Automotive Manufacturer: ŠKODA Announces New 2030 Strategy

Czech automotive manufacturer - ŠKODA - sets bold ambitions with its new ‘NEXT LEVEL - ŠKODA STRATEGY 2030’, focusing on internationalisation, electrification, and digitalisation.

Building on the success of its previous ‘Strategy 2025’, the company has defined a new vision to ‘help the world live smarter’, while its mission is to provide ‘modern accessible mobility with everything you need and surprises you love’. Alongside its future ambitions, ŠKODA remains committed to its brand values of ‘simplifying‘, ‘human’ and ‘surprising’.

“With our new NEXT LEVEL – ŠKODA STRATEGY 2030, we are providing specific answers on how we will successfully steer ŠKODA AUTO through the transformation process and ensure that the company will be in an even stronger position in 2030 than it is today. The brand has incredible potential. We will be leveraging this in the coming years and setting ourselves ambitious goals; we aim to be one of the top five car manufacturers in Europe in terms of sales; we are setting out to become the leading European brand in the growth regions of India, Russia and North Africa, and we are developing our home market of the Czech Republic into an electromobility centre so that we can safeguard jobs and create new ones,” said Thomas Schäfer, CEO of ŠKODA AUTO.

“ŠKODA is entering this exciting future from a position of strength, and I am looking forward to working with our team of over 43,000 Škodians worldwide and our social partner KOVO to take our company to the next level in the years ahead,” he added.

ŠKODA’s Top Three Priorities for the Future

As part of the ‘NEXT LEVEL – ŠKODA STRATEGY 2030’, the company will focus on three core priorities: Expand, Explore, and Engage. 

• Expand: as part of its ‘expand’ priority, ŠKODA aspires to be one of the five best-selling car brands in Europe. The automotive manufacturer aims to achieve this by strengthening its brand position in entry-level segments, expanding its portfolio to include at least three more all-electric models by 2030, working with partners to transform Cezch into an electromobility hub, and producing MEB battery systems.
• Explore: under its ‘explore’ priority, ŠKODA  plans to establish itself as a leading European car manufacturer in India, Russia, and North Africa by 2030, which would result in a global sales potential of 1.5mn units a year. 
• Engage: finally, under the company’s ‘engage’ priority, ŠKODA will focus on digital customer experience, sustainability, diversity, and education and training. ŠKODA  intends to become a benchmark for a ‘Simply Clever User Experience’, allowing every customer to operate a ŠKODA or a ŠKODA service intuitively from the outset.

ŠKODA’s Environmental and Diversity Targets

As we head towards 2030, ŠKODA reports that it is intensifying its sustainability efforts and tightening its environmental targets. 

• ŠKODA aims to reduce its fleet emissions by over 50% compared to 2020
• ŠKODA will be manufacturing vehicles with net-zero carbon emissions at all Czech and Indian plants from 2030 onwards

Aside from its sustainability targets, the company is also placing an even greater emphasis on diversity and education. 

• By 2030 one in every four management positions will be held by women
• ŠKODA will be investing almost €50mn between 2022 and 2030 to further employee education and safeguard jobs for the future

To achieve its goals, ŠKODA states that it will focus on efficiency and simplicity. The company aims to attain cost leadership among core European competitors, and a sustainable return on sales of at least 8%. In addition, the company will consistently simplify its processes and reduce bureaucracy and complexity.