Automotive

Gothenburg’s automotive industry is booming. Major companies are investing large sums in R&D and facilities, and strategic partnerships are forming. China’s Geely, for example, is developing a new 120,000 sq metre innovation centre. The Volvo Group is collaborating with private and public actors, and testing entirely electric and emission free buses in the city's public transport system. Meanwhile, Volvo Cars is moving forward with self-driving technology and is already testing prototype vehicles in real traffic on roads in Gothenburg.

One of the Volvo Group's electric buses which is being tested in Gothenburg as part of the collaborative project ElectriCity. Photo: Volvo Buses

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"The automotive industry is undergoing great transformation, with Gothenburg claiming world-leading positions in many areas such as electrification, autonomous technology, safety and connected vehicles."

- Joel Görsch, investment advisor automotive and cleantech

With around 30,000 direct employees, Gothenburg’s automotive industry is one of the world’s most knowledge-intensive, per capita, when it comes to vehicle development. Gothenburg also has a large and mobile workforce including nearly 30,000 technology and IT consultants, and world-leading clusters in mobile data transfer, telematics and programme development.

The region is home to OEMs Volvo Cars, the Volvo Group and CEVT, as well as major and specialist subcontractors and suppliers including SKF, Autoliv, Zenuity, Semcon, Ericsson, HCL and Brose.

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“There aren’t many places in the world where you can go from idea to finished product in the same way as you can here. We have the entire ecosystem for building vehicles - from small vehicles to heavy transport - gathered in a small area. And that’s one of our biggest strengths.”

– Per Österström, manager automotive and transport

Another of Gothenburg’s strengths is its various platforms and arenas for development and testing. Lindholmen Science Park, for example, acts as a platform for cross-disciplinary and cross-industry projects and connects actors from the private, public and academic sectors. Just a few of its initiatives include Test Site Sweden, developing test and demonstration environments for sustainable transport; Telematics Valley, working with vehicle-related telematics; and Vehicle ICT Arena, gathering actors in the field of automotive IT.

A further asset for R&D is AstaZero, located just outside of Gothenburg. The facility is the world’s first full-scale test environment. Manufacturers, suppliers and academia can literally test and certify their products in all kinds of traffic environments and scenarios.

Resources & support

Here is a just a small sample of the platforms and arenas that are part of our automotive innovation ecosystem. Please contact us if you would like more information.

MobilityXlab is a platform founded by Autoliv, Ericsson, Volvo Cars, Volvo Group and Zenuity. Later CEVT also joined. Here startups and companies are offered working space and direct contacts with the founding companies to jointly develop solutions for future transportation.

Vehicle ICT Arena offers an open environment for innovation and human resource and succession management in vehicle IT that helps secure Swedish competitiveness in sustainable and safe mobility. Run by Lindholmen Science Park.

Telematics Valley is a neutral organisation that supports and strengthens the regional development of companies and technology in the field of telematics.

SAFER, the Vehicle and Traffic Safety Center, is an organization that acts as a hub for vehicle and road safety research in real traffic environments.

Swedish Electromobility Centre (Svenskt Hybrid Centrum - SHC) is a national Centre of Excellence for e-mobility. SHC unites Sweden’s expertise and is a node for interaction between academia, industry and society. 

AI Innovation of Sweden is a new national centre for AI-related research and innovation, involving partners from industry and academia, where teams will have the opportunity to co-locate and share ideas, data and resources.