Western Sweden invests 350 million in unique testing environment for tomorrow’s vehicles
The completion of AstaZero, a unique testing environment for the next generation of vehicles, will bring more than 20 skilled jobs to the community of Hällered in Borås, Sweden. The project was initiated by Test Site Sweden at Lindholmen Science Park, with partners from academia, industry, the public sector and the local community.
“AstaZero will give us an unprecedented opportunity to continue the expansion of Sweden's expertise in vehicle safety,” says Peter Wallin, Managing Director at AstaZero. “This investment is essential to the growth of the Swedish automotive industry and will have enormously beneficial effects in the region.”
AstaZero, the company behind the development and construction of the testing environment, is a subsidiary to both SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden and to Chalmers, whose automotive research and expertise in automotive technology will back future activities at the facilities. The project is being co-financed by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and by Region Västra Götaland. Costs for the testing environment are expected to run SEK 350 million, with completion planned for 2014.
The AstaZero facilities in Hällered will focus on developing the vehicles of tomorrow. That is, vehicles that avoid accidents. Good crashworthiness is something today’s vehicles can already boast. But as of yet, there have been no full-scale Swedish facilities for testing different traffic situations in a realistic environment.
“The big pay-offs are in cars with active systems that prevent accidents,” says Pether Wallin. “In active safety, you don‘t only test the interaction between different vehicles. You also test the interaction between vehicles and their surroundings.”
AstaZero will offer the only traffic safety research environment of its kind in Europe – an environment where public agencies, academia, research institutes and industry can work together to boost competitive development. And what could be more natural than to set up AstaZero in Hällered, right next to the Volvo test track and just a few kilometres from SP’s headquarters?
“It is fantastic that we have been able to bring this investment – and the opportunities it will mean for the business community – to Borås” says Mayor Ulf Olsson. “It adds a high-tech dimension to our logistical profile in Borås.”
”It will also benefit tourism in the area, both in terms of domestic tourism and tourism from other European countries,” notes Municipal Commissioner Morgan Hjalmarsson.
The testing environment is expected to create more than 20 skilled jobs right from completion in 2014. This number could very well top 100 over the next few years as needs for additional related services become identified.
AstaZero is in the process of purchasing land for the testing facilities in Hällered from a private party, and will then sell this land for its forest value on to the City of Borås. In addition to leasing a portion of it to AstaZero, the City of Borås also plans to develop this land for other activities in the area. The two test tracks are expected to make the area an attractive establishment location for complementary businesses.
