Meet Pär Olsson, Director Security & Hardware Development, Bosch R&D Center Lund
For Pär, technology is more than just engineering. Also, to him, engineering is an art in itself. Engineering is a way to create, build, and improve the world around us, something Sweden has traditionally done well.
He describes himself as a tech nerd at heart, but also as a team player driven by building organizations, developing people, and shaping a culture where security is a core component.
Originally from Värmland, Pär studied Computer Science and Engineering at Lund Faculty of Engineering (LTH). Over time, he has become a strong ambassador for the region.
—Lund and Skåne have enormous potential, he says. It is a knowledge hub that should dare to raise its voice more, both nationally and internationally.
He believes the region should focus on the incredible future opportunities it holds.
—There is so much exciting happening here, he says. Lund may not be the biggest city, but we think big. I want to contribute to the region’s development, for example by engaging in collaboration with actors like Ideon Science Park.
Product Security vs. IT Security
When Pär talks about cybersecurity, he emphasizes the difference between IT security and security in product development, something not everyone fully understands.
—IT security is about protecting a company’s digital infrastructure, says Pär. Networks, servers, systems, and cloud services. There are often ways to fix problems afterwards. Even though it is challenging, you can detect and resolve issues continuously through patches, updates, and monitoring.
But when it comes to product security, the situation looks different.
— When you are building a product; a car, a medical device, or an IoT system, security has to be there from the start, he explains. It’s harder to fix things later as the product is remote from you and might not always be reachable. That is why security needs to be part of the product’s DNA.
This is also why security work in product development is much about process, culture, and structure:
—You have to think ahead, do the right things at the right time, and work systematically through the entire development journey.
Security is a cultural question
At Bosch in Lund, Pär and his team are working to create a security culture that runs through everything they do.
—Security should not be a separate activity, says Pär. And it should not be something you tack on at the last minute. It should be a red thread throughout the entire development process, from the first idea to the finished product.
Working with product security is about respecting complexity, but also about not making things harder than they need to be. Sometimes the most effective tools are simple ones, like checklists.
— We often talk about ‘slicing the elephant’, breaking down big challenges into smaller parts and tackling them step by step, says Pär. It is about working smart, consciously and with an agile approach.
September 24: Bosch comes to Ideon Science Park
On September 24, Bosch will host a training session at Ideon Science Park focused on secure product development and cybersecurity. The goal is to share experiences, methods, and practical tools.
The session is aimed at you who is a developer in a small to medium-sized company. The training will guide you in how to build security into products in a smart, structured, and long-term way.
—We want to share a way of thinking, says Pär. Security should not slow innovation down. It should make it better.
A secure product is a better product
Pär concludes with a reminder of why security in product development is so critical:
—Security is part of the product’s internal quality, not just a shell you put on afterward.
Learn more:
Welcome to the training on September 24 at Ideon Science Park.
→ Read more and register here >>
