Scaling up autonomous tech Down Under
30 MAY 2025
Martin Melin is the Head of Operations. But not just any operations. He’s one of our people in Perth, West Australia, a region known for its mining. There, Martin is highly involved in establishing our autonomous operations organisation. “Autonomy is an exciting area – we use new tech to support our customers in making their operations even safer and more efficient”.
Martin didn’t have a sparkling interest in trucks at first. “I ended up at Scania by coincidence. Once there, I thrived – the culture, the tech, and a complex product you can actually test!” Lucky for us, he only saw opportunities – in such a large organisation, you can do so many things and, being a global company, also work abroad.
Going to Australia
And abroad he went. Just about as far away from Sweden as he possibly could. “My wife and daughter wanted to go, too, so the timing was great.” Western Australia offers many outdoor activities, with a laid-back atmosphere, and it’s easy to spend time with friends and family.”
He’s stayed in Perth since 2018: “We have had a collaboration with Rio Tinto, one of the world’s largest mining companies, since 2021. We work together on research and development to advance the technology of autonomous mining trucks.”
His role has broadened along the way, as the collaboration with Rio Tinto has grown from development tests at the iron ore mine in Channar, through autonomous tests and later the validation of a complete solution. “I started as a development engineer, and now I’m structuring the organisation to be prepared for a larger scope where our solutions will scale up and be ready for commercial deployments.”
A growing organisation
The organisation Martin leads includes employees from Sweden as well as locals on-site at the mine, and it is growing: “We see the need for technicians, engineers and project managers.” For Martin, it’s common to handle things independently. He spends most of his time at the office in Perth, and a few days each month at the mine.
What he enjoys most about his work is the variation. “I’m deeply involved in the development in Sweden and on-site and also have the customer’s perspective. And I’m in on every part: I talk about the product, I give input on what we need, I influence where we’re heading.”
Now, as Martin leaves Down Under to take on another Scania assignment, he is handing over the mission with the feeling of pride: “For me, it’s been a real adventure. To be a part of Scania’s autonomous journey and break new ground is an invaluable professional experience.”
