Cooperation – the key to the skills challenge

To further improve our local ties and to find new collaborations, we became members of Automation Region in spring 2018. For us, Automation Region is an easily accessible, local arena where, by simple means, we can show who we are and what it is that we work with. We can form relationships with the other member companies and obtain knowledge and inspiration from seminars, Do-tanks and other activities.

One example is that we are now looking at how we can digitalise our internal competence development. Among other things, this involves e-learning – finding new ways of implementing in-house training, but also increasing our capacity so as to increase the competence of our customers.

Quintus Technologies is active in exciting sectors such as aviation, space, medicine and energy – wherever there is a need for high-pressure technology and materials which can withstand high stress levels. We have some 230 employees globally, 150 of which are affiliated with the head office in Västerås.

Our activities began in 1953 as part of ASEA. The point of departure was a number of patents signed by inventor Baltzar von Platen, who invented the fridge in 1922. The original use of high-pressure presses was to produce artificial diamonds. In 1999, the activities were spun off from ABB.

As part of our increased local presence, we are developing contacts with more universities and university colleges. We are interested in collaborating in different research projects and degree projects where we feel we can contribute interesting examples of application and also benefit from the results.

Through our involvement in Automation Region’s Skills Group, we are able to collaborate in long-term investments in order to support skills provision in the region. This includes initiatives to raise interest in technology among young people, with a special focus on equality and increase the number of work placements. In parallel, we are also working with other initiatives. For example, we are participating in Tekniksprånget and we have started our own trainee programme.

All in all, after barely one year of membership, we have had an exchange through the network. Looking forward, Automation Region’s ongoing internationalisation is of great interest to us. We can clearly see the business value in positioning ourselves together with other member companies in a global arena.

Pamela Ernlund
Human Resources Business Partner, Quintus Technologies AB