Thomas Andersson
Professor of Business Administration
How is society affected by the transformation within the automotive industry? Who are the winners and losers, and what are the consequences?
The automotive industry plays a significant role in employment in West Sweden, and its transition is expected to have major consequences for both the industry and society. What happens to cities and communities as the automotive industry transforms? How will the labor market be affected? What labour market and welfare impacts might the green transition bring, and how will regional actors address the changes and challenges that may arise?
These are the questions researchers aim to answer in the project Labor Market Challenges of the Green Transition in West Sweden: Electrification and the Transformation of the Automotive Cluster.
The University of Skövde's part of the project focuses on the strategies and roles of Volvo Cars, Volvo Group, and their suppliers in this transformation.
“The transition will change society in many ways, and it is interesting to study how Volvo contributes to this societal transformation,” says Mikael Wickelgren, Associate Professor and automotive researcher at the University of Skövde.
The researchers will investigate how Volvo has addressed environmental issues, what strategies they have used, and how they tackle challenges. This will be done through analyses of policy documents, press releases, annual reports, and interviews with company representatives. Volvo Cars aims to be fully electric by 2030, Volvo Group is targeting a fossil-free truck fleet by 2040, and two large battery factories are planned in West Sweden.
These changes will significantly affect the labour market, municipal services, healthcare, schools, housing, and skills supply, according to Mikael Wickelgren, who emphasizes that the impact extends to the entire region’s ecosystem.
Through this project, the researchers aim to generate new knowledge about the effects of electrification. This knowledge is crucial for addressing future challenges and promoting sustainable development.
Tomas Berglund, University of Gothenburg, leads the overarching research programme, while Thomas Andersson is responsible for the subprojects managed by the University of Skövde.
