HIAB PRESS RELEASE, 18 MARCH 2013 AT 1 P.M. EET
Hiab, part of Cargotec corporation, has received major funding from the European Union, for a three-year research cooperation project with three academic partners in Poland and Sweden. This project will boost research and development related to more sustainable load handling equipment. The EU funding for the project totals EUR 1.4 million.
Under the project, a new approach to control systems will be developed, in order to improve operational safety conditions and the efficiency of load handling equipment. The project will also involve the creation of design strategies for advanced light materials applied to load handling structures, in order to reduce their weight and fuel consumption at the same time.
The academic partners were chosen on the basis of their knowledge, experience and infrastructure. The West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Poland will contribute its competencies in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and mechatronics. Silesian University of Technology from Poland will share their know-how in structural engineering, especially strengthening of structures. The Swedish Lulea University of Technology has substantial experience and skills related to robust industrial sensor technology.
"Innovation requires out of the box thinking and this project is like an innovation incubator. By combining our decades of experience in fulfilling our customers' needs for professional load handling, with the latest academic knowledge from various disciplines, together we can achieve better results in terms of more-sustainable load handling than would have otherwise been possible. The project will involve taking a multidisciplinary approach to crane construction and we will promote the mutual transfer of knowledge between academic and industrial partners, as well as between academic partners from different countries," explains Rafal Sornek, Vice President, Research and Development, Hiab.
The project receives funding from the EU, it is part of the EU's Industrial and Academy Partnerships and Pathways (IAPP) and 7th Framework Programme. IAPP promotes innovation and knowledge transfer between industry and academia partners throughout the EU.
Follow the project from its website http://www.iload.com.pl/
For more information, please contact
Rafal Sornek, Vice President, Research and Development, Hiab, tel. +48 668 502 453
Pauliina Koivunen, External Communications Manager, Hiab, tel. +358 20 777 5134
Hiab is the world's leading provider of on-road load handling equipment. Our high performance product range includes loader cranes, forestry and recycling cranes, demountables, truck-mounted forklifts and tail lifts. We aim to set the industry benchmark for customer satisfaction by providing products and services that meet customer needs globally. Hiab's workforce numbers 3,000 people. www.hiab.com
Hiab is part of Cargotec. Cargotec's sales totalled EUR 3.3 billion in 2012 and it employs approximately 10,500 people. Cargotec's class B shares are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki under symbol CGCBV. www.cargotec.com