20 engineers from Saab led by CEO Tomas Camen (ex. Saab manager for chassis, engine installation and climate systems) has started a company called LeanNova Engibeering.
They are supported the swedish government venture Fouriertransform and the local Innovatum.
http://www.fouriertransform.se/press/pressmeddelanden/Fouriertransform-startar-LeanNova-Engineering–ett-ingenjorsbolag-i-Trollhattan/
They will be situated in Trollhättan and aims for 400 engineers in a years time when the collaborate with Saab CombiTech.
The see themselves as a unique dream-team for vehicle development. An area of strength is virtual prototyping.
This is what NyTeknik writes today.
Great to hear about the Saab people behind the scenes. Glad they’re getting back on their feet with new opportunities.
+1
Is this the start of an avalanche….. Guess Semcom is out of the picture now. What is the reaction from Hemfosa who controls the engineering buildings at Saab.
Jörgen, so they could be the “outsourced” engineering team for the whole PhoeniX based Saab range, whoever buys the company?
Hope they can start working on the 9-3 Griffin to remove a few questionable parts asap.
This is good for both parties, I think. Engineers have jobs, and SAAB (if rescued) can outsource some developments to these new settled companies.
+1
+1
+1
But they talked about Saab Combitech and not Saab Automobile
In TTela they say :
“There is also a way to prevent the engineers scattered. Through the company, they can be available if there is a speculator who buys the Saab factory and will restart production.
– We want to keep as much expertise as possible overall. If there is a restart of the plant, we will support it, says CEO Innovatum Helmersson.”
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fttela.se%2Fekonomi%2Fnaringsliv%2F1.1501583-nytt-bolag-for-saabingenjorer
At least they’re not engineering windmills…at least not yet, if SweGov has their way.
It makes so much sense to start a business in Trollhattan as there is so much expertise just wanting to work. If I was a business man (instead of an engineer) I would have been there doing the same.
Good news! The best thing is this:
“We want to keep as much expertise as possible.
If there is a restart of the factory, we will support
it,” says CEO of Innovatum Tore Helmersson.
If these are the engineers that are responsible for the GM platform, what is to stop GM from hiring this group in the future to help design future GM chassis?
They have to eat, and it is very hard to turn down business.
As long as GM pays, not a problem. But I think there should be a special rate for GM though 🙂
If GM want help from this company I really hope Gm will get really salted bills and they can’t use it until atleast 1 year efter Saab has got the same help. 🙂
That´s an interesting step. Could they do it with other parts of the Saab plant, too ? To preserve a certain amount of people with their know-how, something like small independent working/producing plants with contracts within the automotive industry, developing and selling parts. And later on one could unite them to a new independent and growing Saab ?? Perhaps my wishful thinking.
Big question is will Youngmans bid still stand if there are no engineers around to hire? Or is this the key making future design & development to stay in Trollhättan and not moving to China. “Forcing” Youngman to work with LeanNova. Guess this could be very good for the future High-Tech vehicle work in Trollhättan.
I think this step stabilizes the production location Trollhättan. Youngman should accept it, they always told us that they would preserve production in Sweden.
I had a dream. LeanNova – Fouriertransform – Powercell – Innovatum – eAAM. Then Saab – one of the first fossil fuel free cars powered by fuel cells ? Encouraged by the SweGov. This would be great. 🙂
In theory it is a good move and make perfect sense and can be up and running very quickly.
In practive,the world of biz is more complex than forming a company and having talents and sitting in a basement doing your thing.But everything has a start of course. But to gain contracts to run a company with hundreds of people (or even 20) you need to be one of the prefered suppliers.
Assume that cant be done quickly (and it can’t, that is why big industries not always is the most innovative once. This was the problem Saab was facing under the GM umberella…and the idea to get out of that thinking never really took fire during the few months of Spyker leadership).
You can of course still offer your services to the prefered supplier however such move is not a popluar one. If for instance Scania is hiring CombiTech and combitech is using LeanNova to do the job,that would create problems. Thats is one of the drawbacks with the unions.
So, i think LeanNova is very much depening on a restart of the factory and R&D of phoneix. Otherwise it will take some time and to grow (if not growing organic,but it require some real money..)
IF Saab gets a new owner with deep pockets and the right intetntions, I guess they could sign a deal with LeanNova to go on working with Phoenix-related development.
I agree Niklas, this is a win-win scenario. Lets hope it turns out that way.
To me this is a very interesting bit of news, and I think it could be a very clever way to keep Saab engineers engaged and working on the Phoenix architecture as they await a restart of Saab.
Very sad to think the 9-5 SC will very likely never be produced. Americans generally don’t like wagons but there was an opportunity for Saab with the 9-5 SC. BMW doesn’t offer the 5-series wagon in the U.S., they force you to chose between the goofy GT or the X5/X6. Volvo discontinued the V70 in the U.S. after 2010 (I owned one). Now if you want a Volvo wagon you need to go with the jacked-up XC70 (which I somewhat reluctantly purchased in Oct). And with Audi, IIRC, the new A6 avant will not make it stateside. Its either the small A4 avant, or the Q5/Q7. Yes, Merc does offer an E-class wagon but its way too expensive.
So if you wanted a classy European wagon and not a crossover – the 9-5 SC was just what the doctor ordered. If Saab could have offered it loaded for 45K (and with the Hirsch Tune as part of the pkg), it could have been a great value.
LeanNova – is this a play on words relating to looking into the abyss (of bankruptcy)? Or the action of getting to a hard-to-reach component behind the engine? It does sound like a potentially positive (and very proactive) way of preserving something worthwhile from the current situation.
Lean ova’, – Bend ova’