Mercedes-Benz hires 3000 software developers

Mercedes-Benz wants to be at the forefront when it comes to vehicle software. Therefore, board member and CTO Markus Schäfer increase the number of software specialists to 10,000. In addition, more flexible working time models are intended to attract sought-after developers at the Sindelfingen site.

To assume a leading role in developing car software, Mercedes-Benz is hiring around 3,000 experts worldwide. In Sindelfingen, southwest of Stuttgart, approximately 1,100 employees develop software. There have already been about 700 new hires at this location alone, as Mercedes-Benz board member Markus Schäfer said at the start of the software center there on Friday. The Mercedes-Benz carmaker invested more than 200 million euros. Mercedes has had a large car factory in Sindelfingen for a long time.

"We want to play at the forefront of vehicle software," said Schäfer, responsible for developing and purchasing as the so-called Chief Technology Officer. Schäfer mentioned the development of self-driving cars as a model.

According to Schäfer, new operational time models were approved by the works council for the software experts in Sindelfingen. Professionals are in great need around the world. For example, a software developer can go home at midday and then come back later. Including the new hires, Mercedes-Benz wants to have around 10,000 software specialists in the global network. Critical locations are also India, China, and the USA.

"The automobile is the most complicated product for software," said Schäfer. As a result, Mercedes-Benz relies on its own MB OS operating system in this area.

Technical challenges in the forthcoming years are the electrification and digitization of cars. According to CEO Ola Källenius, self-driving vehicles offer great potential. Therefore, Mercedes-Benz wants to enable highly automated driving in series production luxury sedans of the S-Class.