9 March, 2023: Volvo Group’s global initiative CampX is created to expedite the development of new sustainable mobility technologies and business innovations through collaborations with startups. The company has established four innovation hubs on three continents, including France, Sweden, India, and the USA, with the recent launch of CampX Lyon in France.
The CampX program provides startups with promising electric and autonomous vehicle technologies and digital solutions, the opportunity to collaborate with Volvo’s leading engineers and business experts through short validation projects at the innovation hubs. In addition, CampX offers an ecosystem where early-stage startups can benefit from mentoring, networking, and business insights provided by Volvo Group experts. They can also test their ideas in laboratories, workshops, and on test vehicles.
In an official press release published by Volvo Group on 9 March, Lars Stenqvist, Chief Technology Officer, Volvo Group stated, “Climate change is by far the biggest challenge of our generation. At the same time, demand for transport and infrastructure continues to grow and we must be able to meet this demand with sustainable mobility solutions. Volvo Group is therefore committed to the decarbonization of the transport industry by developing innovative technologies within electrification, automation, and digitalization. CampX is our strategic engine to boost this transformation through partnerships with innovating startups. We co-create to accelerate.”
The newly launched CampX Lyon will prioritise the decarbonisation of transportation, urban logistics, and uptime services, in order to better cater to the evolving needs of customers. It will also address the numerous challenges associated with the rapidly expanding urban landscape. With seven partnership agreements already in place, CampX Lyon is poised to validate and launch new innovations through its partnerships with startups.
At all four CampX locations, Volvo Group engineers collaborate across functions on global projects. By adopting a demand-driven approach to new technology and business innovations, the time spent on developing products and strategies can be greatly reduced.
Volvo Group’s CampX program is a significant step towards accelerating sustainable mobility through collaborations with startups. This strategic initiative by Volvo Group demonstrates its commitment to decarbonisation of the transport industry and serves as an example for others to follow in the pursuit of sustainable mobility.