Hydrogen research is accelerated by Volvo scholarship for internal combustion engine technique

The scholarship called the VICE scholarship (Volvo Internal Combustion Engine) is established by Volvo Group to secure continued competence of internal combustion engine technology because of the reduced public funding for academic research in this field of technology and therefore reduced interest among students.

Annika Olsson, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Lund University, welcomes the doctoral scholarship. She says:

“In the last few years, funding for research into internal combustion engines has been reduced and national competence centers have disappeared. But in order to contribute to reduced dependence on fossil-based fuels and at the same time increase growth for Swedish companies, we need strong education and research on future propulsion technologies, in close collaboration between industry and academia. Hydrogen from surplus electricity is an example of an area where we together have the opportunity to achieve a technological leap for the benefit of the climate."

The scholarship supports the transition to sustainable transportation

Once recruited, the candidates will become industrial PhD students and will accomplish their research during 2024–2029. The students will be employed by Volvo Group, who will also finance research, supervision, and experimental expenses.

Lars Stenqvist, Chief Technology Officer at Volvo Group, explains more about the scholarship. He says:

“Our scholarship is an initiative to not only safeguard education of researchers but also to aid the transition to sustainable transportation with one of the three propulsion technologies of the Volvo Group. It’s important for industry and academia to have a strong partnership and we welcome more initiatives to secure long-term knowledge of the internal combustion engine. “

The PhD scholarship from Volvo enables research collaboration with both LTH and Chalmers University of Technology. Martin Nilsson Jacobi, President and CEO of Chalmers University of Technology, says:

"Hydrogen research at Chalmers, not least with the TechForH2 center, is an exciting and collaborative environment that will be further enriched with the new PhD scholarship. The technology being developed represents further steps in the transition to a fossil-free society. Hydrogen combustion can create robustness and thereby help us cope with many global transition scenarios."

“We believe that the future will demand varied propulsion applications“

Volvo Group advocates further research and development of the internal combustion engine to help reach net zero across trucks, buses, construction, marine and industrial solutions. The group uses a range of the latest propulsion technologies in its ambition to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emission-enabled products, solutions, and services by 2040.

“We believe that the future will demand varied propulsion applications to meet our customers’ needs and environmental demands. This is why we are taking a three-pronged approach to propulsion. I see the internal combustion engine running on green hydrogen as another solution of high interest which we are currently testing in our engine labs and test vehicles,” says Lars Stenqvist.