The shift from combustion engines to electrification represents the largest transformation in the history of the automotive industry. The WISE project aims to support the automotive industry in its transition from the manufacturing of combustion engines to electrification by developing skills development initiatives during the years 2020-2022.

When the coronavirus pandemic became a reality in spring 2020, the KK Foundation swiftly stepped in to offer special calls for support for training initiatives in industries affected by the pandemic. This was one of the measures the KK Foundation took to assist the industry as factories closed and employees were furloughed. The University of Skövde was one of the higher education institutions that quickly responded to the special call and had its application approved.

Quickly contributing to the skills development 

The requirement for the initiative was that it should contribute to the skills development in a short timeframe. By the summer of 2020, the University of Skövde was already underway with its first course on agile project management as part of WISE.

“Leadership also needs to adapt to the opportunities created by technology. Skills development is not only crucial for production; the entire organisation must be flexible in its processes to facilitate the transformation,” says Tehseen Aslam, project manager for WISE.