Race ace moves up a gear into driverless technology
Driverless vehicles are set to power a host of new careers. More than 37,000 people will be employed in the sector by 2035, the Government estimates.
efimia Panagiotaki, a software engineer at driverless car start-up streetDrone in Oxford, says: ‘i’m excited to be one of the first people in the UK to work in this industry. My job requires a lot of research and exploration.’
Growing up, efimia spent her spare time driving round race tracks or working on cars. After studying at the National Technology University of Athens, she got a job in Formula 1 before her enthusiasm for driverless technology led her to streetDrone, which aims to provide universities, vehicle manufacturers and organisations with the software and technology for driverless vehicles.
efimia’s days include brainstorming ideas, experimenting with coding and tinkering with cars.
‘Test days are the most fun,’ she says. ‘When we set the code running, i jog behind the car with my laptop connected by a cable. Testing the code while sitting in the driving seat is exhilarating.’
A recent report by streetDrone and the Centre for economics and Business research forecasts a shortage of skilled workers in the driverless vehicle sector.
Mike Potts, managing director of streetDrone, says: ‘ Driverless technology will create thousands of new jobs in the UK, but at present we’re heading for a skills shortage.’
The employees most in demand are forecast to be programmers, software developers and IT professionals plus skilled manual workers, to assemble cameras and sensors for vehicles.
Currently, there are only three undergraduate degrees, all at the University of salford, specifically designed for the industry.
For details, including qualifications that will be in demand, and apprecticeship or degree courses, see streetdrone.com.