Past opportunity
Sustainable Polymers with Autoliv
Industry
Automotive safety
Revenue
2022
€8.7B
Employees
2022
67,000
Countries
2022
27+
About
Autoliv is the world's leading manufacturer of automotive protective systems for all major automotive OEMs. We use various polymers in automotive safety applications such as airbags, steering wheels, and seats. As the ecological footprint becomes increasingly important for the automotive industry, our aim is to find alternatives to the currently used polymers, rubber, and related glass fiber fillers with reduced GHG emission intensity.
Opportunity overview
Autoliv consumes more than 70 kton of polymers per year, excluding textiles. To reach our own 2040 emission targets and fulfill the increasing need from our customers, we currently need to offset the emissions associated with our polymer use. With this opportunity, our vision is to develop a new, more sustainable generation of safety products such as airbags, steering wheels, and seatbelts. More specifically, we are looking to reduce the GHG intensity and other sustainability impacts such as land use of our polymers with primary attributes. A desired solution could involve using more sustainable virgin materials and/or recycling the materials more efficiently.
Preferred partners must also be able to demonstrate the required performance in an automotive interior context and show scalability of their process in very large-scale serial production. We are open to investigating a wide range of high-performing polymers. The challenge is to have a primary attribute equal to today's performance that can be offered to Autoliv customers as a premium product with more design options.
Your opportunity with Autoliv
With Autoliv or a selected partner, this project has the potential for a disruptive change, starting at a fundamental level but with an outlook towards large-scale industrialization. With our yearly polymer use of 70 kton or more, there is also a significant business opportunity. A selected partner will have the opportunity to utilize our vast expertise, spanning from material science to large-scale industrial manufacturing.
For an interested partner to be considered, they must demonstrate fundamental innovation and the ability to scale up to large series production without compromising product quality. After a successful feasibility phase to ensure our requirements are met, we aim for a time to market of 2-3 years for the initial launch.
Focus Areas
Examples of solutions we’re interested in
Bio-based polymers
A successful solution could help replace fossil fuel-based polymers with a bio-based alternative.
Polymer recycling
A successful solution could help reduce the overall GHG intensity associated with the polymers by introducing more efficient recycling methods.
Performance
As an automotive safety supplier, our materials need to meet the highest performance standards. Therefore, a successful solution cannot compromise on quality and performance compared to the materials used today.
This opportunity is no longer open
Want to know when something similar might be available? Leave us your information and get notified when new business opportunities are available