Scania's Big Bet on AI & Sustainability: Driving Transformation in SEA's Auto Industry

Joyce brings extensive expertise across logistics, procurement, operations, digitalisation, and retail, having led high-performing global teams. With advanced degrees in international business and finance, she drives strategic growth, innovation, and sustainability, while balancing her dynamic leadership with a passion for travel and adventure sports.

In a thought-provoking interaction with Global Woman Leader Magazine, Joyce shares her insights on Southeast Asia’s evolving automotive landscape by incorporating sustainability and AI. She outlines how Scania is driving the shift towards a more sustainable transport system in SEA while also discussing how sustainability can be turned into a business advantage. Joyce sheds light on Scania’s approach to aligning with tech trends such as AI and automation. Drawing from the vast experience as a driver of innovation in SEA’s transport sector, she talks about the evolving role of leadership amid economic volatility.

To know more, read the article below.

How is the current market landscape in Southeast Asia shaping the future of the moto vehicle manufacturing industry, in terms of sustainability, electrification, and evolving consumer expectations?

Southeast Asia continues to be an exciting market to be in. Specifically, to Malaysia and Singapore, Scania continues to be the leader in driving the shift towards a more sustainable transport system.

We introduced the Ecolution partnership in Malaysia in 2018, and in Singapore in 2019. It is a tailor-made partnership between Scania and its customers, with the sole purpose to maximise their fleet’s fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, all to meet customers’ Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) requirements. This goal is achieved and maintained long-term through ongoing driver training, digital coaching, and vehicle and fleet optimisation. To date, these efforts have collectively prevented over 5,000 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions—equivalent to planting more than 75,000 trees.

We delivered the biggest fleet of 15 Scania battery-electric trucks outside of Europe in Singapore for waste and recyclable collection deployment. Scania also delivered a battery-electric truck for the logistics sector.

Customers continue to be more data-driven. This is where the demand for Scania Digital Services comes in. We support our customers to reduce emissions while increasing profitability of their business through data-driven actions.

Scania Digital Services includes services such as Fleet Management System, My Scania portal and Fleet app, Driver Training and Coaching, Digital Vehicle Health Check, Scania Driver app, and soon-to-come ProDriver.

Fleet operators are increasingly leveraging data to drive decisions, leading to rising demand for digital services that integrate sustainability with profitability. These services typically include tools for fleet management, driver training, vehicle performance monitoring, and digital vehicle health assessments. Through real-time data insights—such as vehicle positioning, CO2 tracking, service planning, and driver performance—operators can make informed adjustments to optimize their operations.

Digital health checks now allow for comprehensive vehicle assessments within just 30 minutes, improving uptime, safety, and operational efficiency. Meanwhile, advanced driver training programs go beyond basic skills, focusing on techniques that align with specific routes and operations, often resulting in fuel savings of up to 10%, as evidenced by large-scale implementations.

On the driver’s side, mobile applications have become a key interface for integrating administrative tasks, performance feedback, and fleet communications, streamlining workflows and boosting engagement. A new digital coaching tool is also on the horizon, designed to promote fuel-efficient habits through gamified learning experiences, with the potential to cut fuel usage by an additional 5%.

How can manufacturing firms ensure that their sustainability commitments are not just regulatory checkboxes but real game-changers for long-term competitive advantage?

At Scania, sustainability is not just a regulatory requirement but a core driver of long-term competitive advantage. As part of our commitment to driving the shift towards a sustainable transport system, we integrate sustainability into every aspect of our business. Our science-based targets, including a 50% reduction in CO₂ emissions from operations and a 20% reduction from our products by 2025, ensure that our efforts are measurable.

We delivered the most battery-electric heavy trucks in the industry in Singapore, deployed solar panels at our facilities in Malaysia and Singapore, deployed renewable energy-powered charging infrastructure in Singapore, and provide fuel-efficient vehicles that help our customers reduce their environmental footprint. Through partnerships such as our Ecolution agreements, we work closely with fleet operators to optimise fuel efficiency and lower emissions, demonstrating that sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand.

Internally, sustainability is embedded in our corporate culture as we actively advocate for environmental responsibility and ensuring alignment across all levels of the organisation. Transparency is another key pillar, as we continuously track and report our progress to maintain accountability and build trust among stakeholders.

By making sustainability a fundamental part of our corporate strategy, Scania continues to set industry benchmarks, ensuring that our commitments are not just checkboxes but game-changing initiatives that drive long-term success and leadership in sustainable transport.

With the increasing push for digital transformation, how do you see AI and automation reshaping leadership roles in the industry, and how can women leaders leverage this shift to their advantage?

As mentioned, customers continue to be more data-driven. This is where the demand for Scania Digital Services come in. We support our customers to reduce emissions while increasing profitability of their business through data-driven actions.

Also mentioned, people are the engine of growth for the business. Therefore, every Scania colleague continues to be given a safe place to do quality work and delivery to customers.

When you combine these two actions, there is opportunity to leverage on AI and Automation in order to achieve more effectiveness and efficiency for my colleagues and also especially for our customers. The growing usage of office automation, GPTs and Generative AI continues to relieve many from manual work and channel the focus on meeting customers’ ever dynamic demand.

We need to be able to spot this and leverage on it yesterday.

What hidden biases in supply chain dynamics must women leaders in manufacturing navigate? How can these be transformed into opportunities?

Biases of many kinds can happen. As the Managing Director of Scania Southeast Asia, I continue to subscribe to “People. Business.” People are the engine of growth for the business. Therefore, every Scania colleague continues to be given a safe place to do quality work and delivery to customers. My biggest hope is that many will also emulate and spread this principle for the betterment of the industry.

How can women in leadership roles in the automotive industry help accelerate the development of more inclusive, tech-driven solutions that cater to the evolving demands of SEA’s urban mobility?

Leaders can start by trusting the people, building the solutions together. As much as we own responsibility of today’s goals, we also keep shaping the tomorrow. As the demands keep evolving, we need to continue to provide a safe place for colleagues to dare-to-try but still manage the risk at the same time. This is why it resulted in Scania Digital Services as one of the wide range of solutions we have. It is more than just helping customers achieve greater profitability – it is also about reducing emissions. It is a more inclusive way of using data-driven solutions to meet customer’s evolving demand for urban mobility based on ESG goals.

Considering the Southeast Asia region’s economic volatility, how do you foresee the role of leadership evolving to manage both market challenges and the growing demand for sustainability in manufacturing?

Challenges, volatility or maybe dynamism, it is opportunity for leaders.

At Scania, the bedrock of such times is to go back to the tried, tested and proven Core Values of our company – Customer First, Respect, Team Spirit, Responsibility and Elimination of Waste. Again, people are the engine of growth for the business. Therefore, we should continue to strive towards providing a safe place to our colleagues to continue to do quality work and delivery to customers especially in times of challenges, volatility or maybe dynamism.

We have to start with trust for our colleagues to pull through, build the solutions together, tracking the short-term actions without losing long-term view, and most importantly dare to try new ideas but manage the risk. This is why we see Scania Digital Services as more than just helping customers achieve greater profitability – it is also about reducing emissions.