University of Gothenburg
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  4. Labour market challenges of green transition in West Sweden: Electrification and the transition of the automotive cluster

Labour market challenges of green transition in West Sweden: Electrification and the transition of the automotive cluster

Research project
Active research
Project size
23 980 000
Project period
2023 - 2030
Project owner
Department of Sociology and Work Science
Research partners
University of Skövde, Thomas
Andersson
University of Skövde, Sandor
Ujvari
University of Skövde, Mikael
Wickelgren
University West, Lars
Walter
Financier
FORTE Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare
Area
Society and
economy
Topic
Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social
Anthropology)

Short description

The automotive cluster in West Sweden in rapid transition towards electrification. Volvo Cars has pledged to offer only electrical vehicles from 2030 onwards, and Volvo Cars and Volvo Group plan to establish two large battery factories by 2030. The aim of the research programme is to study the electrification of the automotive cluster in West Sweden as a case of regional industrial green transition. It will investigate labour market and welfare effects of the green transition and how regional actors manage the change processes and potential societal challenges.

This involves the following questions:

  • What does the electrification in automotives imply for work and employment opportunities and how will the occupational structure be transformed?
  • Which are the demands and requirements of new skills and competences, and how should they be met?
  • How do key stakeholders, surrounding the automotive industry, such as local governmental, educational and labour-market actors, deal with the changing regional competence and educational needs?
  • What does the green transition of a key industry bring in terms of side-effects regarding social sustainability?

In four work packages, this research programme will study:
1. The strategies of the two main brand companies, Volvo Cars and Volvo Group, when implementing their plans of producing electric vehicles, and how important suppliers adapt their production to keep in business in a changing automotive industry.
2. Which skills are in demand when the automotive industry moves in a green direction, and how this affects the occupational structure in West Sweden.
3. How the system of training and reskilling is evolving in West Sweden to supply the changing industry with necessary skills related to electrification.
4. The impacts of the forecasted structural transformation on the inhabitants living conditions and job prospects, and how municipalities work to mitigate negative side-effects of the structural transformation.

Participating researchers

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