Recas is now revitalizing Saab’s and Nevs’ former testing laboratory on the Stallbacka site in Trollhättan. This means an entirely new opportunity for various industries to test and validate products at an early stage of the development process.

“We know the need is great. It feels fantastic to create better conditions for business development and at the same time make use of all the established equipment and expertise in testing that we already have in the company,” says Recas CEO Micael Lawson.

For Micael Lawson, the initiative also marks a return to the place where he began his own engineering career. He moved from Jämtland to Trollhättan 25 years ago to work at the then Saab, but after the car manufacturer’s bankruptcy in 2011, he took his experience and knowledge to the Norwegian oil industry. He founded Recas in 2012, and today the company offers a range of services in the technology sector with a focus on construction, production, IT, and software.

The starting point is always sustainable and efficient business development with people at the center. Around 70 employees operate from the office at Innovatum District in Trollhättan, and an office is being established in Gothenburg.

Recas taking over the operation of the lab at Stallbacka after Nevs is not only emotional for Micael Lawson. Above all, it provides another new and strategically important opportunity for both new and existing customers.

“Many companies lack early stages of testing in the development process, and then risk failing in certification, such as the government-owned organization Rise conducts. We now fill that gap by offering a development lab. This saves both time and money for the companies. For us, this is also a way to contribute to the business development in Trollhättan and Sweden, but we also know that there is demand and interest in Scandinavia and across Europe,” notes Micael Lawson.

Responsible for the Recas Labs business area with testing equipment for climate, sound, EMC, and vibrations is another experienced former Saab employee. Mats Ericsson has joined Recas after more than ten years as workshop manager at Volvo Buses. He looks forward to taking advantage of all the lab’s opportunities and ensuring that Recas becomes a valuable partner for many companies.

“For example, we can recreate all kinds of climates, and in the measurement lab, most geometric requirements are handled and analyzed, ranging from standardized measurements to advanced analysis methods. Our facilities are designed to test and validate products from a wide variety of markets, not just the automotive industry. Our goal is to be an independent player and contribute to more companies designing and producing in Sweden,” says Mats Ericsson.

He has already started the lab operations with several customers and begun to build an organization with both existing and new employees.

Micael Lawson sees the initiative as strategically important for the Stallbacka area, where Trollhättan City’s property company, Kraftstaden Fastigheter, via a subsidiary, is now the landlord for the properties that previously belonged to Nevs. In the initial stage, Recas has bought certain parts, while other parts are initially operated through lease agreements.

“Now we have the facilities and can, with a flexible approach, create solutions in collaboration with other companies that have specialist expertise in testing. Our technicians have extensive experience, and now we have a development lab with the necessary equipment. It’s a combination that gives us a unique opportunity to offer the right expertise. With the lab as part of our service offering, we can provide expertise from a blank sheet to testing the finished product,” says Micael Lawson.

He is convinced that in the long run, we will see a flourishing Stallbacka again, filled with producing companies that stand up in the global competition.

“We already have, for example, Polestar here with its development center.”

Recas will also develop a portable testing equipment with an accompanying team, to be able to visit customers throughout the Nordic region and offer its new services.

“Then we have the entire defense industry, which has been forced into an entirely new situation,” says Micael Lawson.

The lab investment follows Recas’ strategy in a clear way.

“We can take a comprehensive approach to both physical establishment and competence supply, as we did with the establishment of Nibe’s development center at Innovatum. In the same way, we can focus on a specific area for our customers. The important thing for us is that through our knowledge, we develop functioning structures and efficient working methods that contribute to our customers’ development. In our ownership directive, we clearly state that we want to contribute to production in Trollhättan. This may mean that we also make acquisitions,” says Micael Lawson.

Kraftstaden welcomes Recas to the Stallbacka Industrial Campus.

“Together, we and Recas, with their development drive and expertise, will create an open environment where academia and business can further increase collaboration. It will strengthen the development of the Stallbacka area,” says Anders Torslid, CEO, Kraftstaden Fastigheter.

Recas’ test laboratory is equipped with:

• Measurement Lab

• Climate Wind Tunnel

• Climate Lab

• Sound and Vibration Lab

• EMC Expertise

For more information, contact:
Micael Lawson
CEO, Recas
Tel: 0702-099 910