Case Study: How Škoda X Got Ready to Scale AI and Data Products
Škoda X, the technology hub of Škoda Auto, now has a modern Microsoft Azure Databricks platform that centralizes data processing, supports faster development, and creates a scalable foundation for future AI and machine learning initiatives. Trask helped build the platform to support current digital services and prepare Škoda X for what comes next in data-driven innovation.
[.infobox][.infobox-heading]Business Benefits [.infobox-heading]
• Ready to scale AI and ML from pilot to production
• Faster time-to-market for new data products
• Potential for lower operating costs with pay-per-use compute
• One trusted, governed source of data across teams
• Direct, self-service access to insights for business users
• Platform fully owned and run by the internal team
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The challenge: A growing digital services business needed a stronger data foundation
Škoda X develops and operates digital services that extend the Škoda customer experience beyond the vehicle itself. As the role of data, analytics, and future AI use cases continued to grow, the company needed a platform that could support more scalable, governed, and transparent data product development.
The goal was not only to migrate selected workloads but also to create a data platform that Škoda X could operate, extend, and manage internally, with the right architecture, security, and governance foundations in place.
The solution: A modern Microsoft Azure Databricks platform designed for scale, governance, and AI readiness
The platform is built on Azure Databricks and follows a lakehouse architecture. The delivery covered the full lifecycle:
- analysis and architecture design
- Azure infrastructure setup
- Databricks deployment
- migration support
- security implementation
- documentation and knowledge transfer
It brings data sources, processing, governance, and consumption into one structured environment, with defined data layers, standardized development patterns, and integration with enterprise security and identity management.
A key part of the delivery was migrating an existing use case 1:1 into the new platform. This gave Škoda X a practical view of what migration involves and created a working reference model for future data products. After the initial migration, the internal Škoda X team was able to continue working with the new standards, naming conventions, and platform patterns.
The new platform is also AI-ready. While the project was not built around a single implemented AI use case, it creates the foundation needed for future machine learning and generative AI workloads. It supports the data, governance, and serving capabilities required to move from experimentation toward scalable production use.
The new Azure Databricks platform gives us a stronger foundation for data-driven innovation. It helps our teams work with data in a more structured, scalable, and governed way, while preparing Škoda X for future AI and machine learning use cases.
— Jakub Gottwald, CDO & CISO, Škoda X
Technology stack
Microsoft Azure · Azure Databricks · Power BI
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About Škoda X
Škoda X is the digital services and technology hub of Škoda Auto, the leading Czech car manufacturer. It focuses on researching, developing, implementing, and scaling new digital services and business models that create added value for Škoda customers. As a subsidiary of Škoda Auto, Škoda X supports the carmaker’s customer-centric strategy by bringing digital services from concept into real-world operation.
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