“It’s challenging but very rewarding…I would definitely recommend getting a PhD.”

"It was the right topic at the right time," says José Campos Garcia, as he explains why he switched from working full-time in Scania's Procurement department to becoming its first-ever Industrial PhD student.

 

For the past two years or so, the 29-year-old from São Paulo, Brazil, has spent 80% of his time researching questions of semiconductor and electronics procurement, and the remaining 20% working as a Sourcing Manager with focus on commodity purchasing of autonomous and connected systems. 

 

"I feel honoured to be the first in Procurement to do this," he says. "It's also quite a responsibility because we do have a very important topic on which I want to contribute my research to help the company. We do face some challenges."

"It was the right topic at the right time," says José Campos Garcia, as he explains why he switched from working full-time in Scania's Procurement department to becoming its first-ever Industrial PhD student.

For the past two years or so, the 29-year-old from São Paulo, Brazil, has spent 80% of his time researching questions of semiconductor and electronics procurement, and the remaining 20% working as a Sourcing Manager with focus on commodity purchasing of autonomous and connected systems.

"I feel honoured to be the first in Procurement to do this," he says. "It's also quite a responsibility because we do have a very important topic on which I want to contribute my research to help the company. We do face some challenges."

Understanding semiconductor and electronics supplier networks

In his studies, Garcia seeks to understand the global supply networks around semiconductors and electronic components generally. 

 

"Electronics are basically the future of commercial vehicles. We use them in our ADAS system, our connectivity, our body management and e-machines, for example, and we have historically purchased these electronic parts from direct suppliers," he explains.

 

"I'm not only looking at the direct suppliers, but looking at the different tier levels, including the suppliers of our suppliers, to understand their relationships and how changes in the network coming from technological developments. 

 

"It's about how that changes the position of procurement, how Scania should deal with supplier relationships, what kind of knowledge we need to invest in to succeed. We want to learn to make sure that we adapt the procurement way in a way that the shortage situation doesn't happen again."

In his studies, Garcia seeks to understand the global supply networks around semiconductors and electronic components generally.

"Electronics are basically the future of commercial vehicles. We use them in our ADAS system, our connectivity, our body management and e-machines, for example, and we have historically purchased these electronic parts from direct suppliers," he explains.

"I'm not only looking at the direct suppliers, but looking at the different tier levels, including the suppliers of our suppliers, to understand their relationships and how changes in the network coming from technological developments.

"It's about how that changes the position of procurement, how Scania should deal with supplier relationships, what kind of knowledge we need to invest in to succeed. We want to learn to make sure that we adapt the procurement way in a way that the shortage situation doesn't happen again."