The center is called Powertrain Manufacturing for Heavy Vehicles Application Lab. It has been started together with the German research organization, Fraunhofer, and the Swedish network for industrial research, RISE. Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg is also a member of the network.
Jan Ohlsson, Executive Vice President, Volvo Group Truck Operations, was one of the keynote speakers at the inauguration of the center.
"In Sweden we have one of the world's leading clusters for development and manufacturing of heavy engines, gearboxes and components. This manufacturing activity gives us great potential for the continued development of our competitiveness. So this center is important for the Volvo Group and for our industry," said Jan Ohlsson.
The focus at the new center is on applied research with companies in the industry working as partners. Fraunhofer is a world leader in applied research in the auto sector. The new center will be an entry point to the collective competence at the Fraunhofer institute in terms of applied manufacturing technology. It will also be a base for a joint effort within this area by leading players in Sweden, including technical institutes, colleges and businesses.
The companies participating in the project are Sandvik, Scania and the Volvo Group. Apart from the technology benefits, the center will also play an important role in future recruitment.
"We must secure the supply of skills in the auto industry for the future. We cannot do that alone, it's something we can achieve together with others. One way to do it is to engage students at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in projects at the center," said Jan Ohlsson.