Volvo CEO Debuts on Swedish Government’s Innovation Council

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Regeringskansliet  /  May 14, 2017

Martin Lundstedt has been CEO of Volvo Group since 2015. He is a civil engineer and previously was CEO of Scania. From 2017, he is also a new member of the Swedish Government’s Innovation Council headed by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

What do you want to contribute to the work of the Innovation Council?
"I want to bring insight into the challenges the Volvo Group faces as one of the world's largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles. Although most of our research and development takes place in Sweden, the Volvo Group is a global company with production in 18 countries and sales in over 190 markets. We are working in an industry that faces a major transformation and where the demands for innovation are very high. In order for us to be competitive, we must constantly develop new innovative transport solutions, new business models and drive the development of future production.

How can the Innovation Council help develop Sweden's innovative ability and competitiveness, do you think?
"I think it's an advantage for Sweden if government and industry share the same reality picture. Then decisions can be more fact-based and we can all go in the same direction, all for the good of society. The Innovation Council offers a good place for exchange of experiences and dialogue, but also paves the way for concrete measures and decisions to strengthen Sweden's innovative power.

A point at the meeting on May 15 is about Sweden as a fossil-free welfare country and how we change. What innovative solutions are needed to reduce emissions, especially in the transport sector and industry, do you consider?
"The automotive industry is an industry that invests heavily in research and development and facing a paradigm shift; Electric mobility, automated driving and an ever more logistics chain will lead to a much more efficient and sustainable transport system. To achieve this, there is a need for cooperation between the state, industry and academia, and here I think that the FFI program (a state-automated cooperation to jointly finance research, innovation and development activities) has helped to build networks that make That Sweden carries out research for social benefits and requires large-scale demonstration projects to evaluate new technologies.

"Completely decisive for the conversion is that all players go in the same direction, a vehicle supplier can not even switch to fossil-free. A major challenge is the availability of fossil fuels. Today, access is limited so we need to utilize several different fuels and commodities and prioritize energy efficiency at all stages.

Do you have any heart questions that you are passionate about, as you want to lift into the Innovation Council's continued work?
"I am passionate about constantly improving and developing business and creating system solutions. Continuous improvements are also a good way to streamline and develop innovative solutions for production and the entire logistics system. I want to work to create environments where people reach their full potential, where they can develop, have fun and create values for companies and society at large. I am also passionate about developing Sweden as an innovative home port to reach the world market. Therefore, as a small open economy, we need to promote free trade, invest more in education and research, and work more together across the entire value chain to increase productivity and build global competitiveness.

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