Jan Gurander, Deputy CEO, Volvo Group inaugurated the Vehicle TechLab in Bengaluru in the southern state of Karnataka, India. He was accompanied by Kamal Bali, President & MD, Volvo Group, India and CR Vishwanath, Vice President, Volvo Group Trucks Technology, India.
The all-new Volvo Vehicle TechLab can house complete trucks, chassis and aggregates. It has various supporting equipment for engineers to test, innovate, validate and experiment their ongoing work - through a set up equipped with driving simulators, test benches, 3D scanners among various other tools and systems.
It is designed as a collaborative virtual workspace – creating a simulated workshop environment - using technologies like virtual reality, human body motion tracking & realistic digital rendering of vehicles that allows Volvo Engineers across the globe to connect and collaborate virtually. This facility will significantly reduce the development times, improve problem solving and offer better insights & speed in building innovative solutions.
Speaking at the inauguration, CR Vishwanath said, “The launch of the Vehicle TechLab in Bangalore, reflects the key role Volvo Group’s research and development in India plays in achieving the organization’s ambitious SBTi targets. Being the largest R&D site outside of Sweden, with 1600+ engineers, it becomes imperative that we have the infrastructure in place to support global collaboration within Volvo Group and outside. The TechLab adds to the infrastructure we already have in place to support our engineers to enhance their knowledge and contribute in developing sustainable products using advanced technology.”
Volvo Group’s R&D operations in India are the largest development site outside Sweden. Volvo Group Trucks Technology in India employs more than 1600 engineers, and this number will significantly increase in the coming years. The current set up includes a host of facilities such as vehicle garages, electrical & electronics lab, AR/VR Lab, and access to proving grounds.