Future Magazine #1 2015

HOW
FORMULA 1
WORKS
E-LEARNING
GIVES MANY
ADVANTAGES
NEW DESIGN
NEW CONTENT!
BY SEMCON
#1 2015
BIG DATA SOLVES
FUTURETRANSPORT
SOLUTIONS
COOPERATION:
SHARING RISKS
AND PROFITS
IDEAS
DON’T
COMEIN
YOUR SLEEPTHE BRAINS BEHIND “THE
EPIC SPLIT” REVEALS HOW
SHE KEEPS CREATIVITY ALIVE
FUTURE BY SEMCON
#2 2014
FUTUREBYSEMCON#12015

2 FUTURE BY SEMCON
32
Stefan
Sommer
“Everyone has a
key role to play”
Contents
#1/2015
This is Future
Noted 4
How will we travel
in the future? 6
Guide 15
The solution 16
Satellite navigation 18
E-learning 20
Trends 24
QA: Sophia Lindholm 30
How Formula 1 works 34
Semcon Brains 36
What happened next? 41
The list: 10 inspirational
designers 42
BY SEMCON
PUBLISHED BY
Semcon
WEBSITE
semcon.com
LETTERS
Future by Semcon
Semcon AB, 417 80 Göteborg
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
future@semcon.com
PUBLISHER
Anders Atterling
Tel: +46 (0)70 447 28 19
anders.atterling@semcon.com
SEMCON PROJECT MANAGER
Madeleine Andersson
Tel: +46 (0)76 569 83 31
madeleine.andersson@semcon.com
EDITORIAL PRODUCTION
Spoon, spoon.se
EDITOR
Björn Jansson
ART DIRECTOR
Mathias Lövström
REPRO
Spoon
PRINTING
Trydells Tryckeri, Laholm
ISSN
1650-9072
TRANSDLATION:
Cannon Språkkonsult AB
Creating the future

JOINT
DEVELOPMENT
BENEFITS
EVERYONE
Strength in numbers – it is
becoming more common
for competing companies
to work on joint projects for
development and business.
24 30
SOPHIA
LINDHOLM:
FACTS ARE
THE KEY
“There is a
preconception that
creative people
just dream up
inspiration.”
6
HOW WILL
WE TRAVEL
IN THE
FUTURE?
Travel opportunities
for the future
have changed
enormously. How
will this affect the
daily lives of billions
of people?
FUTURE BY SEMCON has a new look
and new content alignment. In this
issue we are focusing on technological
developments, the future and crea
tivity. The reason is that we, and our
industry colleagues, both need to start
thinking along more unconventional
lines if we are to succeed in remaining
competitive in the future.
We’re living in an age where consu
mers’ demands and the way they live and
consume are pushing development ex
tremely quickly. Increased digitalization,
ever growing and aging populations and
urbanization, are just a few examples of
global trends providing us with opportu
nities and challenges.
New services and solutions in the
future will also lead to changes in legis
lation and regulations affecting all of
us on many levels. There is a lot to gain
from extended industry and customer
cooperation, which we will benefit from
by exploring and implementing new
joint models for delivery, ownership and
responsibility.
At Semcon we are convinced that we
need to dare to be creative and develop
tomorrow’s delivery models and business
in cooperation with others. Such a stance
would benefit everyone and improve
opportunities for freeing up the huge
potential of many ideas and initiatives. ✖
Editorial
Creativecooperationisthekeytoprogress
Markus Granlund
President and CEO
FUTURE BY SEMCON 3

Notes
SEMCON HAS WORKED for many years with customers on the Norwegian market. Semcon in
Sweden has provided both engineering services and product information. Part of this develop-
ment meant Semcon recently acquired the Norwegian product information company Ibruk AS.
The company has over 13 years’ experience of technical documentation and lifecycle
analysis (LCI), mainly with the Norwegian oil and gas industry.
“Our expansion in Norway will mean new opportunities, allowing Semcon to be a more
international service provider,” says Johan Ekener, President of the Product Information
business area.
SPONSORING
PONTUS LINDBERG started work-
ing for Semcon in 2011, the same
year he won the Swedish Iron Man
competition. Semcon recently
decided to sponsor Pontus for one
year so he can compete with the
elite in triathlon. Pontus current-
ly lives on Mallorca where he is
training full-time to succeed in this
season’s competitions.
Semcon
sponsoring
champion
triathlete
EXPANSION
Semcon expanding
activities in Norway
4 FUTURE BY SEMCON

SEMCON LAUNCHED a new
blog in autumn 2014 to share
the company’s knowledge of
product information. The blog
will be regularly updated by writ-
ers who are all active in various
areas of expertise.
“We have a passion for
technology and believe in being
generous and sharing the knowl-
edge that we have throughout
the company. The blog will grow
over time and we hope it will
help both customers and every-
one with an interest in product
information,” says Madeleine
Andersson, Global Marketing
Manager at Semcon.
READ MORE: blog.semcon.com/
productinformation
Newblog
aboutproduct
information
SEMCON
INNOVATION
SAFER CAR JOURNEYS
ON THE WAY TO
BECOMING REALITY
SEMCON TOOK PART in Volvo
Cars’ Active Safety Challenge 2013
and won with the innovative PAW
project. It’s a user-friendly function
that uses sensors in the car –
cameras and radar – to make car
journeys safer and more comfort-
able. The solution is now patented,
and thanks to development grants
from Vinnova, Semcon, Viktoria
Swedish ICT and Volvo Cars will
develop the business models and
collaboration to develop effective
software.
SEMCON HAS been a
partner company to SOS
Children’s Villages since last
spring. The internal ambas
sadors, Alexandra Wagner
and Amy-Marie Brown
recently visited India and
were overwhelmed by their
experiences.
“We were amazed at the
fantastic work SOS Chil
dren’s Villages does, provid
ing these children with a
future,” says Amy-Marie.
Semcon has chosen to
sponsor renovation and
equipping a children’s
village in Bhimtal in
northern India. Employees
at the office in Bangalore
are also helping with
activities for the children
in the children’s villages
in Bangalore, Tirupati and
Puducherry in southern
India. During their visit in
September Amy-Marie and
Alexandra were given the
opportunity to see activities
for themselves.
“I will never forget one
evening in Titupati. We
sat on the floor eating rice
and the children were so
quiet and shy. At the end
of the evening one of the
girls came up to us and
said that the day she came
to the children’s village
was a crucial point in
her life,” says Alexandra.
Alexandra and Amy’s job
is now to highlight the
internal collaboration by
publishing articles on the
intranet, through lectures
and activities. It is hoped
that employees around
the world will choose to
become involved and help
in this work.
Semcon was also carrying
out an internal collection
around the world ahead
of Christmas to further
support SOS Children’s
Villages.
CSR
Unforgettableexperiencesat
SOSChildren’sVillagesinIndia
Lodges digitalizing
product information
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Digital information has many benefits – but you need correctly designed user inter-
faces and an effective distribution platform to really use it properly. Semcon’s Lodges
system makes product information accessible online for all digital platforms, both
mobile units and embedded in products. This provides an improved user experience,
greater business opportunities and reduced production costs, while content can be
updated constantly.
FUTURE BY SEMCON 5

FACTS DODGE GRANADA CONCEPT CAR
This concept car from Dodge was introduced in 1954. This was the first car
to be made completely from fibreglass built on a conventional chassis.
Interactivity, big data and multimodal
solutions. Future transportation is
about technology that puts people in
focus. And it’s done with everything
from smart apps and car sharing to
vehicles that drive themselves.
TEXT MARCUS OLSSON

HERE HAS BEEN AN
accident ahead. I propose
an alternative route. Take
exit 26 in 500 meters.”
The satnav app talks
to the driver, helping to
find a new, more efficient
route. The traffic is flow
ing better, saving time.
Future solutions will
build on interactivity
between users and software. There
are already apps like Waze, a social
satnav app for smartphones.
Crowdsourcing helps users im
prove Waze themselves. Not only
by reporting traffic jams, but also
by automatically sending infor
mation to Waze’s database, which
then updates traffic information in
real time. Waze can also advise on
where to buy the cheapest petrol
and provide you with various ad
vertising campaigns close by.
The Israel-based company has
more than 50 million users and was
bought by Google last year for close
to USD 1 billion.
David Levinson, professor of
traffic technology at the University
of Minnesota has written a number
of books and runs Transportation
ist.org, which is one of the world’s
most visited blogs about transport.
David Levinson sees a future
where navigation apps are integrat
ed in cars, instead of in units like
tablets or mobile phones. Cars will
be even more connected with more
personal, customized and intuitive
user interfaces.
“It will be interesting to see
how Waze is received now that it’s
being launched more globally. The
potential is huge.”
Smartphones have changed
everyday lives for billions of
people who move around on a
daily basis. And this has meant
opportunities for future transport
has also vastly changed.
More people are
already getting around
by using more than one
means of transport for
the same journey. This
means renting bicycles,
car-pooling and tradi
tional public transport
T
’’
FACTS FUTURE TRANSPORT
If you buy anything on the US Amazon.
com website in the future you will be able
to get your goods delivered to your door.
Transport will be dealt with by a drone. The
transport method is impeded at the mo-
ment by legislation, but Amazon is hoping
that new laws will change all this in 2015.
8 FUTURE BY SEMCON

such as commuter trains and
buses, to cars that we drive
ourselves.
AND IT’S BIG DATA that will get us
there.
Professor David Levinson pre
dicts clear changes in how data will
develop travel experiences for most
of us. The systems’ users will notice
this in their smart units when they
link up to find the quickest mode
of transport and routes.
“People will be using different
transport systems more effectively.
Travel times will be cut because it
will be easier to find a better route
in real time. System administrators
will control the systems better
using real time information from
their own sensors and the user
data created when people move
around the traffic network. A bus
company can put in an extra vehi
cle on a certain route if they can
see that a lot of people are using
that service. They can increase or
reduce speeds using information
boards on motorways, depending
on the traffic situation.”
Dublin and Stockholm are two
cities that use data in this way. IBM
has helped both of these large cities
with various traffic solutions.
“We are doing a lot to improve
traffic patterns in various cities,”
says IBM’s Randall Howard,
who is an expert in big data.
This includes collating traffic
data during rush hours to better
understand where buses can best
get through Dublin’s city centre
when traffic congestion is at its
worst. In Dublin for example traf
fic managers have become better
at predicting maintenance and
how to manage their entire fleet
of buses. Routes become more
efficient, both in terms of time
and for the environment.”
There are more than 6,000
different sensors positioned around
Dublin. They send direct feed
with real time information to the
traffic management centre, which
can then direct traffic to where
it’s needed. In Stockholm IBM has 7
“PEOPLE WILL BE
USING DIFFERENT
TRANSPORT
SYSTEMS MORE
EFFECTIVELY. TRAVEL
TIMES WILL BE CUT
BECAUSE IT WILL
BE EASIER TO FIND
A BETTER ROUTE IN
REAL TIME.”
David Levinson,
professor of traffic
technology at
the University of
Minnesota.
FACTS CHEVROLET BISCAYNE CONCEPT CAR
When launched back in 1955, the Chevrolet Biscayne’s design was
considered very futuristic. All the big fins were gone and instead the
car exuded a sportier look that was more reminiscent of the 1960s.
The windscreen extended a bit onto the roof and the door’s con-
struction meant there was no need for a B post.
FUTURE BY SEMCON 9

built the digital infrastructure for
the road tolls.
Randall Howard, together with
his colleague Kurt Wedgewood at
IBM, both big data analysts, wrote
the “Big Data and Analytics in Trav
el Transportations” report.
This maps out things like how
large companies can best use the
data for developing future trans
port solutions.
THE CHALLENGE IS TO analyze the
vast amount of information and
then turn it into something usable
for each individual user.
The data will mainly be used by
the private sector to change future
transport solutions, according to
Kurt Wedgewood. He mentions car
rental companies as possible win
ners. They can accumulate major
competitive advantages by using
big data in a smart way.
“The next step for companies
like Enterprise, Avis and Hertz is
to follow customer demand in real
Three solutions
for future transport
1
“Greater integration of
all modes of transport
– both public and
private – will create a better
travel experience. There is
already an ambitious plan in
Helsinki to create a network that
integrates both pooled transport
and public transport. Users get
all the available modes of
transport up on a single search
screen – and can pay for
everything at the same place.
We’ll be seeing more of this in
the future.”
2
“They will benefit from
the increasingly shifting
ecosystem of public,
private and non-profit making
organizations working to meet
future transport challenges. It’s
all about opening up data for
development. Many private
companies currently use crowd-
sourcing, and we will see more
collaboration building on con-
necting information from nu-
merous different networks.”
3
“The construction of new
infrastructure is often
expensive and time
consuming. The good news is
that many future solutions will be
built on using existing infrastruc-
ture. Buying into car pools is one
example, and the completely
autonomous car is something
quite different.”
TIFFANY FISHMAN POINTS AT THREE THINGS THAT
ARE IMPORTANT FOR FUTURE TRANSPORT TO WORK
BETTER: INTEGRATED METHODS OF TRANSPORT,
OPEN SYSTEMS AND SMARTER WAYS OF USING
EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURES.
Tiffany Fishman
is a manager at
Deloitte’s research
department. She
wrote the “Digital
Age Transporta-
tion: The Future
of Urban Mobility”
report, which deals
with the challenges
of future transport.
PHOTODAIMLER
10 FUTURE BY SEMCON

7
According to Woodland car shar
ing companies also play a key role
in terms of coordinating various
modes of transport.
“The relationship to public
transport is important. “One
payment mode” is a solution that
we will see for people who want
multimodal transport from A to
B. This is where users search using
one platform, receive a choice of
different modes of transport and
then pay once for one ticket to get
them to their destination.”
IN MANY WAYS it’s easier to
coordinate transport in major
cities with already well-developed
infrastructures. Smaller towns
and cities can soon fall behind
development if they don’t jump
onboard in time,” according to
Randall Howard at IBM.
“Being able to link together the
various modes of transport and
provide a service that covers air,
rail, bus and car will be crucial
for many companies in the
future. An increasing number
wanting to expand their busi
to less than one per cent of the to
tal population of the US who hold
a driving licence. Car manufactur
ers are following developments
very closely.
“They are seeing fewer numbers
of younger owner-drivers than ever
before. Young people have a differ
ent perspective on owning cars. In
the past people saw owning a car as
an expression of their personality
or as a status symbol, like: “I have a
black VW and that says something
about me as a person.” This has
changed, according to Woodland,
who continues: “Car manufacturers
will be key players in the future.
They are now building and selling
cars, but in future their relationship
with customers will be completely
different. Customers will see cars
as more of a service rather than
some sort of asset. We will see
car manufacturers aiming more
directly towards their customers,
rather than having car sharing and
rental companies as the middle
men. Daimler-owned Car2Go and
BMW’s Drive Now are two exam
ples that exist today.
Kurt Wedgwood
is one of IBM’s big
data analysts.
FACTS BRIGGS STRATTON HYBRID
Briggs Stratton is not a car manufacturer but a motor manufacturer,
making engines for various applications. Their concept car from 1979 is an
early example of a hybrid. The car had an 18 hp gas engine and an 8 hp bat-
tery-driven motor. The batteries weighed almost 500 kg, which was why the
car had twin rear axles.
T
time and then customize prod
ucts and steer prices in very small,
limited areas.
he car pooling
industry, other
wise known as
“car sharing”, is
another industry
that will benefit
greatly from
gathering data.
“Innovation is the key at the
moment,” says Kurt Wedgewood.
“Companies are working to link
products and customers togeth
er in new ways that we haven’t
thought of yet. One example is
how car sharing companies, using
data, will be able to attract a user
with a specific car to best suit that
person’s requirements. This might
be someone with a strict set of
criteria for the car’s infotainment
system or engine performance. In
the past this was just a dream for
marketing men – to be able to mar
ket their products so specifically
down to a personal level.”
ALAN WOODLAND is CEO of the
Car Sharing Association, a group
of car sharing companies around
the world. He believes that people’s
view of car ownership has changed.
“Ten years ago car sharing was
considered radical, even politically
charged. As a protest against the
current pattern of how we view car
ownership. It’s now more “main
stream”. The media and people in
general have another view, a more
positive one. Changes have been
radical, especially in the last four
years. All our member companies
are noticing more than a ten per
cent annual increase on all their
markets. Car sharing is becoming
more popular everywhere and in
the US around 1 million people
now share. This is four times as
much as just four years ago.
A million people is equivalent
FUTURE BY SEMCON 11

ness models are trying to attract
people travelling using various
modes of transport.
We will probably see more
collaboration between different
companies in this area. It might be
a question of cities collaborating
with car sharing companies, who
in turn are linked to publicly or
privately-owned public transport.
The most important aspect for
development is that those who
provide the information make it
available to others. This is also one
of the toughest challenges. While
the public sector often provides
data in its systems, the large
private sector companies don’t di
vulge this information. For them
the goal is instead to develop
future transport solutions.
San Francisco is one of the
cities to have made its data public
for various software developers.
Since 2011, people travelling by
car can use the SF Park app, which
shows them where to find availa
ble parking spaces. Using ground
sensors and variable pricing the
aim is to provide 15 per cent of
the parking spaces available, while
Foldable cars in Berlin
Hiriko is Basque and means
“city”. Berlin’s local authority
has decided that the foldable
electric car should be part
of the city’s car sharing pro-
gramme. What’s possibly the
most ingenious thing about
Hiriko’s foldable car is that
the rear end folds in under the
chassis. This means that when
parked it takes up almost no
space at all – just 1.5 metres.
State-run Deutsche Bahn wants
to use Hiroko as the last part in
their chain of mobility solutions.
The car has a range of 120km
and can be fully recharged in just
15 minutes.
scenario: many cities will further
develop their concepts of rental bi
cycles, car sharing and car pooling
programmes.
“Research suggests that many
car sharers sell their cars and
delay possible car purchases. A
single car sharing car can remove
between ten and twelve privately
owned cars from the roads. Fewer
cars used more often will natural
ly provide positive environmental
effects. The same research shows
that car sharers also travel more
often on public transport, they
walk more and travel with friends
more often. In short it changes
their lifestyle.
If the environmental objectives
of the future are to be achieved
we need change, both at an indi
vidual level and in how large cities
and organizations act. Accord
ing to the Texas Transportation
Institute the average American
“MANY CAR SHARERS
SELL THEIR CARS
AND DELAY POSSIBLE
CAR PURCHASES. A
SINGLE CAR SHARING
CAR CAN REMOVE
BETWEEN TEN AND
TWELVE PRIVATELY
OWNED CARS FROM
THE ROADS.”
Alan Woodland
is CEO of the Car
Sharing Associ-
ation, which is a
consortium of car
sharing companies
from around the
world.
T
drastically reducing time and fuel
waste. A study presented by the
University of California last spring
showed that parking fines had
dropped from 45 to 20 per cent of
the overall parking income in the
city. Meanwhile, San Francisco’s
parking company reached its target
capacity of between 60 and 80
per cent. The time spent driving
around just finding a parking space
has halved.
here are many
ways of trying
to reach envi
ronmental and
sustainability
objectives. The
UN predicts that
60 per cent of the global popula
tion will live in cities by 2030. 85
per cent of people in the US will
live in cities by 2020. One quarter
of them will live in major cities
with populations of more than
five million. Increased population
density usually means a drop in car
ownership.
Alan Woodland of the Car
Sharing Association sees a likely
12 FUTURE BY SEMCON

where taxpayers’ money is aimed.
Levinson points to another tech
nology waiting around the corner,
which might provide positive
effects. Cars that drive themselves
and which communicate with
other vehicles, will revolutionize
future transport.
“Autonomous cars will be the
biggest change at an individual
level. It will change how we view
car ownership. In the future I
will be able to order a car using
my smartphone and the car will
appear in front of me and take me
to where I want to go. Getting a
“driverless taxi” to pick you up
will give us a whole new outlook
on travel, especially in mid-sized
cities where public transport is
not as good. Fewer people will
choose to own a car when there
is another option that’s almost as
good, and which will probably be
a cheaper option.” 7
driver has increased how long
he or she waits in traffic, due to
traffic jams and other delays, from
14 hours a year in 1982 to as much
as 34 hours a year in 2010.
MOTORWAY COMMUTERS IN many
other countries are already seeing
flexible road fees, adjusted accord
ing to road congestion. There will
be more change as the use of cars
with combustion engines drops,
Levinson believes.
“If we can adjust road fees in
real time better we will be able
to almost eliminate traffic jams
completely by raising fees at
certain times of the day. We’re
already witnessing a financial
crisis in the US in terms of raised
fuel tax. Taxes have remained
steady for ten years, while over
all fuel consumption has fallen.
This has made it more difficult
to finance the infrastructure,
O
FACTS FORD FX-ATMOS
The Ford FX-Atmos is a good example of how car manufacturers were
inspired by the jet engine. It was presented in 1954 with pin-like radio
antennae in front, glass cover as a roof and steered using handles in-
stead of a wheel. The idea was for the car to be nuclear powered.
ther technical advancements
for future travellers will be
within direct view or earshot.
Traffic will sound a lot differ
ent. The EU is currently draft
ing directives for how electric
cars of the future will sound.
It’s mainly a question of safety.
It’s widely known that traffic
noise kills. But an investigation by
the US Department of Transport
shows that silent vehicles in certain
situations can be even more danger
ous than traditional petrol-driven
cars. Electric and hybrid cars travel
ling slower than 55 kph run a 37 per
cent greater risk of hitting pedes
trians and a 66 per cent greater risk
of hitting cyclists than cars with
conventional combustion engines.
FREDRIK HAGMAN IS an interactive
sound designer at Volvo’s sound lab
NVH Centre (Noise, Vibration and
Harshness).
FUTURE BY SEMCON 13

Our challenge is to not remove
the benefits of the silent running
we have today. We want cars to
be heard, but not to disturb their
surroundings.”
Bo Karlsson, section head at the
NVH Centre:
“The auto industry agree on
change to minimize warning sig
nals as much as possible because it
risks worsening noise pollution, es
pecially in cities. Look into a crystal
ball and we will probably see active
systems in the future, making it
possible to detect people. The first
step for the car might be to warn
people in the vicinity. Information
is important and we need to hear
that the car is coming.”
THE EU PARLIAMENT HAS decided
that all electric and hybrid cars
must meet special requirements of
drivability before 2021.
Semcon is carrying out research
under the Sonic Movement project
concerning how electric and
hybrid cars might sound in the fu
ture. James Brooks, hybrid designer
at Semcon:
“Our fear was that as soon as
something is implemented it
would be impossible to alter. If a
large car company introduces the
sound of a V8 engine in an electric
car or adds an irritating beeping
noise it almost immediately gives
rise to legislation.”
The project has aroused interest
from both the auto industry and
technology companies.
“At the end of the day we
just ask questions. We present
concepts. Why do I as a pedestrian
have to hear a car sound its horn
a long way away? Why can’t this
sound be directed at the person in
front? New technology provides
new possibilities of solving these
problems,” he says. ✖
FACTS AMC CONCEPT 80 AM VAN
This concept was presented in 1977 and was the
precursor of the popular minibuses seen in the mid
80s. AMC saw back then that fuel consumption was
going to be an issue, and wanted to make a small,
fuel-efficient car. Despite this it was a 4X4 with a
turbocharged engine.
“The biggest challenge with
electric car noise is to retain the
benefits of electric/hybrid power,
which is the perceived silence,” he
says. Electric car noise in future
will be informative noise, telling
its surroundings that you are there.
7
Buying food
on the subway
Tesco’s South Korean Home Plus
stores launched a completely new way
of shopping three years ago. Using a
mobile app that scans QR codes, the
subway commuter registers the goods
he or she wants to buy. But not by vis-
iting an actual store. Instead the goods
are displayed by the platforms, on
large signs that look like real shelves.
The goods are delivered home within a
few hours. Car traffic to Tesco’s stores
has dropped, but overall sales have
increased thanks to online shopping.
14 FUTURE BY SEMCON

Benefit
XLPM Project methodology
Methodology
that makes
every project
a success
2
UNDERSTANDABLE INTER-
FACE. The reason why XLPM
works in practice is the low
threshold for users. Terms and definitions
are clear and recognizable from most
large organizations. Sequences, stages
and levels are clearly coded. Everything is
packaged in instructional visual form.
9
A PROJECT IS NOT ALWAYS
ONE PROJECT. Sometimes it’s
only a short assignment,
sometimes a major programme with lots
of parallel projects and assignments.
XLPM 2.0’s methodology is scalable,
containing various work forms. The
portfolio management function gives you
control of the entire project. The
advantage of this flexibility is simpler
coordination and in the end also improved
fulfilment of objectives.
4
BY PEOPLE FOR PEOPLE.
Methodology and technology
aside, all projects either succeed
or fail due to the human factor. It is
individuals that run projects and they
must be given the right prerequisite.
Individuals, teams and coached
leadership are key factors of XLPM’s
project culture.
6
FIT IN AND FOLLOW. All that’s
needed to get going with XLPM is
a web browser. This is an
environment well-known to most people,
meaning that everyone involved from
management to project members IS
aware and have a short run up. XLPM can
also be used with Microsoft’s Sharepoint
and also works well with Antura and
Project Place.
5
TESTED AND APPROVED.
Just the 2.0 in the name
gives away that XLPM is not
new. It’s a methodology that has
been tested and developed by many
large organizations. Semcon has
implemented the methodology at
global industries, fleet footed IT
companies and the public sector.
Developments are ongoing and so far
the methodology is being given top
marks by those testing it out.
PROJECTS’ SUCCESS RATES INCREASE IF YOU USE EXPERT
PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY. SEMCON’S XLPM
METHODOLOGY IS NOW IN VERSION 2.0 – HERE ARE TEN STEPS
SHOWING WHY IT’S AN EXCEPTIONAL CHOICE.
TEXT JOHAN JARNEVING PHOTO COLOURBOX
1
PROVEN SUCCESS.
What sets successful
organizations apart from
more mediocre ones? Research
clearly shows that structured project
management is a crucial factor.
According to a report by the Project
Management Institute, 89 per cent
of high-performing organizations
succeed with their projects,
compared with a success rate of 36
per cent otherwise. Apart from
achieving their objectives they also
save time, money and frustration.
7
GET YOUR PROJECT ROLLING.
The methodology sees each
project as a lifecycle. Different
projects have different lifecycles, but it’s
always more efficient to take one phase
at a time and follow a model that synchs
work groups. XLPM 2.0 has a number of
lifecycle models integrated from the start.
There are models for short assignments,
agile projects joint programmes and
complete portfolios. The lifecycle model
gives everyone in the project clear
guidelines to keep to and concrete
decision points to follow.
10
JUST THE BEGINNING.
The finished installation
tool and the user-friendly
technical platform is the foundation.
The practical tools turn loosely put
together plans into structured
projects that work all the way. But
XLPM 2.0 is a work method to
continue working with. There are a
number of training courses, both
classic on-site training and interactive
e-versions.
BUSINESS BENEFITS. The
project might very well be a
resounding success, but if it
doesn’t link back to the strategic
objectives then the organization will
be treading water. Using XLPM 2.0
the tough business strategies and
the softer organizational values have
room in project management.
3
CLIENT INVOLVEMENT. A
common problem in project
management is that project
clients, or “sponsors” in XLPM
language, don’t take part in the
actual work. It’s often a manager
who doesn’t always have sufficient
project experience. XLPM 2.0 makes
the sponsor a natural part with own
role descriptions and a good over-
sight thanks to such a simple thing
as colour coding.
8
FUTURE BY SEMCON 15

Newcamerabodyshows
moredetailinpoorlight
Solution
How Semcon solved
the customer’s problem
TEXT KARIN AASE PHOTO HASSELBLAD
THE ASSIGNMENT: The H4 needed new hardware
and new software to improve
data flow speeds. The challenge of developing a camera for
the high-end segment was to implement programmable
logic that can manage the high level of data without using
too much power as this is a battery-powered camera.
THE SOLUTION: To improve the camera’s communi-
cation capabilities it was updated
with a larger memory and new processor. This change and
the new drive routines also saw the addition of a new oper-
ating system, which better supports the new architecture.
The3 camera has also been made more modular, meaning
it’s simpler to add more software when you want to update
in the future.
THE RESULT: The new H5D model has received a very
positive response from the market.
Performance is better, the user interface is faster and it
offers users more functions, while the camera now has a
more modern look. The new sensor also allows it to take
exceptionally good photos even outside the studio and
without extra lighting.
16 FUTURE BY SEMCON

200 MEGAPIXLES
Two of the H5D models provide
multi-shot, meaning that the
camera, using an advanced piezo
module, can take photos up to
200 megapixles, technology that
Hasselblad is alone in providing in
its segment.
HASSELBLAD LENS
It makes no difference what’s inside the
camera body if the lens is no good. Like
the previous H models the H5D has been
customized to Hasselblad’s unique lens pro-
gramme, making it possible to use the flash
even under the briefest of exposure times.
THE PERSONAL ALTERNATIVE
Hasselblad’s customers are mainly profes-
sional photographers, all with their own de-
mands for how a camera should be. The H5D
allows Hasselblad to improve the possibility
of customizing the camera according to per-
sonal requirements, including programmable
buttons and settings.
MORE MODERN LOOK
The H5D has allowed Hasselblad to
enhance the camera’s characteris-
tics. The design around the sensor
unit has changed, as have covers,
and the display, and all now have
a more modern look. The colour
scheme has also developed to
enhance Hasselblad’s character.
BETTER PICTURES DESPITE POORER LIGHT
Because Hasselblad has improved its electronic
performance a new CMOS sensor has been able
to be installed. This provides significantly im-
proved sensitivity and allows the ability of longer
exposure times. Together providing much more
options of using the camera even in situations
with limited light.
THERE’S NO BAD WEATHER,
JUST BAD CAMERAS
A camera with such good light
that it can take photos anywhere
must also be able to handle tough
environments. The H5D comes
equipped with tighter sealing cov-
ers and seals, making it both more
watertight and able to withstand
dusty industrial environments.
FUTURE BY SEMCON 17

THE IDEA OF GETTING an exact position
in real time began in the military in both
the US and USSR during the cold war.
The space race was in full swing and
research scientists on both sides were
learning more about what satellites could
be used for.
First to the post was the US, which
launched its first purpose-built satellite
in 1978. Its version of a satellite-based
positioning system is GPS, Global Posi-
tioning System. Four years later, in 1982,
the USSR launched its first satellite for
the system, known as Glonass.
30 years on and the technology has
been refined, become available to
everyone and used every day by
people using their smart phones,
satnav in cars and in equipment that
needs positioning. Marine safety in
particular has improved for ordinary
boat owners with the possibility
of finding a correct position in an
emergency with an everyday piece of
technology and not just for boats in the
premium segment.
Other players are entering the posi-
tioning industry. In theory the US and
Russia could switch off both GPS and
Glonass with the flip of a switch. This
has meant that India, China and more
recently the EU have created their own
systems. The European navigation sys-
tem Galileo, which will be fully devel-
oped by 2018, will be almost 10 times as
accurate as GPS and will be able to plot
your position on the planet within a 1m
margin of error. ✖
The cold war saw
the birth of satellite
navigation
THE TIME OF SOMEONE GIVING YOU VERBAL DIRECTIONS
IS OVER. FEWER PEOPLE NOW DRIVE AROUND WITH A
ROADMAP IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. TECHNOLOGY
HAS MADE INROADS INTO ATLASES AND GIVEN US
SATELLITE NAVIGATION.
FACTS NAVIGATION SYSTEMS
Navigation systems with embedded maps
also have embedded logic. If your system
detects that you are close to a road and
moves you in the direction of that road,
you should logically be on that road. This is
why many satnav systems are perceived as
more correct than they actually are.
The revolution
Satellite navigation
TEXT FREDRIK HULDT PHOTO 123RF COLOURBOX
18 FUTURE BY SEMCON

1982
Kosmos 1413, the
USSR’s first of the
GLONASS (Globalnaya
navigatsionnaya
sputnikovaya sistema),
satellites was launched
from Baikonur in
Kazakhstan. It was
in operation for just
15 months.
2015
Galileo will be in operation. Work on
traffic safety and the environment
will make a huge leap forwards with
system accuracy of 1-0.01m. Better
coverage near the poles. Endless
monitoring possibilities. Personal
integrity will be a huge issue.
2025
Crash-free traffic will be a reality.
Short-haul traffic will be given new
logistics systems including autono-
mous transport drones in cities and
in areas with damaged infrastruc-
ture. Examples include transport of
emergency aid to disaster areas. To
solve major transport needs swarms
of solar-powered drones will work
together.
2018
European Galileo will be
fully developed. Revolu-
tionary improvements in
safety and accuracy down
to 1cm. Unique Search and
Rescue function, satellites
equipped with transpond-
ers that send signals from
people in distress about
where they are.
1978
Satellite OPS 5111, the first of 75
US satellites so far for GPS was
launched from Vandenberg Air
Force Base in California. There
are now 32 satellites in use.
1995
The GPS system was
fully developed and
operational. After only
being available to the
US military it was made
available to the general
public and the civilian
market. The map’s glory
days as a navigational
aid was over.
2020
Chinese Beidou will be fully developed
and operational. Autonomous vehicles
for personal and goods transport will be
operational. More efficient traffic flow on
our roads with intelligent transport using
low-intensity hours, never crashing and
saving energy by convoy driving.
RECEIVER
By using data from the satellites and
the speed of light the receiver (e.g.
mobile phone) can work out the dis-
tance to the satellite. Data from three
or more satellites allows the unit the
possibility of positioning itself.
SATELLITE
Satellites constantly send
positions and time indications
from internal clocks of exactly
when the data was sent.
The US GPS system consists of 32 satellites in six orbits
with a 60° spread around the globe. The satellites orbit at
20,200 km up and are placed so that the receiver has line of
sight with at least six satellites on the majority of the earth’s
surface. Positioning requires data from three satellites.
Readings are more accurate the more satellites contact is
made with.
HOW GPS WORKS
HOW SATELLITE NAVIGATION HAS AND WILL DEVELOP
FUTURE BY SEMCON 19

Subject
E-learning
20 FUTURE BY SEMCON

E-LEARNING IS OFTEN used as a fancier
way to describe distance learning via a
computer. If we lift the lid it is however
an area just as complex as the subject as a
whole. Just like there’s no school to suit
everybody so e-learning is a variety of
ingredients and recipes.
Developments in e-learning go hand-
in-hand with computerization of society
in general.
Apart from two previous trials –
electronic test machines for students at
US universities in the 1920s and Plato
(Programmed Logic for Automated
Teaching Operations), a program for
computer-based learning developed by
the University of Illinois in the 60s – it’s
the personal computer and the internet
that’s made today’s e-learning possible.
E-LEARNING now has a specific role in
academia as well as at work. You can
now study everything from compulsory
education at adult education centres to
university degrees at Stanford online.
Whether you work at a café or as a
specialist technician at a nuclear power
plant, there’s a big chance that you
have completed an e-learning course in
recent years.
The real breakthrough for e-learning
came in the 1990s and in the 2000s it
skyrocketed with new technologies and
more mobile solutions.
Today’s e-learning is far-removed from
email correspondence courses. Courses
prefixed by e have really made use of
technological advances. From a seemingly
simple thing like video lectures, to virtual
worlds where participants face various
scenarios and web-based classrooms,
where teachers and students integrate
in real time, or a flight simulator for
budding pilots or simulated customer
meetings for shop assistants.
When ‘future researchers’ predict
new generations of robots that take
on more qualified tasks like electronic
accounting and medical diagnostics, it’s
easy to wonder if the role of teachers is
also threatened.
ULRIKA FAGRELL IS the sales manager
for the XLPM project methodology
at Semcon, and has worked a lot with
training and e-learning, especially in
project management. She believes there
is a while to go until computers take over
teachers’ roles.
“The demand for e-learning is on the
up. Partly because of a greater and im
proved offering and partly because many
of the managers buying in e-learning are
counting on making savings. But it’s not
always quite that simple – teachers and
classrooms cannot be replaced by com
puters just like that,” she says. There are
naturally financial gains with e-learning.
Expenses for travelling, premises, accom
modation and teachers drop – but the
Digital, virtual
and really
flexible
E-LEARNING OFFERS MANY OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT TEACHERS AND CLASSROOMS CANNOT BE
REPLACED BY COMPUTERS – THE BEST THING IS
TO COMBINE BOTH.
TEXT JOHAN JARNEVING PHOTO COLOURBOX
7
Ulrika Fagrell,
sales manager at Semcon
FUTURE BY SEMCON 21

Subject
E-learning
real gains are seen in distribution and the
interactive environment’s possibilities
of “learning by doing” as it’s popularly
known. Ulrika recommends that everyo
ne looks at results first
and then costs.
HOW THEN SHOULD
someone buying training
think when choosing
between ordinary les
sons in a classroom ver
sus web-based training?
Both, that’s the short
and obvious answer or
‘blended learning’ as it is
known in the industry.
“E-learning is not bad
in itself, but people don’t
always act as the advoca
tes had thought. Ten
years ago there was euphoria surroun
ding anything to do with the web, but in
practice only a fraction of participants
completed the courses as they were sup
posed to,” she explains.
Blended learning is a mix, the best
of both worlds. Participants get the
opportunity of meeting in person, get
to know other participants and do a
bit of informal networking. This is
something that improves their learning
ability when they then meet online.
“E-learning is important in orga
nizations with participants that are
spread out, but you can also ask yourself
whether the training is
also a good opportunity
to create personal con
tacts. Blended learning
offers the benefits of
both the real and virtual
worlds.
For Ulrika and Semcon
it’s obvious to take on
new technology and
develop new ways of
working with training.
But care should also be
taken in thinking critical
ly and evaluate and come
up with own combina
tions to achieve results.
Blended learning is a good example of this.
“Group dynamics and belief in the
teacher are just as important online as in
the classroom.”
THE BENEFITS OF blended learning
are easy to see, but what does this new
e-learning provide?
Customized packages are important
because reading books is not for eve
ryone. E-learning tools allow people to
study using films, graphics and games.
And when sitting in front of a com
puter you can work at your own pace
and always with the most up-to-date
information.
Digital technology is also a way of
cutting the cost of training more people.
This is something that companies and
society in general benefit from when
knowledge is the most important compe
titive advantage. ✖
FACTS E-LEARNING
Various forms of e-learning have evol-
ved since its breakthrough in the 1990s.
Technology for virtual classrooms
is mainly used for distance learning,
but the digital part is also growing in
popularity in classrooms. Mixing tradi-
tional teaching techniques with new
technologies, known as blended lear-
ning, is recommended by most experts.
It’s also possible to study university
degrees online.
Functional project work with
unanimity across borders is
necessary for internationally
active companies.
ONE WAY OF achieving this is to
train employees to become PMPs,
Project Management Professionals,
which is certification issued by the
American Project Management In
stitute. Semcon is one of the players
preparing companies’ employees for
the PMP exam.
Preparatory PMP courses and a
course in project finance are held in
virtual classrooms, where participants
meet their teacher in real time and
can put their hand up, chat and work
in virtual group rooms, with partici
pants coming from all over the world.
“At first I was doubtful whether
the technology would hold up, not
least because internet connections
vary in quality. But I was soon
proven wrong and the courses have
exceeded all expectations,” says Erika
Klingler, who developed Semcon’s
virtual classroom concept.
The IT tool that Semcon chose
is Adobe Connect, which is a
web-based environment with all the
functions you need from a modern
classroom, but without major de
mands on bandwidth or any special
software.
“We haven’t come across any tech
nical obstacles. However different
time zones are a major practical issue.
This type of course in attaining
certification is well suited as e-lear
ning. Participants are motivated
and manage the self-study that’s
required.”
“We also work a great deal with
exercises and direct feedback where
participants can see what they need
to improve before continuing to the
final test at the PMI.” ✖
E-learning tools allow people to
study using films, graphics and
games.
7
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY MAKES IT EASIER TO CUT
THE COST OF TRAINING MORE PEOPLE. HERE
ARE THREE GOOD EXAMPLES OF E-LEARNING.
1. GLOBAL
KNOWLEDGE
EXCHANGE
IN REAL TIME
22 FUTURE BY SEMCON

The African organization
LEAP, based in Nigeria, is
using e-learning to change
attitudes and help people
discover new opportunities.
LEADERSHIP, Effectiveness, Accoun
tability and Professionalism, or LEAP,
is the organization that’s training
and developing young people and
businessmen in 26 countries across
the entire continent. The timetable
includes leadership, enterprise and
soft values as well as communication
and responsibility.
LEAP’s visionary attitude is
creating hope and connecting skills
with a self-interested labour market.
LEAP works on two levels - directly
with young people and with business
leaders and entrepreneurs.
Much of the work deals with
changing attitudes and helping people
realize new opportunities, often with
a whole country in classrooms.
This is where e-learning and multi
media are key success factors.
Najja Junction is a project where
LEAP has worked together with the
African Leadership Institute, to raise
political awareness amongst Nigeri
ans, mainly young people.
A series of film scenarios allows
them to paint various future pictures
for the country. The project has its
own website and the films are publis
hed on YouTube. Internet access is
increasing all the time in Nigeria and
the films have become a door opener
as LEAP trains more leaders.
According to LEAP’s Executive
Director, Iyadunni Olubode, the
success of Naija Junction has led to
more investment in e-learning, tech
nology that’s increasingly significant
throughout Africa.
“If we succeed in spreading this
training evenly to the entire popu
lation then the African century will
be here. With the right content and
simpler access to the internet e-lear
ning will boost knowledge levels,”
she says.
She mentions the “Powering the
impossible” project, which is aimed at
secondary schools. In a solar-powered
computer lab teachers and students
can use technology to improve
lessons. They get access to better
material and tools for learning and
evaluating.
LEAP has also developed a format
for web seminars, The LEAP Career
Corner Speaker Series, where aspiring
young people get to listen to mentors
and integrate in real time. ✖
The public sector and social
work are not everyday work
for Henrik Montgomery and
his colleagues at Semcon’s
product information de-
partment.
NOHALC – Norra Hisingens Arbets
livscentrum is a further development
of the Supported Employment method
run with support from EU/ESF. The
idea is that work experience and
internships will help those furthest
from the labour market get closer to
real jobs.
This was an unusual assignment
for Semcon, which often has major
industrial customers.
“We immediately saw that this
was an assignment requiring our
expertise. That it was also our city
that was the client and that it was
an urgent project made the deci
sion easy,” says Henrik.
Semcon’s proposal was
the start of a rewarding
collaboration.
“They shared our
broader, more prag
matic view of e-lear
ning as an interactive
learning in different
packages, so we synched
immediately.”
“We had free rein with this project
from the start.”
“We had meetings with Norra
Hisingens Arbetslivscentrum where
they provided their method and we
complemented this with our expertise
in interactive solutions.”
The interactive teaching platform
builds on the open interface, Dru
pal, which is a system for quickly
and cheaply creating and distribu
ting content.
The City of Gothenburg’s
Social Services will work
on the platform together
with clients. Functions
include assessments,
self-appraisal and statis
tical presentations. Even
employees taking part in
the programme can go in
and follow up.
“It’s hugely inspiring working with
these issues and seeing that our solu
tions make a difference in society.”
The platform will run until Decem
ber 2014 and hopefully it is just the
beginning.
“The City of Gothenburg is very
progressive and we have future-
secured for apps and see many possi
bilities,” he says. ✖
2. E AS IN ENGAGING
3. DIGITAL SHORTCUT FROM
ALIENATION TO WORK
Henrik Montgomery, Semcon.
FUTURE BY SEMCON 23

Trends
Cooperation
Thereisacleartrend–cross-border
cooperationcreatesnewbusiness
opportunities.Thechallengeisto
communicateandagree.Andthe
futuremaylieinartificialintelligence
whenpeoplearen’tenough.
TEXT JAKOB LUNDBERG AND MARCUS OLSSON
EVERYONE
GAINS
24 FUTURE BY SEMCON

FROM
COOPERATION
FUTURE BY SEMCON 25

“EVERYONE HAS THE
SAME INFORMATION
AT THE SAME TIME
AND EVERYONE IS
WORKING TOWARDS
GETTING THE CITY TO
WORK EFFICIENTLY.”
ROHIT TALWAR
HINGS ARE run
ning smoothly in
Rio de Janeiro. Po
lice and ambulanc
es arrive quickly
when something
happens. Engi
neers arrive quick
ly when a broken
traffic light needs
fixing. Sewer system blockages can cause
nasty flooding unless preventative meas
ures are already in place. This city of 12
million people now has, through unique
cooperation, a coordination centre with
30 organizations all working together.
The walls are lined with screens mon
itoring key societal functions. Centro de
Operações gathers vast amounts of data
from surveillance cameras, sensors, smart
traffic lights and private users of various
apps. The information is shared by the
various government departments and pri
vate companies involved in the project.
Brazil’s second largest city has joined
the cooperation trend.
Thinking way outside the box can
get cities to function – and companies
to grow.
“The reason Rio de Janeiro has succeed
ed is that it has a common database where
information can be accessed to make
quick decisions. Everyone has the same
information at the same time and every
one is working towards getting the city to
work efficiently,” says Rohit Talwar.
He works as a global futurist and runs
the London-based consultancy firm Fast
Future Research, helping companies with
strategic future thinking.
“The most successful companies have
one thing in common. They create smart
ways of starting conversations and
sharing information between all parties
in the company’s ecosystem. An increas
ing number of deals are now turned
into major projects where lots of players
are involved. Focus is always on finding
better ways of cooperating.”
ROHIT THINKS that the most difficult
thing is actually starting cooperation –
and then to keeping it going.
“There are many forces at work.
Policies and motivation vary between
organizations. People at the top might
agree while people below them might not
be willing to play ball. Companies often
get surprised by how difficult it is to get
good cooperation to work. Everything
boils down to the individual. If you can
get people to work together and trust one
another then you’re half way there. There
are deep-rooted challenges when differ
ent companies, cultures, languages and
working methods need to work together.”
“It’s not a naturally smooth process
when an Indian, Chinese and American
firm are to work together. They have
different ways of managing and making
decisions. Information flows in different
ways,” he says and continues:
“Another key point is how we work
together in work teams and between vari
ous parts of our own organizations. How
do we make use of an idea at one end,
T
This coordination centre at Centro de Operações in Rio de Janeiro, has 30 organizations working together. All have access to huge
amounts of data with the aim of providing speedy, more effective efforts.
26 FUTURE BY SEMCON

1RESEARCH PROJECT
WITH MANY COMPANIES
Pharmaceutical giants Sanofi and Merck are two competing companies
now collaborating with one another. A joint research project now sees these
companies working together on developing cancer medicine. Both companies
are also working together with the authorities and public sector organizations
on a number of projects.
2JOINT DEVELOPMENT
WITH THE COMPETITION
PSA Peugeot and Toyota developed components together to build three
different small city cars. The result was the Peugeot 107, Citroën C1 and Toyota
Aygo. Manufacture of all three cars started in Kolin in the Czech Republic in
2005 and have become sales successes for both car manufacturers.
3OPEN INNOVATION
Wikipedia, the multilingual, web-based encyclopaedia, is the most visited
on the internet. It mainly has free, open content that is developed by its users.
The English version is biggest, with over four million articles. Wikipedia con-
tains a total of 30 million articles.
4SHARING KNOWLEDGE
South-South Cooperation is an exchange project where knowledge,
resources and technology are shared between developing countries in the
southern hemisphere. One of the goals is to set up a joint bank, similar to the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. More than USD 450 million
was pledged by investors, companies, governments and other parties present
at the organization’s latest trade fair.
5CUSTOMER-DRIVEN
INNOVATION
Blizzard Entertainment has created the
series of World of Warcraft (WoW) games.
One of the success factors was inviting in
users for beta testing during development.
WoW had sales of over USD 1 billion in
2013 and a market share of 36 per cent in
its genre.
6SHARING RISKS
AND REWARDS
Aera Energy is a collaboration between
energy giants Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch
Shell. Aera is California’s leading oil and gas
producer (30 per cent of overall production
in the state). Exxon and Shell shared costs
for manufacturing and other investments.
Aera’s income in 2013 amounted to USD 5
billion.
Various ways
of cooperating
7
which can be used effectively somewhere
else in the company? That’s where IT is
important for sharing ideas. Everyone
wants to know how to work with digital
media, across cultural and organizational
boundaries.”
THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY is a
trendsetter, where many contractors,
investors and interested parties work
together. Sharing information is the key.
“A construction project worth EUR
1 billion might have 20 partners. What
can we do to work together optimally?
Well, we work with the same data at the
same time. Everyone has the chance of
affecting content immediately. This also
minimizes the risk of various parties
wasting time doing the same thing.”
Dick Stroud is a corporate strategist
from the UK. Despite clear trends towards
collaboration he is still seeing some areas
slow to react.
“I’m surprised how little collaboration
there still is between different companies
and organizations.
The need to keep information a secret
seems to have followed us down through
the generations. Many bosses in their 30s
are just as preoccupied in keeping tabs
Rohit
Talwar
Lives in: London,
England.
Occupation: Advisor,
author and lecturer.
Rohit uses humour,
inspiration and
provocation when
advising global
companies, both
in risk assessment
and development
strategies.
FUTURE BY SEMCON 27

on their competitors as people in their
60s. This is a real disappointment because
I believe that companies can learn a lot
from one another without compromising
their commercial successes. Competition
between companies scares many of them
from looking for new, common ways of
development. But that’s where most of
the opportunities lie, if they are willing
to take that step.”
JOURNALIST ANDREAS EKSTRÖM has
written a book about Google. He’s a
futures analyst and lectures on the social
effects of digital realignment.
“The digital revolution has given rise to
completely new ways of developing busi
nesses at various levels. And despite com
petition being tougher than ever it seems
as though more companies are choosing a
softer approach to collaboration. The val
ue of learning from one another is vast.
Everyone now knows that. But at the
same time there is a risk of conformism,
with everyone moving towards medio
cre market niches, where things are safe
rather than challenging. When was the
last time we really saw a “game changer”,
an invention that profoundly changed
the market or people’s behaviour? I
would say that we haven’t seen anything
like that since the introduction of tablet
computers,” says Andreas.
There are lots of examples of technical
collaborations deemed necessary and
successful. Joint standards like 3G, 4G,
Bluetooth and USB were the result of
extensive collaboration.
In these cases Ericsson, Intel, IBM and
Microsoft saw the benefit of working
together with their competitors in their
respective industry.
“The global Bitcoin community is
another example of how technology has
developed through collaboration,” says
Rohit Talwar. “People worked together
and came up with common solutions.
They created a completely new finan
cial system with digital currency and
blockchain technology as a security
mechanism. These models have complete
ly altered financial services. In this field
the players are pioneers and need to work
closely with one another because their in
novation is receiving a lot of resistance.”
MANY INDUSTRIES need to accept help
from outside.
“Some pharmaceutical companies
are getting better at accepting ideas
from companies and other researchers.
Astra Zeneca is a company that often
seems to succeed in collaboration. The
same is true of its competitor, Glaxo
SmithKline,” says Rohit. He believes
that common sharing models for taking
risks and reward is another area that
PHOTOPONTUSTIDEMAN
A unique collaboration is in operation here at Dallas/
Fort Worth international airport between the airport and
airlines. All development is run jointly and the airlines have
a lot of input in terms of how profits are spent.
Andreas
Ekström
Lives in: Lund,
Sweden.
Profession: Journalist,
author and lecturer.
Andreas wrote a book
called “The Google
Code”, neutrally
explaining how
Google reasons and
thinks.
28 FUTURE BY SEMCON

WHEN WAS THE LAST
TIME WE REALLY SAW
A “GAME CHANGER”,
AN INVENTION
THAT PROFOUNDLY
CHANGED THE
MARKET OR PEOPLE’S
BEHAVIOUR?
ANDREAS EKSTRÖM
will grow in importance in the future.
One example he mentions is the DFW,
Dallas/Fort Worth international airport,
operated by 30 or so airlines, including
American Airlines, Lufthansa and British
Airways.
“The airport has a very interesting
way of making decisions together with
the airlines. The system builds on how
services and stores improve and there is
an underlying, sophisticated system for
how revenues from stores, restaurants,
hotels and other companies should
be shared. The airport also has a lot of
influence over how any further profits
are spent and invested.
At DFW, one of the world’s top 10
busiest airports, competitors have joined
forces to share in the profits made.
In other sectors it is more common to
meet at an early stage and then separate
with a joint result that they take with
them.
“We see this in ‘pre-competitive
research projects’, often partly financed
by government authorities. A lot is being
done to get different companies to share
information and results. This is in an
attempt to move forwards with some
thing that will benefit ordinary people,
and which companies can then try and
commercialize.”
Andreas Ekström says that collabora
tion models are being refined. Signif
icant developments have been seen in
terms of collaborating directly with the
end customer.
“Releasing early beta versions of
products has been extremely successful
for many companies. It creates a feeling
of unity around a project between the
manufacturer and the users when they, at
an early stage, get to affect the products
and content.”
SHARING INFORMATION is the common
denominator in collaboration trends. It
creates trust and boosts people’s will
ingness to help one another. Human
interaction will have a more minor role
in future. Goodwill between individu
als might go a long way but not always
enough. When Rohit talks about the
future’s most ground-breaking collabora
tion he believes it won’t even be human.
“There is another route. Artificial
Intelligence (AI) will change a lot. We
will see “AI agents” that learn how to act
correctly,” he says.
These “agents” will be computer pro
grammes instructed to perform specific
tasks, and make their own decisions based
on what collaboration partners are re
quired to achieve a successful outcome.”
“They will be able to meet targets and
constantly collaborate with those who
can help them achieve their goals. The
benefit will be that these agents will not
have a political agenda. They won’t need
promoting, they won’t need bonuses and
are not at risk of being fired. Their only
motive will be meeting targets and they
will find the collaboration required to
achieve it.” ✖
Dick Stroud
Lives in: Salisbury, England
Occupation: Consultant, lecturer
and writer.
Dick mainly works at the
20plus30 PR agency, which
specializes in reaching out to
the new group of well-to-do
consumers over 50.
FUTURE BY SEMCON 29

QA
Sophia Lindholm on creativity
Y
ou have probably seen
and talked about it.
The sequence where
Jean-Claude van Damme
does the splits between
two Volvo Trucks is one
of the most clicked on adverts in YouTu
be’s history and its impact has boosted
awareness of Volvo Trucks brand so
much that the Louvre art museum in Pa
ris want to show the film as a permanent
exhibit in their advertising department.
For Sophia, The Epic Split was not just
one of the pinnacles of her career it was
also the epic conclusion of a campaign
that she and her colleagues at Forsman
Bodenfors worked on for many years.
When Volvo Trucks turned to the
award-winning Swedish advertising agen
cy it was to get help with its first product
launch in nineteen years. Four of Forsman
Bodenfors’ creators, including Sophia,
were assigned to raise interest, creating
something spectacular from “Not just
another truck – Not just another launch”.
And it was. It became an overnight suc
cess with the first film of the campaign,
“The Ballerina Stunt”, where Faith Dickey
walked a tightrope between two moving
trucks, and the success saga continued.
The high point came in June when
Sophia and her colleagues received two
Grand Prix at Cannes Lions, the best
awards an advertiser can get. 7
SophiaLindholmis
oneoftheworld’s
mostcreativepeople
andoneofthebrains
behindVolvoTrucks’viral
megasuccess“TheEpic
Split”.Howdoesshestay
creative?
TEXT LINDA THOMSEN HÖGFELDT PHOTO ANDERS DEROS
30 FUTURE BY SEMCON

Sophia
Lindholm
Works as: Art director at Forsman
Bodenfors in Göteborg. Hobbies: Skiing,
tennis and lobster fishing. Prizes and
awards: #14 Most Creative People in
Business 2014 (Fast Company), 3 Grand
Prix Cannes Lions, 5 Golden Eggs,
awards in Black Cube, Art Directors
Club, Best in Show, One Show,
Black Pencil, DAD.
FUTURE BY SEMCON 31

You’re seen as one of the world’s most
creative people. Where do you get all
your ideas?
“There’s probably a preconception that
creative people just dream up inspira
tion or get a brilliant idea while walking
around town. Unfortunately it’s not that
exciting in real life. Advertising work is
often hard work where we sit, shut off
in small rooms, discussing and sifting
through ideas. Someone will have an idea
in the work group and then we develop
it together. These ideas often develop
into something completely different
in the end. The creative bit of my work
is only part of what I do, where the
prerequisites for my creativity mean that
I must first provide myself with enough
background information in order to cre
ate something relevant and good for the
client to work with. It’s possible, of cour
se, to come up with fantastic ideas, but if
these ideas aren’t based in fact then they
won’t be relevant. That’s probably my
strength as Art Director, coming up with
something creative and interesting, but
which is also relevant to my client. The
Epic Split is all about the product and
everyone understands why Volvo Trucks
does these stunts. What we are actually
doing is nothing more than product
demonstration, but in an unexpected and
spectacular way.
So facts are a prerequisite for your
creativity?
“Facts are incredibly important to
me! They are the basis for creating the
message to be communicated and we use
facts to then come up with an idea that
will sell. When we work with a client
and a campaign we always start by doing
research. When we developed the Live
Test Series concept for Volvo Trucks we
met so many talented employees at the
company, everyone from technicians
to product managers, and let them tell
us about what they thought of the new
truck and what it’s benefits were.”
How did you come up with the Live Test
Series idea?
“We were told that the target group
was both wide and difficult to reach
with traditional media. We needed to
speak to small owner-driver hauliers and
decision-makers at large companies like
Schenker or DHL who buy in several
hundred trucks. This forced us to think
differently and find the target group’s
common denominator, which is that
they have lots of influences around them,
everything from colleagues and family to
friends and the media. Our goal was to
create a talking point where a son would
come home and say to his dad: Have you
seen the advert for Volvo Trucks? Or that
someone would read about the cam
paign in a magazine and feel that “that’s
something I need to check out”. So we
worked to reach a wider target group and
make the truck’s functions public know
ledge and interesting for lots of people, so
that the wider audience could affect the
core target group we wanted to reach.”
How does working at Forsman Bo-
denfors differ from other advertising
agencies?
“We don’t have a creative director. If
you look at the major international adver
tising agencies and others in Sweden the
advertising industry is quite traditional
and managed from the top, and the cre
ative director has a lot of authority over
the creative team’s work.
1
Get new influences. Travel, try
new things and above all, listen
to others. I believe that new
influences are linked to the ability to
be creative.
2
Drop the prestige. Don’t be
afraid of saying something that’s
not fully thought through or that
quite simply feels stupid. Sure, they
might not always be good ideas, but
sometimes they can also lead to
something fantastic. So challenge
yourself and stop worrying about what
other people think.
3
Practice makes perfect. Just
like anything else, creativity can
be improved by practice.
Experience plays a big part of course
and if you’ve worked for many years
then you’ve practiced a long time.
You might even be able to ease some
anxiety when you know you can
come up with something good, and
the next idea might come around
sooner than you think.
4
Develop your ideas with
others. Many of my best ideas
have grown by collaborating with
other people. We’ve sat and sifted
through ideas, which were improved
upon by other people’s input. Creativi-
ty for me is very much about
teamwork.
5
Forget inspiration – just work.
Coming up with ideas overnight
or on the spur of the moment
has never been my strong point. Ideas
usually germinate as my colleagues
and I are shut in a small room
discussing.
6
Have fun. I believe it’s important
to enjoy what you do and have
fun at work. If I’ve not enjoyed
myself then my ideas probably won’t
have been very noteworthy.
How to be more creative –
Sophia Lindholm’s tips
QA
Sophia Lindholm on creativity
32 FUTURE BY SEMCON

“IT’S POSSIBLE, OF
COURSE, TO COME
UP WITH FANTASTIC
IDEAS, BUT IF THESE
IDEAS AREN’T BASED
IN FACT THEN THEY
WON’T BE RELEVANT.”
It’s the other way around at Forsman
Bodenfors because it’s the work groups
that are responsible for their own work.
But who’s in charge then you might won
der? It sounds quite difficult, but most
of the time when we come up with ideas
that are good enough all of the work
group seems to agree. If one or more are
dubious then we should probably develop
the idea further or move on to something
else. We also have a corporate culture
and work method where we like input
and feedback. We often consult other
creators at the agency, but in the end we
decide how we deal with any criticism.
What are the advantages and disad-
vantages?
“I believe that the our method has hel
ped everyone’s creativity, both through
the trust and responsibility we have as
creators. Everything then falls down to
employees believing in the work model
and trusting in our own ability to de
liver, that we are good enough and take
responsibility. I’m not saying it’s always
easy with such a democratic working
method. For example, young creators
new to the industry might end up in
the same work group and have as much
responsibility as someone who’s been
doing the job for thirty years and might
even have founded the agency. In these
cases it might be initially difficult to dare
criticise or even express your ideas out
aloud. Meanwhile, older, more experien
ced people will gain a lot by working
with a young person who has a new and
different approach. A lot happens in this
industry with the introduction of new
media and the young creators might
be just as good as those who have been
around for along time. It might take a
while, but everyone seems to realise that
they have something to gain using this
work model.
We are becoming increasingly digital.
What do you think about that deve-
lopment?
“I think it’s positive and that fantastic
ideas can evolve when someone who has
mostly worked with print meets someone
talented digitally. It’s these kinds of me
etings that develop creativity. It’s difficult
to predict the future. The communication
landscape changes and it wasn’t long ago
that people were saying that films would
be a thing of the past as we no longer
watch TV, but there are more films made
now than ever, even though dramaturgy
has changed and sequences have become
shorter – or longer. Digital media has
made it trickier for printed media to get
the same penetration. Meanwhile we’re
constantly seeing on the internet and in
social media how people send and share
images or text that they find funny. We
might find when we look back in a few
years a breaking point in development,
where print was forced to be more creati
ve and maybe even interactive? ✖
FUTURE BY SEMCON 33

How it works
Formula 1
PERFORMANCE
WHATEVER
THE COST
BRAVERY, MILITARY PRECISION AND OUTSTANDING TALENT. THESE ARE
CRUCIAL BUILDINGBLOCKS IN A SPORT WHERE THE HUMAN MACHINE
MUST BE AS WELL-OILED AS THE ENGINES.
TEXT FREDRIK HULDT PHOTO GETTY IMAGES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
FORMULA 1 is without doubt the most
extreme material sport on the planet.
A crazy melting pot where competitive
individuals are forced into teamwork by
one goal – to be world champions in the
fastest series of races on earth.
Here, the sharpest minds in engineer
ing spend countless millions in attempts
to satisfy the best drivers and their
enormous appetite for faster lap times.
The best engineers from the aerospace
and aviation industries are recruited to
program super computers to hone the
cars’ increasingly advanced aerodynam
ics using clever computer simulations.
The smartest strategists go through vast
amounts of data in the hunt for winning
race strategies. And the most revolution
ary freethinkers design and deliver the
technology and manufacturing processes
required to provide outstanding chassis
and driveline concepts that the sport
now uses. These are concepts that with
a little luck will also benefit us mortals
when they eventually get used in every
day cars.
Formula 1 shifted focus in 2014, with
a broader, more ambitious goal than ever.
The most comprehensive rule changes
ever involve a new dimension, where
teams are not only chasing lap times,
but also pushing the development of
eco-friendly technology for the auto
industry. All of a sudden efficiency is
just as much an obvious and important
part of the package as speed. Fuel con
sumption needed cutting by 35 per cent
as soon as each car was suddenly only
allowed 100kg of fuel per race. Natu
rally without compromising the cars’
performance.
Formula 1 is still basically a gladia
tor sport at breakneck speeds. A sport
where drivers are expected to challenge
themselves and their cars in a treacher
ous balancing act – with huge rewards
on the one hand and enormous risks on
the other. ✖
34 FUTURE BY SEMCON

STRESS ON THE DRIVER
Had a stressful day at work? Compare that
with F1 drivers’ working environment. Each
time behind the wheel drivers are put under
extreme forces. Extreme G forces, cockpit
temperatures up to 60°C and incredible
stresses, pushing bodies to the limits of
what is humanly possible. A Grand Prix lasts
1.5 – 2 hours. In that time drivers have an
average pulse of 170 beats per minute, the
highest, over such a long time, of all athletes.
MECHANICAL GRIP
The most important components on F1
cars are not engines, computers or wings,
but the tyres. F1 uses 245–325 mm wide
slicks on 13-inch rims, pre-heated to
110°C to give maximum mechanical grip.
However the rubber only lasts about 25
minutes until a complete tyre change is
necessary. A pit crew of 18 are needed
to use the jack, change tyres and adjust
wings. The fastest pit stop was done by
Red Bull on Circuit of the Americas in
2013, taking a mere 1.923 seconds.
POWER UNIT
ICE + MGU-K + MGU-H + ES + Turbo +
CE = PU. Complicated? To say the least.
Forget engines. F1 cars have extremely
complex hybrid systems known as Power
Units with six basic components. ICE
(Internal Combustion Engine) is a 1.6 litre,
turbo-charged V6, producing 600hp. A
combi generator/electric engine (MGU-K)
harvests kinetic energy to the ES (Energy
Store/battery) from the rear axle during
braking. When accelerating, the MGU-K
delivers an extra 160 hp for 30 seconds
per lap. The MGU-K harvests surplus en-
ergy from the turbo, delivering it to the ES.
Overall output: 760hp. To keep the sport’s
extreme costs under control everything is
controlled using standardized CE (Control
Electronics).
SPEED
Calculations have shown that F1 cars
have a theoretic top speed of over 440
km/h, which is a fact that not many of
the sport’s practitioners care much about.
Formula 1 is about lap times, i.e. average
speed over individual laps. Top speeds
are therefore kept down by the wings’ air
resistance. The highest recorded speed
in 2014 was “only” 362 km/h. The fastest
lap in F1 history was driven by Juan Pablo
Montoya in training at the Italian GP at
Monza in 2004 with an average speed of
262.242 km/h.
BRAKES
Under really heavy braking kinetic energy
is converted into heat, equivalent to
2,000 kW. That’s why the carbon fibre
brakes glow so beautifully. The toughest
braking in F1 is at bend 14 at the Shanghai
International Circuit in China. From brak-
ing, and 123 m ahead, the driver presses
the brake pedal with 131 kg of pressure.
The brakes slow the car down by 254
km/h, from 317 km/h to 63 km/h, in just
2.98 seconds. The most ever decelera-
tion measured was at the same bend in
an F1 car at 6.41G.
AERODYNAMIC GRIP
F1 drivers need more than just grippy
slicks to take a bend with side acceler-
ation of over 5G, which is why F1 cars
have wings forcing the chassis to the
track using downforce and a diffuser that
creates negative pressure under the car.
At 300 km/h up to 1.5 tons of downforce
is generated, which is the most extreme
example of aerodynamic grip at bend 8
at Istanbul Park. A long 190° bend with
4 apexes, where F1 drivers are put under
prolonged G forces of between 4.5 – 5.5
G in 7 seconds.
FUTURE BY SEMCON 35

Semcon Brains
TEXT LINDA THOMSEN HÖGFELDT JOHAN JARNEVING
PHOTOS SEBASTIAN BERGER, NICKE JOHANSSON, AASHITH SHETTY ANDERS DEROS
IN RECENT YEARS Stefan Sommer helped
Semcon develop a new business area in the
field of aircraft galley design, working as a
project office for Semcon’s customer, Sell.
His team has grown each year, now consist
ing of 50 employees in Germany and India,
supporting airlines like Qatar Airways and
Etihad Airways.
What is the difference between your
department’s work now compared with
when you first took on the assignment?
“When I started as a designer back in
2009 I only had three colleagues. At that
time, Semcon had no experience in design
ing aircraft interiors, just for vehicles. So
the first year, me and my team worked at
Sell’s office. Our first assignment was an
easy design, compared with what we do
today, which is everything from complex
galley constructions to electrical parts,
refrigeration, water installations and air
conditioning,” he says.
How have you managed to put to-
gether such a successful team?
“Teamwork is crucial to everything the
department does. Our team in Germany de
signs the galley and then transfers the data
to our team in India who do the drawings
for the customer. After that, our German
team supports the customer in production
until the airline gets the galley. So everyone
has an important role to play.”
What are your plans for the future
and what drives you?
“Over the next few years I would like
to continue developing my team and try
boosting Semcon’s successes in this area.
What inspires me at work is that I always
have the ability of developing things and
setting new targets to keep me moving
forwards.” ✖
Aircraft
interior
designer
Stefan Sommer,
Semcon Germany
36 FUTURE BY SEMCON

38 FUTURE BY SEMCON
Semcon Brains
Children’s car seats
Front seats
Back seats
Seats
Belt
reminders
Seatbelts
Climate regulators – back
Climate
Climate regulators – front
JOHAN ELISSON IS a technology writer
and specialist in topic-based informa-
tion, which is an area that has developed
quickly, and one where Semcon has a
lead role. Johan and his colleagues are
currently helping Volvo Cars develop
driver manuals to be more digital.
What’s the difference between
topic-based and more traditional
information management?
“Take an instruction manual, where
you read sequentially, chapter by chap-
ter. Topic-based swaps the sequences for
stand-alone sections. Readers get just
the information they need and we never
know if anyone has ever read the other
sections. Each section should cover its
own area.”
What advantages do Volvo and
Volvo drivers get from your job?
“It’s mainly a matter of improved
user experience. The information
becomes simpler to take in. Topic-
based information is media depend-
ent and we can publish and update
in different interfaces, like the car’s
multimedia system. It’s also possible
to embed systems for individual mes-
saging and feedback in completely
new ways.”
What experience do you have of
topic-based writing?
“I was involved when Wikipedia took
off and was soon nominated for an ad-
min post. On reflection I see many sim-
ilarities between writing for them and
what we do at Volvo’s editorial office.”
What’s the next step for you and
everyone at Semcon working with
topic-based writing?
“We work a lot with training, both in-
ternally and with customers, and develop
the offer. We believe in the choice that
this type of information system provides.
It can be customized according to any
product or service.” ✖
Air conditioning
Electrically
heated seats
Seat climate
Ventilated seats
Topics
expert
Johan Elisson,
Semcon Sweden

FUTURE BY SEMCON 39
MADHURIMA
PATRO IS an
electronics de-
signer and part
of Semcon’s aero-
space aircraft team,
with offices in Germany
and India. She and her team in India
design electrical systems where the
smallest mistake would mean huge
costs for customers.
What characterizes good elec-
trical installations?
“The product I deliver to my
customers must be both simple and
robust. From the very moment when
we first test the design in a CAD sys-
tem, it has to be perfect. As designers
we also need to be flexible through-
out production and be able to handle
last-minute changes. It’s a job that’s
just as demanding as it is rewarding.”
What are your work duties in
your assignments?
“I’m not only responsible for
electrical installations, but also for
guiding Semcon’s expansion into
other areas of the aviation industry.
My first assignment was to under-
stand and build all the electrical
details of an aircraft galley. This
included everything from creating
electrical systems and integrating
different functions for installation
at the assembly plant. And now, back
in India, my job is creating a Semcon
team in Bangalore fir electrical in-
stallations for aircraft galleys.”
How do you feel about the col-
laboration with Germany?
“We work very closely. When I
first got the job I spent a period in
Germany where I worked closely
with Semcon’s electrical team in
Freidrichshall to learn more about
their routines. Offshoring is be-
coming increasingly important for
the service sector because it allows
our network to grow. Our com-
mon goal is to have a team that
can assist customers in various
parts of the world.” ✖
BEHIND THE SCENES
AT SEMCON BRAINS
u Do you want to know more about
Madhurima Patro, her work and the
challenges at Semcon? See the film
at semcon.com
Electronics
expert
Madhurima Patro,
Semcon India

40 FUTURE BY SEMCON
Electrical
energy
expert
Christoffer Grönberg,
Semcon Sweden
Semcon Brains
CHRISTOFFER GRÖNBERG IS an electrical
energy and automation engineer. His work
often requires a lot of detective work, where
many of the drawings he uses don’t really
match reality.
Why is electrical energy an important
area?
“Society depends on electrical functions
and a power cut can have serious consequenc-
es. My job includes developing safe, robust
electrical solutions so we avoid these issues.”
What does a typical assignment look
like?
“My assignments vary. They can range
from fault finding to problem solving and
development, quite often in one and the same
project. We recently helped a Swedish energy
company build remote steering and control
equipment for transformer sub-stations. It
was an important, complex job because the
company supplies electricity to both compa-
nies and private individuals and needed help
in improving distribution safety.”
What’s the biggest challenge?
“If I’m working on an old plant then
documentation might at best be copies of
hand-written documents. We’ve had cases
where we’ve had to go through the plant
on site to document what it actually looks
like before being able to start the new
assignment. Many of our projects deal with
rebuilding the plant during full operation,
so we need to be precise when coming up
with the decommissioning and assembly
documents. The cool thing about my job is
that it places demands on both creativity and
engineering precision for the result to be as
good as possible.” ✖

TWO YEARS AGO we wrote about Atlas
Copco Mechanical Rock Excavation
(MRE) and the gigantic machines doing
the job in modern mines. In the article we
met Andreas Stråth, Semcon’s consultant
and mechanical designer at MRE. Back
in 2012 he and his colleagues were in
the middle of four parallel development
projects. We called him up to hear how
things went.
“Things are on the move down the
mine. The last time you wrote about us I
wasn’t allowed to say too much about my
machine due to reasons of secrecy. I say
my machine because I really put my heart
and soul into this rig and was very in
volved in development. It’s now launched
on the market,” says Andreas.
This new machine, called Easer, is
nothing less than a revolution in mining.
“We use the same technology as in raise
boring (read more in Future by Semcon
#3, 2012) but this is a refinement. It’s like
a tractor that’s become an F1 car.”
The name Easer has been directly
taken from the mining industry. “Ease
off”, is what they say about the pressure
given off by an opening hole when rock
blasting.
Easer’s job in the mine is to drill these
opening holes. The biggest new addition
is that the rig is mobile and immensely
versatile.
In contrast with previous rigs Easer
doesn’t need bolting onto a concrete
platform. It takes less than one hour to
get Easer in place, which is like the speed
of light in the mining industry.
“Speed indicators tell us that we have
gone from 2 to 15 km/h, which saves half
the time for the entire job, from installa
tion to finished hole.”
Atlas Copco MRE has every right to
have high expectations of “Andreas’ rig”.
Two have already been delivered, with
ten on order for Australia alone.
“The pressure is on but we can’t quite
deliver yet. We’re still evaluating the two
we have delivered.”
Before we end for now Andreas tells us
about other development projects.
“Top Secret”. These are customer
projects undergoing rigorous testing. Call
back in two years and we’ll see.” ✖
What happened next?
Future follow up
24 FUTURE BY SEMCON 3.2012
A
FUTURE BY SEMCON 3.2012 25
W
e all remember the seven
dwarfs in Snow White.
With picks and lanterns
in their hand, they came
trudging back from yetanother day in the mine. In the past, theydidn’t have much more help than that. Ifthe rock was so hard that picks, wedges andlevers didn’t work, the rock could be burnedand heated up and you could carry on mining.It became a little easier in the 18th centurywhen gunpowder was introduced - and laterdynamite was also used. But it was still hard,strenuous work with high risks for everyoneinvolved.
Today, most things look different. At AtlasCopco Mechanical Rock Excavations (MRE)office in Örebro, there are photographs ofadvanced rock mining machinery, and thereare also several miniature models of machinesaround the premises. It is also here in theoffice cubicles that future solutions for rockexcavation are developed - both pure develop-ment projects and the modification and im-provement of existing products.
“The work here is both varied and exciting.I’m at the forefront all the time and it is a fan-tastic opportunity to be involved in designingnew products,”says Andreas Stråth, a Semconconsultant and mechanical engineer at MRE,
Within“raiseboring”,AtlasCopcoMechanicalRockExcavationhasbecometheworld-leadingsupplierfortheinternationalminingindustry.ThehugemachinesaredevelopedinÖrebroandSemconispartofthejourney.
TEXT LOTTA RINGDAHL PHOTOS ATLAS COPCO MATTIAS ERMANBRIX
GIANT IN
THEMINE

A VERSATILE, MOBILE RIG THAT DOES THE JOB
IN HALF THE TIME. THIS WAS THE RESULT WHEN
SEMCON HELPED ATLAS COPCO WITH NEW RAISE
BORING MACHINERY. AND MORE PROJECTS ARE
ALREADY ON THEIR WAY.
TEXT JOHAN JARNEVING PHOTO JOHAN BERGLING
A revolution
in raise boring
Article in Future
number 3/2012
FUTURE BY SEMCON 41

DIETER
RAMS
PHILIPPE
STARCK
IN AN INTERVIEW at Pasadena Art Center
College of Design in California, where
Dieter Rams regularly visits, he inspires
students with his motto, “simpler but
better”.
Dieter has been praised for his
ability of merging design principles
and in doing do creating cross-border
constructions. This might be be
cause he studied to be a carpenter
after studying architecture at Werk
kunstschule in Wiesbaden, Germany.
As a boy Dieter saw his grandfather,
also a carpenter, skilfully creating new
furniture creations.
The first furniture Dieter designed
he used a mix of different materials:
wood was used with plastic or alumin
ium. For 40 years from 1955 onwards
he worked at the home electronics
company Braun AG, where he be
came world-famous as the creator of
the “Braun style”. He emphasizes the
importance of teamwork and timing.
One of the most praised product his
team designed, and which immediately
made it as part of the permanent exhi
bition at Moma in New York, was the
Braun SK4 combined radio and record
player with its transparent Perspex lid.
This was new at the time when it was
standard practice to make radios from
highly polished brown wood.
“MY HEART IS IN THE DETAILS. I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE MORE
IMPORTANT THAN THE RESULT,” SAYS DIETER RAMS – ONE OF THE
WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS.
TO BE A SUCCESSFUL DESIGNER YOU SOMETIMES NEED TO THINK
OUTSIDE THE BOX AND BREAK AWAY FROM TRADITIONAL RULES. FUTURE
LISTS TEN OF THE DESIGNERS WHO HAVE SUCCEEDED WITH JUST THAT.
“IF THERE DOESN’T SEEM TO BE A PROJECT
THAT PHILLIPE STARCK CAN’T MASTER THEN
IT’S PROBABLY BECAUSE THAT’S TRUE,” SAID
DESIGN MAGAZINE DESIGN BUREAU ABOUT THE
FRENCHMAN.
10 INSPIRATIONAL DESIGNERS
PHILIPPE STARK HAS designed everything from toothbrushes to luxury
yachts. His designs are often clean and simple with elements of popular
culture, which is seen in his iconic alien-inspired Juice Salif juice press, his
branch-like taps and the gold painted lamp foot weapons that are part
of his Gun Series. The aforementioned represent the correlation between
money and war, according to Starck, who has always seen his designs
mainly as a political weapon.
The list
10 designers
42 FUTURE BY SEMCON

3THE CASTIGLIONI
BROTHERS 4CHARLOTTE
PERRIAND
THE ITALIAN industrial
design Castiglioni broth-
ers have made a name for
themselves by using mini-
mal amounts of common,
ordinary materials to provide
products with maximum
effect. Initially the brothers
became known for rede-
signing products, like chairs
made from tractor seats and
bicycle saddles. Later they
created stereo equipment
with faces and lamps just
with hanging light bulbs,
which was a trend just as hot
in 2014 as when the Castigli-
oni brothers created it.
5YVES
BEHAR 6DRIES
VAN NOTEN
7THOMAS
HEATHERWICK 8HARRY
BECK
HARRYBECK designed London’s
map of the underground back
at the beginning of the 1930s.
He worked with the under-
ground’s signalling system but
in his spare time sketched a
map that showed the different
lines, focusing on stops and the
junctions of the various lines.
The first edition was published
in only 500 copies and fell on
fertile soil. The second edi-
tion sold 700,000 copies in a
month. His graphics created the
norm for underground maps
around the world. The map has
been voted as the second most
influential British design classic.
IF YOU SEE simple, stylish
wooden furniture with un-
expected splashes of colour,
then it’s probably one of Jo
Nagasaka’s pieces that you are
looking at.
He’s possibly most well
known for his “ColoRing Series”,
which are tables and chairs
with straight sections where the
natural grain of the wood is filled
in with neon paint.
Hestartedhisowndesign
agency,SchemataArchitects,af-
tergettinghisarchitecturedegree
in1998.Heisalsoresponsiblefor
theHappyHotelexhibition,which
issaidtoshowanewkindof
hospitality:amodernhotelwitha
gallery,bookshopandcafé.
9JO
NAGASAKA 10DAVID
CHIPPERFIELD
ARCHITECT DAVID CHIPPER-
FIELD won the Nobel Foun-
dation’s architect competition
in April to design a new Nobel
Center at Blaiseholmen in
Stockholm.
The building will replace
the Nobel Museum in
Gamla Stan and will house
all facilities for the public
concerning the Nobel Prize,
including exhibition prem-
ises, meeting and event
rooms, plus library, restau-
rant and shop. Work on the
Nobel Center is expected to
start next year and it will be
inaugurated in 2018.
SINCE2007 more than two
million children and young
people in developing countries
have received an XO, which is
a simple laptop, through the
One Laptop per Child edu-
cation project. The project’s
chief designer is the Swiss
industrial designer and dura-
bility advocate Yves Behar.
In One Laptop per Child he
and his colleagues emphasize
the importance of powerful
educational tools for children
around the world. Their port-
ability makes it possible to in-
volve the entire family in learn-
ing and to share with others.
ONE OF THE youngest on the
list, born in 1970, but experi-
enced and renowned. British
designer Thomas Heather-
wick is one of the UK’s most
imaginative designers.
The Heatherwick Studio,
which now employs 80
designers, was assigned in
2010 to design a new Lon-
don bus. The bus was 40
per cent more fuel efficient
than the old diesel-driven
double-deckers, and with its
open platform at the back
is a throwback to the very
popular Routemaster buses
of the 1950s.
BELGIAN FASHION DESIGNER
Dries Van Noten presented his
first collection back in 1986.
Interest in his style dropped
in the 90s, but he managed a
comeback at the beginning of
2000. He uses a lot of print,
colour, original materials and
layers. He has been award-
ed the International Award
by the Council of Fashion
Designers of America. All
his clothes can be bought in
stores and he doesn’t create
haute couture. “I am a little
naïve but I don’t like the idea
of showing things that you
can’t buy in stores,” he says.
THE YEAR WAS 1927, the
place, Paris. One day a 24
year-old Charlotte Perriand
walked into the legendary
French-Swiss designer Le Cor-
busier’s studio and asked to be
hired as a furniture designer.
“We don’t embroider
cushions here,” they said. But
Charlotte was insistent and
eventually got what she want-
ed. This was the beginning of a
close partnership, resulting in a
number of timeless classics.
Her motto was ‘better de-
sign creates a better society’
and she took on a very func-
tional style.
FUTURE BY SEMCON 43

Future Magazine #1 2015

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