In a New Technology interview on November 17, AB Volvo’s technical director claims, among other things, that in the near future, software will become even more important.

I’m convinced he’s absolutely right. Vehicle companies are moving from a strong mechanical focus to a more computerized one. The intelligence of the software is, and will be even more, an important differentiator.

To succeed in this transformation, however, the relevant skills of engineers are required. If a future vehicle company is to be at the forefront, it will need the sharpest software engineers. As I see it, and many with me, regulation, software and software engineers do not have the respect and prestige required.

It is, for example, “finer” and to be a project manager than a good software expert. By software expert, I mean both the type of engineer who devises the more mathematical and conceptual, that is, algorithms.

Another variant of software engineering are those that implement algorithms in production code. A few engineers can handle both algorithms and production code, there are different skills that are sometimes incorrectly mixed together.

Teachers in Finland have a high salary and status. That is why Finnish schools are world class. If our vehicle companies are to continue to be world-class, the in-house status of software engineers must be adapted to needs.

Managers, especially those who do not have good software knowledge, need to rethink. They need to prioritize them with the skills that are critical, now and even more in a few years.

Why has Tesla succeeded? Well, in part because they fully understand that a vehicle is a rolling computer. A computer that realizes smart regulation can push forward maximally from a given hardware.

Jonas Hellgren, civil engineer machine / computer technology, technical doctor control technology / electrified drivelines, development engineer autonomous vehicles