Volvo Cars has unveiled its new software testing centre in Gothenburg, Sweden, as part of its commitment to investing in software development and testing. The centre will enable integrated software testing at all levels and support Volvo’s ambition to be a leader in new technology and a fully electric car company by 2030.

Spanning an impressive 22,000 square meters and with an initial investment of approximately SEK 300 million, the new testing facility is the largest in Volvo’s network of engineering centres and Tech Hubs globally. The company also operates software test centres in Lund, Sweden, and Shanghai, China.

The automotive industry is rapidly changing, and Volvo is adapting to this shift with its fully electric cars. These vehicles are hardware designed but software-defined, allowing for over-the-air software updates and continuous improvement. As a result, in-house software development and testing are crucial to Volvo’s strategy.

Anders Bell, Global Head of R&D at Volvo, stated, “This is a state-of-the-art facility that will be the hub for our global software testing and validation activities. With this new testing centre, we’ve set a new benchmark for the automotive industry.” 

Initially, the new testing centre will employ around 100 people, but that number is expected to increase to 300 once the facility is running at full capacity. The site will eventually house approximately 500 testing rigs and digital test environments.

The Gothenburg testing centre will collaborate closely with Volvo’s other engineering centres worldwide. Recently, the company established a Tech Hub in Singapore and announced plans for an additional software-focused Tech Hub in Krakow, Poland. 

Alwin Bakkenes, Global Head of Software Engineering at Volvo, explained, “Our growing ranks of software engineers work on a wide variety of exciting challenges. The aim is to boost our innovation speed by developing software for key areas, from core safety technology to software for future autonomous driving.” 

Volvo is actively recruiting software engineers worldwide to support its software development efforts. The company has Tech Hubs in Stockholm and Lund in Sweden, Bangalore in India, and large engineering centres in Shanghai, China, and Gothenburg, Sweden. Together, these locations form a network of innovation centres that drive Volvo’s global innovation initiatives.