GOTHENBURG'S EMERGING BATTERY INDUSTRY 

In the coming years, Gothenburg and West Sweden will have in place two battery gigafactories, with major investments being made by public and private actors, including Volvo Cars and the Volvo Group. The region is set to become an important hub for battery R&D, assembly and production. It is building up the entire value chain for electric vehicles.

Hotspot for innovation. Front-runner in sustainability. Master of collaboration.   

Gothenburg has a long tradition of industry, academia and municipality working together. Together they are cultivating new capabilities and fostering innovations that propel the battery industry forward. We are increasingly seeing cross-sector initiatives and new approaches. 

Progressive electromobility brands including Volvo Cars, the Volvo Group, Polestar, Einride, Stena Line and Zeekr Technology are headquartered and/or operate important R&D sites here.

Chalmers, one of Europe’s top technology universities, is an important part of our ecosystem, building knowledge, driving progress and providing a strong supply of talent. Together with industry partners it carries out leading research on, for example, battery materials, energy storage and battery manufacturing. It also hosts the Swedish Electromobility Centre, a national centre of excellence for hybrid and electric vehicle and charging technology. Chalmers is a strong enabler for establishing a sustainable and globally competitive battery value chain. 

As a hub for R&D, Gothenburg offers excellent possibilities for testing and many platforms for collaboration. One example is SEEL Swedish Electric Transport Laboratory, Sweden’s testbed for electromobility. Here you can test prototypes and products at independent facilities with state-of-the-art equipment. The testbed is a collaboration between RISE Research Institutes and Chalmers University of Technology. Zeekr, Volvo Cars and the Volvo Group are among the companies carrying out development activities there. 

Gothenburg Green City Zone is another testbed paving the way towards an emission-free mobility system. Businesses, academia and public actors are testing new innovative solutions within a number of zones within the city that can be quickly scaled up. Wireless charging of electric taxis and using cars as energy storage are two of the test and development projects underway. 

Ensuring skills supply for a sustainable battery industry

With 120,000 employees, the Gothenburg region represents 20% of Sweden’s manufacturing workforce, significantly more than any other region in the country. This provides companies with access to a strong competence base.

As electrification, digitalisation and green innovation rapidly change jobs roles and skills requirements, reskilling and upskilling initiatives for the growing industry are also underway. 

Since 2022, public-sector actors and industry partners have taken a coordinated approach to strengthen the region’s leadership in skills provision for the battery and automotive industries. The collaboration involves a variety of initiatives including learning environments, educational initiatives and strengthening the region and industry's attractiveness to talent.

Among the initiatives is Battery Centre Gothenburg, a state-of-the art training centre designed to meet the growing demand for expertise in battery technology, electrification, and sustainable production. 

Gothenburg is also part of the EU’s Voltage project, where it collaborates with partners across Europe to strengthen vocational education and training related to the evolving battery industry.  

RISE Research Institutes of Sweden also helps strengthen the industry's skills base by offering courses and training in safety, recycling, battery services, and other areas across the battery value chain.

In short, the Gothenburg region has a strong foundation and strategic initiatives underway to ensure companies have access to a highly skilled and experienced workforce, both now and in the future.