Valeo Group | 1 Apr, 2026
| 6 min
LKQ Academy and Valeo sign a strategic agreement to train the ECP network on the latest technologies
April 1, 2026 – Paris, France – In a context of deep transformation in the automotive market, LKQ Academy, LKQ Europe’s automotive training provider, and Valeo, a global leader in automotive technology, announce a structuring partnership aimed at supporting mechanical repairers and body shops in developing their competency on the most recent technologies.
Faced with the rise of electrified vehicles, ADAS systems, and the increasing complexity of diagnostics, training becomes a decisive lever for performance and competitiveness for workshops.
Lee Chapman, Head of Support and LKQ Academy at LKQ Euro Car Parts, said “Workshops are being asked to keep pace with increasingly complex vehicle technologies, from electrification to ADAS, while still maintaining productivity and profitability day to day. That is why training has such an important role to play.
Through LKQ Academy, our focus is on giving technicians practical skills, confidence and support that they can take straight back into the workshop. By partnering with Valeo Tech Academy, we’re combining leading technical expertise with accessible, high-quality training that helps our customers reduce diagnostic time, work safely on newer vehicle systems and build long-term capability for the future.”
Marlene Carrias-Iked, Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Digital Services at Valeo, declares “This partnership between Valeo Tech Academy and LKQ Academy marks a key milestone in our common ambition: to sustainably raise the competence level of aftermarket professionals, by combining Valeo’s technological leadership and the expertise of the ECP network, a major player in the aftermarket in the UK. Together, we are offering a high added-value training program, serving the performance and transformation of the sector. Through our innovative pedagogical approach and industry-recognized IMI certification, we ensure technicians are fully equipped to master the challenges of tomorrow’s mobility.”
A common commitment to strengthen field expertise
This collaboration capitalizes on Valeo’s worldwide leadership position in both electrification, as evidenced by its technology being present in one out of every three hybrid and electric vehicles globally, and in ADAS, with its systems integrated into one out of every three new cars worldwide.
Together, Valeo and LKQ Academy offer a technical training program dedicated to new powertrains, electrification, and driver assistance systems, covering all makes and vehicle architectures.
Launched at the end of 2024, Valeo Tech Academy provides brand-agnostic training, covering all automotive systems and brands, not just Valeo products, to ensure a comprehensive learning experience across the entire automotive landscape. The Valeo Tech Academy training program is IMI-certified, ensuring recognized, high-quality standards aligned with the expectations of the automotive industry and reinforcing the credibility of technicians’ skills development.
An innovative training approach focused on workshop performance
These programs aim to reduce diagnostic time and strengthen intervention capabilities across all vehicle types, helping professionals better manage complex system interactions and sustainably improve workshop efficiency and profitability.
The program begins with short, interactive digital modules, effectively preparing participants for in-person sessions.
Then, the in-person sessions propose innovative educational solutions, concrete case studies of workshop entries, and the handling of tools identical to those used by professionals. Deployed regionally, closer to the repairers, they rely on a unique and innovative pedagogical approach based on advanced simulators, enabling:
- visualization of internal components and system interactions
- practice on more than 150 real-life fault scenarios
- training across all vehicle brands and architectures
- use of the same diagnostic tools as in the workshop, in a safe environment
This approach allows technicians to accelerate their understanding, gain confidence, and develop operational skills faster than traditional vehicle-based training.
Finally, to strengthen the practical application, a follow-up webinar is organized a few weeks after returning to the workshop, offering learners the opportunity to share their experiences and issues with their peers and their trainer.
The collaboration between Valeo and LKQ Academy was initiated in February 2026. The enthusiastic response from the first participating technicians highlights the immediate value of the program and its promising future.
