Semcon (Scandinavian Engineering & Marketing Consultants) is a Swedish multinational technology company, specialized in product development. Semcon collaborates mainly with companies in the
automotive industry
The automotive industry comprises a wide range of company, companies and organizations involved in the design, Business development, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industry ...
,
energy
In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat a ...
and
life science
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy t ...
sectors. It has 2,000 specialised employees, and conducts the entire product development cycle, from strategy and technology development to design and product information.
Semcon was founded in
Västerås
Västerås ( , , ) is a city in central Sweden on the shore of Mälaren, Lake Mälaren in the province of Västmanland, west of Stockholm. The city had a population of 127,799 at the end of 2019, out of the municipal total of 154,049.
Västerås ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, in 1980 and has offices in over 40 locations in nine different countries. In 2015, the Group reported annual sales of SEK 2.6 billions.
There are both single assignments and projects where specific teams are formed for product development. The company operates several research projects, including
Sonic Movement
Sonic Movement is a research project operated by the Swedish company Semcon. Premiered in September 2013, Sonic Movement proposes an "adaptive" system of warning sounds and noises for electric cars, which is in opposition to industry trend of repl ...
, which is developing sound effects for electric cars.
History
Semcon was founded in 1980 in
Västerås
Västerås ( , , ) is a city in central Sweden on the shore of Mälaren, Lake Mälaren in the province of Västmanland, west of Stockholm. The city had a population of 127,799 at the end of 2019, out of the municipal total of 154,049.
Västerås ...
by Arvid Hansen. In 1983, Hansen also started operations in
Gothenburg
Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
and, in 1985, the head office was moved to Gothenburg. In 1990, Semcon was sold to VIAK. VIAK was then sold to VBB Group. After a management buy out, Semcon was introduced to the Swedish Stock Exchange in 1997. A rapid growth and expansion in Sweden took place.
In the beginning of 2000, Semcon started a series of sub brands such as Zipper, Zuite, Zystems, Zooma, Zingle, Zetup with a focus on IT. (called the Z-companies) Pentech in the UK was acquired in 2005 and this was the first Semcon operation outside Sweden. In 2005, the first office in China was opened and soon one in Hungary. Two larger acquisitions took place in 2007: German IVM Automotive, and Swedish Caran. With IVM Automotive, Semcon now also had operations in Brazil, India and Germany. The Z-companies were sold except Zooma.
In February 2017, Semcon sold its business area Engineering Services Germany to
Valmet Automotive
Valmet M82, Valmet Automotive (formerly known as Saab-Valmet) is a Finnish vehicle contract manufacturer and supplier for the development and production of battery systems as well as a supplier for roof and kinematic systems.
In its development ...
. The German branch for product information remained Semcon.
Core business
Semcon offers engineering services and product information services for the entire product development chain, from requirement studies to finished product.
''Engineering Services:''
The three main areas are product development, production development and plant design. These include:
→Automotive engineering
→Mechanics
→Electrics & electronics
→Plant design
→Design
→Automation
→Test & verification
→Design→
→User experience
→Project management
→Quality
→Production & process development
→Calculation & simulation
''Product Information:''
The three main areas are online marketing communication, after market information and distribution of information. These include:
→Information strategy
→Information design
→Serviceability
→Online marketing communication
→Information management
→Training
→Product and user information
→Service information
→Parts & accessories information
→Illustration & graphics
→Digital distribution.
Business areas
Semcon is grouped in three business areas:
Engineering Services Nordic
Engineering services in the Nordic region. This encompasses varied sectors of activity including: automotive engineering, industrial design, mechanical design, production technology, prototypes, electricity and automation, embedded systems, both hardware and software.
Engineering Services International
Engineering services in Brazil, India, UK and Russia. This encompasses varied sectors of activity including: automotive engineering, industrial design, mechanical design, production technology, prototypes, electricity and automation, embedded systems, both hardware and software.
Product Information
Business area product information delivers services ranging from online marketing communication to aftermarket information for complex products, software and plants. The business area has activities in Sweden, Germany, China, UK, and Hungary.
Projects
Campaigns from Semcon during 2016 involving internal product development has been Smart Bike Engine, The Smiling Car and Re-Search. Other projects includes Autonomous snow removal vehicle and product information for CEVT.
Sonic Movement
Sonic Movement
Sonic Movement is a research project operated by the Swedish company Semcon. Premiered in September 2013, Sonic Movement proposes an "adaptive" system of warning sounds and noises for electric cars, which is in opposition to industry trend of repl ...
is a research project operated by Semcon.
Premiered in September 2013,
Sonic Movement proposes creating a new "adaptive" system of warning sounds and noises for
electric cars
An electric car, battery electric car, or all-electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using only energy stored in batteries. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric cars are quie ...
,
which is in opposition to another industry trend of replicating
combustion engine noises for electric car sound effects.
Founders James Brooks and Fernando Ocaña are on the design team, as well as artists
Holly Herndon
Holly Herndon (born 1980) is an American composer, musician, sound artist and sound designer based in Berlin, Germany. After studying composition at Stanford University and completing her Ph.D. at Stanford University's Center for Computer Resea ...
and Matt Dryhurst.
The project aims to meet a proposal for a US mandate which would require all quiet electric vehicles to emit warning sounds,
as well as legislation passed by the
European parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
in April 2014, which states that all new electric cars sold in the EU had to emit noise by 2019.
However, Ocaña notes that while legislators are "looking at this from a technical point of view,
onic Movement islooking at it from a user experience point of view."
References
{{reflist, 2, refs =
[{{cite news
, title = About
, url = http://www.sonic-movement.com/
, publisher = SonicMovement.com
, date =
, accessdate = 2014-04-15
]
[{{cite news
, title = BBC radio. Jarvis Cocker discusses Sonic Movement with James Brooks and Fernando Ocana
, first =
, last =
, url = http://soundcloud.com/sonic-movement/bbc-radio-jarvis-cocker
, newspaper =
, publisher = ]BBC Radio
BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...
, date = November 2013
, accessdate = 2014-04-15
[{{cite news
, title = Solving electric cars' quiet problem
, first = Chris
, last = Neiger
, url = http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20131015-a-soundtrack-for-electric-cars
, newspaper = BBC Autos
, publisher =
, date = October 15, 2013
, accessdate = 2014-04-15
]
[{{cite news
, title = The Ambience of Sonic Movement
, first = Eric
, last = Gallina
, url = http://formtrends.com/the-ambience-of-sonic-movement/
, newspaper = Form Trends
, publisher =
, date = October 23, 2013
, accessdate = 2014-04-15
]
[{{cite news
, title = Designing the sound of tomorrow's electric cars
, first = Nargess Shahmanesh
, last = Banks
, url = http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/home/new_cars/display/store4/item298184/
, newspaper =
, publisher = ]Car Design News
''Car Design News'' (''CDN'') () is an online news and information service for the international automotive design community. ''CDN'' covers production and concept cars, the career moves of significant car designers, major international auto sho ...
, date = April 15, 2014
, accessdate = 2014-04-15
[{{cite news
, title = Sonic Movement
, url = http://cargocollective.com/sonicmovement
, publisher = Cargo Collective
, date =
, accessdate = 2014-04-15
]
External links
Semcon's share information
Companies based in Gothenburg
Multinational companies headquartered in Sweden
1980 establishments in Sweden
Companies established in 1980
Consulting firms of Sweden
Engineering consulting firms
Companies listed on Nasdaq Stockholm