VW Expands IT Capabilities in Portugal

Volkswagen Group further expands its digital resources with the opening of a new IT center of excellence in Portugal.

In the capital Lisbon, Volkswagen has inaugurated its Software Development Center (SDC Lisbon) where 300 IT specialists will be developing software mainly for the group’s digital ecosystems and internal corporate processes. About a third of these specialists are to work on cloud-based services specifically for the commercial-vehicle sector for MAN Truck & Bus.

This is the third facility of its type following one from software-development centers with several hundred IT experts in Wolfsburg and Berlin. These centers see specialized project teams focus on added-value services for the digital ecosystems of the brands, such as the “We” services of Volkswagen passenger cars.

The centers also develop security-relevant structures, including those needed for the authentication of customer profiles for such services or the encryption of databases.

“Software development for new digital services is to become a core competence for Volkswagen,” says Martin Hofmann, Volkswagen Group’s chief information officer. “We are building up the know-how required for this purpose in a decentralized configuration.

“The Volkswagen SDCs...combine methods such as extreme programming, pairing and a start-up atmosphere with long-term stability, innovative topics and the growing worldwide IT community within the Volkswagen Group.”

Volkswagen has operated in Portugal for more than 25 years. Its wholly owned AutoEuropa car assembly plant at Palmela employs about 5,900 people and produces models including the Volkswagen T-Roc, Volkswagen Sharan and SEAT Alhambra.