emerge from it stronger than ever.

“Smaller companies can react more quickly,” explains Gromov in Handelsblatt. “We don’t install millions of units, but develop highly specialized systems – and we do so with partners who focus on quality rather than quantity.”

Innovation as a principle

AITAD employs around 30 people from five engineering disciplines. The team works on an interdisciplinary basis at the interface of sensor technology, electronics, machine learning, and system integration. Applications range from predictive maintenance in industrial plants and object recognition in the construction and mining sectors to automotive EOL testing and safety-critical real-time applications.

Through this diversity of applications, the company has developed a deep understanding of the requirements of a wide range of markets. One thing always takes center stage: data quality. Embedded AI from AITAD analyzes high-resolution raw data—not just average values or reduced samples—and thus delivers more accurate results than cloud-based systems.

Outlook

The mention in Handelsblatt brings AITAD more into the spotlight of the German technology and industry community. For the company, this is both confirmation and an obligation: to continue advancing its philosophy of robust, data-sovereign, and energy-efficient AI.

“Resilience does not arise in a crisis, but through foresight,” summarizes Gromov. “And that is precisely what drives us – to develop embedded AI in such a way that it functions reliably even in uncertain times.”

In its article, Handelsblatt not only highlighted the current Nexperia crisis, but also showed that innovative strength and delivery capability do not have to be contradictory. AITAD is an example of a new generation of medium-sized technology companies that focus on stability through intelligent design, strategic thinking, and a clear stance.