At the start of the 1990s the government, in close collaboration with the automotive industry, invested in a vehicle research programme called ffp. Both sides invested SEK 30 million per year in the initial years. Its most important impact was helping strengthen the research expertise of the automotive industry and its interest in and capacity to absorb research results into its own development activity. Amongst other things, this was because the industry could employ research-trained people. It also helped strengthen the collaboration with universities and research institutes and bolstered the internal competitiveness of passenger car manufacturers within foreignowned groups. Aided by ffp, both Volvo PV and Saab were able to establish-internal Excellence Centers within important technological fields.
Accordingly, the Vehicle Research Programme has made a significant contribution to maintaining the Swedish automotive industry's competitiveness through strengthened research expertise and absorption capacity, strengthened collaborative relationships with universities, strengthened internal competitiveness for passenger car manufacturers within foreign-owned groups and vital research results applicable in product development.
For summary in Swedish see/för svensk sammanfattning se "Sammanfattning - Effekter av statligt stöd till fordonsforskning" (Vinnova Rapport/Analys VA 2009:11).
For full version of this impact analysis in Swedish see/för fullständig version se "Effekter av statligt stöd till fordonsforskning" (Vinnova Rapport/Analys VA 2009:02).