Vision, mission and strategy
Connections between key interdependencies of the wider vehicle system, the vehicle functions, and the vehicle design partners are critical to the emergence of resource efficient vehicles, and the sustained growth of the industry. The Centre strategy is therefore based on the principles of connectedness, interdependence and emergence, and this translates into the following three ECO2 strategies
Vision
Resource efficient vehicles in a sustainable society.
Mission
The ECO2 Mission is to develop the competences, methodologies and know-how that are necessary to enable the design of resource efficient vehicles and to maintain the competitiveness of the Swedish vehicle industry value chain amid shifts in the surrounding technological, economic, environmental and societal conditions.
Strategy
Strategy 1: To support a cross-scalar holistic view.
ECO² takes a broad view of the vehicle system as a connected part of the transport and surrounding systems as a whole in order to exploit efficiencies across system scales. The complex interdependencies of a vehicle’s transport function to its social, environmental and economic roles will be explored in a more bottom-up manner so that the emergent solutions and their use of global resources are sustainable. The Centre widens the question of resource efficiency from engines improvements to include the vehicle architecture and its dynamics over its full life cycle.
Strategy 2: To tackle cross-functional conflicts.
ECO² focuses on connected multi-disciplinary research in vehicle design that targets problems that arise when seeking solutions to conflicting interdependent functional requirements. By exploiting these interdependencies between vehicle functions, solutions will emerge that are more optimal and efficient in their use of resources.
Strategy 3: To promote cross-fertilisation of ideas.
ECO² brings together partners from academia, industry, SME and public agencies in a connected collaborative space, where their complementary competences can be harnessed to meet the interdependent needs of the partners. This creates an emergent collaboration that is greater than the sum of its parts, which exploits cross-organisational efficiencies and optimally uses the partners’ resources.
| Holistic view for understanding the vehicle in its surroundings |
Example of cross-functional conflicts in a vehicle body structure |
Collaborative model for breaking the barrier to innovation |