Volvo Cars plans to open new Tech Hub in Krakow, Poland
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Today we
reveal plans to open a brand new Tech Hub in Krakow, Poland’s second-largest
city. It will be a key software development centre and play a crucial role in
our strategic ambitions to be a fully electric brand by 2030 and a leader in
new technology, not least through in-house software development.
The Tech hub
will carry full responsibility for developing complete and key features on our
new fully electric cars, which are core to our purpose as a brand.
Our
engineers in Krakow will join our global pool of talent to boost our innovation
speed by developing software for key areas for Volvo Cars – from core safety
technology based on our deep understanding of what causes accidents, to our
perception and driver assistance algorithms and software for autonomous
driving.
Other
engineering challenges include developing our next generation connected
features, or supporting all our development work through data analytics. If you
want to help us shape the future of mobility, our new Krakow site will be the
place to be.
We intend to
have our new Tech Hub operational by the end of this year, with around 120
bright engineering minds in place. By mid-decade, we aim to employ between 500
and 600 people in Krakow, complementing and closely linked to our core
engineering centres in China and Sweden, as well as our other tech hubs around
the world.
Software-defined
As our
recently revealed, all-electric Volvo EX90 SUV demonstrates, the automotive
industry is rapidly changing and our forthcoming fully electric cars will all
be software-defined.
The Volvo
car of the future will be fully electric, increasingly sold online, powered by
cutting-edge core computers running in-house developed software and become
better over time thanks to regular over-the-air software updates.
That makes
in-house software development key to achieving our strategic ambitions, which
include being a leader in new technology and a pure electric car brand by 2030.
To accelerate our transformation, we’re recruiting thousands of engineering
talents around the globe and the Krakow hub will be another piece in that
puzzle.
“We’re a
purpose-led and technology-driven company, so our new generation of Volvo cars
will be more than just transport,” said Jim Rowan, our chief executive.
“They’ll be computers on wheels, designed to be updated over the air with new
software. That means our Krakow tech hub and growing our in-house software
development capabilities are key to our future success.”
Naturally,
we picked Krakow after careful deliberation. We know the country well – we’ve
had a presence in Poland for around 30 years – and the city is an emerging tech
centre, with a broad network of tech firms in the region. It also has a large
telecom sector, an industry which has been a rich source of recruits at other
locations where we have engineering centres.
On top of
that, while other large, global tech companies also have a presence in Poland,
many haven’t discovered Krakow just yet. We’d be the first car maker with a
significant engineering presence, which makes it a perfect location for our new
Tech Hub. Now we’ll start to build networks and find talent, so our new office
can be up and running by the end of the year.
“Our ambition
is to attract and recruit top talent globally by being present in strategically
important locations,” said Hanna Fager, our chief people officer. “Our new Tech
Hub in Krakow is a perfect example of that. So if you're interested in shaping
the future of mobility with a brand that’s at the forefront of technology
development, and inspired to be part of nurturing our strong culture and
values, Volvo Cars is the place for you.”
We currently
operate Tech Hubs in Stockholm and Lund in Sweden, as well as in Bangalore in
India. We also have large engineering centres in Shanghai, China and
Gothenburg, Sweden. While each of these locations has its own focus area,
together they make up a crucial network of innovation centres strategic
For further
information please contact:
Volvo Cars Media Relations
+46 31-59 65 25
Volvo Cars Investor Relations
+46 31-793 94 00
[email protected] ally spread around the globe.
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