The Traton Group has launched a unified Research & Development organisation, bringing together 9,000 engineers from its core brands – Scania, MAN, International, and Volkswagen Truck & Bus – in an effort to speed up the development of modular and electric technologies across its global commercial vehicle portfolio.
The new Group R&D division officially began operations on July 1. According to the company, the move aims to enhance development efficiency, foster modular system integration, and eliminate redundant work across the group. The organisation is led by Niklas Klingenberg, Executive Board member for R&D at Traton.
The joint team will work in tandem with an additional 3,000 engineers dedicated to brand-specific innovation via Brand Identity Development (BID). Traton says this structure will maximise the use of the Traton Modular System (TMS), which enables shared development of components such as electric axles, frames, motors, and battery systems while maintaining flexibility to serve brand-specific performance needs.
“The forthcoming closer cooperation in Research & Development will make us both quicker and more efficient, enabling us to develop more precisely targeted innovations and bring products to market earlier,” said Klingenberg in a statement. “This approach means we can avoid duplication of work and, at the same time, consistently tailor our product portfolio optimally to the needs of different customers across all our brands.”
Klingenberg also praised the role of the engineering workforce in the transition. “Every single engineer and talent in our organisation is indispensable in ensuring the bright future of the Traton Group. Our success depends on their expertise,” he added.
The integration is expected to generate significant synergies and cost savings by developing shared technologies for the electrification and digitalisation of commercial vehicles, as Traton pushes forward with its transformation agenda.
