China and India kept a low profile at the show, but it won't be long before they are there. It will be exciting to see if the center of automobile development really has taken a giant step to the east, since Japan and Korea are up and running already... The feeling of seeing rejuvenation and new thinking was missing to a degree. Sure, there were electric cars and great small cars like VW's new Up! and Fiat with its Panda, but at the same time the pride resided in the bigger, more powerful prestige autos at the press conferences. Swedish hearts skipped a beat when Volvo Cars presented its You concept car that seeks to take on the German prestige models. And there was a melancholy feeling due to Saab's absence, but I'm hoping the champs in Trollhättan get to carry on.
Sweden is good at the Triple Helix — collaboration between academia, trade & industry and the public sector. Perhaps that's what I'm missing when I visit auto shows — the triple helix. Carmakers cannot run their own race, they must adapt to the totality — the economy and changes in society, etc. An auto show where we can hear how academia and industry have jointly arrived at the best research; a show where we can see the public sector's investments in the automotive industry and hear about future infrastructure initiatives.
We are planning a conference in Sweden next year — the Automotive World Forum. It's not an auto show but it is a conference that will gather the triple helix to illustrate the totality. Not just in Sweden, but with examples from other parts of the world. A conference where we can see what trends are on their way and how they will influence us. Our aim is to gather politicians (Swedish and international), leading universities and of course manufacturers and suppliers. So make a mental note; Automotive World Forum in Gothenburg, May 30 - 31, 2012.
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| Automotive Sweden |
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| Box 111 19 |
| 404 23 Göteborg |
| Telefon. | +46 (0)31 61 24 02 |
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| Fax. | +46 (0)31 61 24 01 |
| E-post. | info@automotivesweden.se |
