Patrik Groth, Skanska Teknik.
At the board meeting in May, Mistra InfraMaint’s board was expanded with a new member: Patrik Groth from Skanska Technology.
He started his career at Luleå University of Technology and is a PhD, but for the past 20 years he has worked in leadership roles in the borderland between development and production at large construction companies, first at NCC and then since 2008 at Skanska.
Patrik Groth is currently Manager of the Department of Civil Engineering at Skanska Teknik, an internal support function within Skanska Sverige AB.
His focus has often been on projecting roads and paving issues. Another relevant area is automation in the construction industry, an area that could crate better decision support and reduced work environment problems.
Get the right effect
“I had not paid special attention to Mistra InfraMaint was to before, but of course I knew Mistra. I know that what Mistra does can have a real impact. That was one reason why I accepted yes when I got the question”, he says.
He thinks the programme has a very competent board.
“What I can add is mainly the entrepreneurial perspective. In that group I am, after all, the only one who currently works in a contracting company”, says Patrik Groth.
Competence is important
He think it is important that research activities can connect to actual business, and that scientists do not miss the more pragmatic parts of the assignment.
“That is necessary to achieve results. I have sat in competent steering groups that still did not succeed because they couldn’t bridge that distance”, he says.
He sees Mistra InfraMaint’s focus area Competence building as extra exciting.
“Developing competence is as difficult as developing technology. It may be easier to create interest in technological innovations, but competence just as important and is also needed for the industry to be able to attract employees to our operations, says Patrik Groth.