Scania works with the Swedish government for more environmentally compatible vehicles

Scania works with the Swedish government for more environmentally compatible vehicles Leif Östling, the President and CEO of Scania, has today signed an agree- ment on cooperation with the Swedish government in the field of research and development into more environmentally compatible vehicles. The main thrust of Scania's interest lies in the areas of exhaust gas treatment, homogeneous combustion, weight reduction and traffic information systems. "In order to secure a steady supply of strategic competence, we live in close interaction with the country's universities and technical colleges," ex- plains Leif Östling. "The development of increasingly clean and efficient vehicles will require considerable resources in the form of both knowhow and financing. We must increase our spearhead competence - that is to say the number of doctorate graduates - and this is something that the project can facilitate." Scania, whose investments in this area amount to more than 120 million Swedish kronor, sees the research programme as a significant means of boosting the company's competence input. Working closely with universities and technical colleges, Scania will sharpen its focus on vehicle-specific courses in order to attract the most competent engineers. "The projects that we are now working on together are well in line with what we ourselves do," says Leif Östling. "The agreement, which involves more focused cooperation between the universities, technical colleges, the government and vehicle manufacturers, will open the door to faster devel- opment within resource-intensive areas." Scania's R&D is currently focused on those vehicle functions that promote lower fuel consumption and cut exhaust emissions. Engine development, ma- terial choice and design are important parameters too. Via our subsidiary Scania Infotronics, we are working in parallel on the development and ad- aptation of IT solutions for transport enhancement. For further information, please contact Ulf Söderström, Corporate Communi- cations, on telephone number +46 8-553 81044, mobile +46 70- 680 9595. Scania is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial and marine engines. With 25,800 employees and production facilities in Europe and Latin America, Scania is one of the most profitable companies in its sector. In 1999, turnover totalled SEK 47,100 million and the result after net interest in- come/expense was SEK 4,500 million. Scania products are marketed in about 100 countries worldwide and some 95 percent of Scania's vehicles are sold outside Sweden. Scania press releases are available on the Internet, www.scania.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/04/10/20000410BIT00630/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/04/10/20000410BIT00630/bit0002.pdf