engineering, AUTOSAR - Automotive Industries

innovation
science Park caters for new and
existing technology businesses By: Steve Barclay
Johanneberg Science Park which was opened by the Foundation
Chalmers University of Technology along with the
City of Gothenburg in December 2009, consists of more
than 80 high-tech companies employing over 700 people.
The Johanneberg Science Park is designed as an international
meeting place for companies and institutes in the sectors of
technology, sustainable energy, material technologies and
nanotechnology. The park is expected to be an engine of growth
for research and development as well as provide jobs to the regular
flow of engineering graduates. It is estimated that over 1,000
engineering graduates or their equivalent and 300 post-graduates
enter the job market every year in the region.
It is the third technology park in the Swedish city of Gothenburg,
adding to the Lindholmen Science Park and the Sahlgrenska
Science Park. Gothenburg has the largest harbor in Scandinavia,
It is estimated that over 1,000 engineering graduates or
their equivalent and 300 post-graduates enter the job
market every year in the Scandinavian region.
which has helped attract investors in various industries including
automotive, ICT, petro chemistry, life sciences and biomedicine.
The Gothenburg region is ranked 16 out of 145 in terms of the
World Knowledge Competitiveness Index 2008.
According to Mats Bergh, CEO of the Johanneberg Science
Park, the park first focused on areas that concern community
planning, including the development of urban environments,
materials science and energy technology, or transportation and
communication issues. Bergh was the one and only employee
at the park at its inception. The idea was to hire people for the
science park from industry or academia who would run all the
major development projects for a specific time.
“The company does not conduct its own research, but instead
is tasked with establishing partnerships with knowledge-intensive
companies, research institutes, universities and colleges. Even the
City of Gothenburg may be involved in a unique way,” said the
Johanneberg Science Park AB in a press release last year.
Johanneberg Science Park has a distinct advantage in its
location in Chalmers Science Park, with plenty of room in the
immediate vicinity for other companies and organizations wishing
to establish themselves in the area. Mats Bergh’s hope is that
both small specialist companies and big corporations like Volvo,
SKF and ABB will set up in Johanneberg Science Park - not only
by establishing their own operations there, but also by getting
involved in the programs and instruction at Chalmers and maybe
even at the University of Gothenburg.
“This would increase interest in technology among the students
while simultaneously giving the companies greater opportunities for
scouting. We also want to highlight research. This is important for
creating more diversified trade and industry in the region. Imagine
if a new company the size of Volvo could grow from here? I want
to find a way to provide extra assistance to young and growing
companies,” says Bergh.
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An architect’s view
of the Johanneberg
Science Park.