Trucks for all: Developing norm-critical innovation at Volvo

The aim of this project is to create forms for norm-aware perspectives in the Volvo Group´s innovation processes, with the goal of thereby contributing to making the transport sector more inclusive. By applying the concept of norm-awareness the project seeks to explore underlying and sometimes un-reflected norms that influence innovation processes and that thereby may impede such processes. The project explores what new possibilities for innovation that increased norm-awareness may open up.

The project is expected to result in greater knowledge of, a) how the Volvo Group´s innovation processes can be made more norm-aware, b) development of new tools for

norm-aware innovation, c) development of a model for understanding organisational readiness from a norm-aware perspective (NORM-OM), and d) new knowledge on these processes being presented in an international research context.

The project works with interactive workshops, bringing together scholars, NGO´s and co-workers at the Volvo Group, to develop conditions and tools for norm-aware

innovation processes. The focus is on increased norm-awareness, especially with regards to the ways the organisation uses personas, which are used to create concrete images of the demands, needs and qualities of different driver categories. Furthermore, the project also deals with specific dilemmas related to norms in the Volvo Group´s innovation culture.