Škoda Auto and Etnetera Group establish software joint venture

Tereza Kopecká
Marketing Manager

Mladá Boleslav, 6 January 2022 – Škoda Auto  is establishing a jointventure with the Prague-based IT holding Etnetera Group. By combining expertiseand agile methods of development, the car manufacturer is pressing ahead withits digitalisation strategy. The aim is to optimise the user experience for Škoda Auto  customers and to deliver next-generation software for the era ofelectromobility. The new joint venture Green:Code will be recruiting up to 200 developers, software architects, businessanalysts, UX/UI designers and testers over the coming years.

Christian Schenk, Škoda Auto Board Member for Finance and IT, explains,”The foundation of Green:Code together with our partner Etnetera Group is afurther step in the implementation of the NEXT LEVEL – Škoda Strategy 2030.Together with the strong software resources from the Volkswagen Group,Green:Code will help to create modern simply clever solutions and increase thespeed of digitalization.”

Karsten Schnake, Škoda Auto  Board Member for Purchasing, emphasises,”In the Czech Republic, we have a vivid market of young and innovative IT companies. Combining the strength and industry know-how of Škoda Auto  with the software expertise of Etnetera Group will be beneficial for both parties. I am convinced that we will achieve our goal through this strategic partnership.”

Klaus Blüm, Head of Škoda IT, says, “Škoda Auto has been working successfully with Etnetera Group for many years. Together, we have developed our smartphone apps MyŠkoda and Škoda Plus, for example. Now we are taking our partnership to the next level with the Green:Code joint venture. Škoda Auto will benefit from Etnetera’s expertise, speed and performance quality. Our goal is to make our products even more user-friendly and our internal processes more efficient. Weare looking forward to further push ŠŠkoda Auto’s targets of digitalization.”

'Martin Palička, Etnetera Group CEO, adds,“The joint venture withŠkoda Auto completes our almost 15-year cooperation on projects, which have fundamentally influenced the current form of digitalization of Škoda Auto cars. Our further common ambition will be to combine our agile methods and company culture with corporate environment and to continue developing software solutions and applications that connect the car and its drivers with a perfect ecosystem of digital tools.”

Aspart of its NEXT LEVEL – Škoda Strategy 2030, Škoda Auto is intensifying the digital transformation throughout the company and stepping up its efforts in the areas of Industry 4.0 and vehicle connectivity. Green:Code provides the Czech car manufacturer with vital expertise to develop the best automotive software for its ecosystem of vehicles, mobile apps and web portals. This will enable Škoda Auto to offer its customers a ‘Simply Clever User Experience’.

Green:Code will start its initial development work and implementations from the beginning of this year. The new joint venture will be based at Prague and will be hiring up to 200 IT experts over the next few years. Most of these will be developers, software architects, business analysts, UX/UI designers and testers. The management of Green:Code will be shared between the two founding companies: from Škoda Auto managing director Marian Pavlík, working for the Volkswagen Group for more than 20 years in IT management positions and managing director Václav Bittner, one of the co-founders of Etnetera Group.