“My job involves research and collaborations in an international environment”

Technically challenging tasks and a work environment that encourages new ideas attracted Andreas Hansson to start working for the technology company Huawei. Today he is responsible for software development of the company’s base stations in Sweden, but his work environment is international and he shares the office with employees from all over Europe.

– Base stations are computer systems that must be powerful enough to handle all mobile phones in one area. My job mainly consists of software development, but I collaborate closely with my colleagues who develop hardware, he says.

How come you started to work for Huawei?

– I had worked in China for a few years before and thought it was a good idea to keep ties to the country and have the opportunity to travel back and visit. This, in combination with an interesting and technically challenging position, made me start working for  the company. In my work, I am constantly in contact with colleagues in Shanghai via email, internal chat, and video meetings. I started here in 2010 and except for the years of the covid-pandemic, I have traveled to China once or twice every year.

Tell us more about what you do!

– The job is mainly focused on research, and there are never any given solutions at the start of a project. My job is often centered around presenting new ideas to improve our systems. That is also the aspect that I find challenging and what makes my job so interesting. You can always find something interesting and then push it to a final result. It is rewarding when you get colleagues and managers to believe in your ideas and later see that they have a positive outcome.

How are you encouraged to transfer knowledge and to collaborate?

– We are encouraged to be involved in projects and collaborate with universities all around Europe. In that way, we are updated about the latest research, experiments, and we can develop our knowledge. We can also publish scientific articles if we want.

Can you give an example of a project that you have been involved in?

– I was in a collaborative project with a research center in Spain, CTTC, which led to good results and interesting research articles. The project was dealing with the computer system behind the antenna and how to optimize the fiber network that connects our products.

3 best things with working at Huawei according to Andreas

1. Technically challenging tasks.
2. The development is based on the employees’ ideas.
3. Research and collaborations in an international environment.

What are the development opportunities at Huawei?

– I work in a small office at a large company, which means that I get quite a lot of breadth in regards to what I can work with. It also makes it possible for an employee to dive deep into a specific area of interest. The opportunities to develop and specialize are very good at Huawei.

What kind of people are attracted to work for the company?

– Those who apply for work here are often well-educated and attracted by the technical challenges. We have an international work environment with many employees from different European countries, and the applying candidates are often willing to relocate for a new position. Right now we are looking for people with expertise in built-in software for the Baseband Department regarding layers 1 and 2 of the 5G telecom systems.

What do you do to get energized?

“I boulder which means climbing at low altitude with a mattress underneath. Climbing requires total concentration and clears the brain. There are many gyms and lots of boulders in the forest that can be climbed. ”