The advantage of the disappearing distinction between industries is that new ways of thinking break into conventional and sometime narrow attitudes. New technologies and structures find their way in and open up space for innovation and progress. A positive trend in every regard.

We are currently engaged in a study of the automotive cluster in west Sweden. It will be interesting in the light of my above-mentioned theory. Is a consultancy that works 50 percent of the time for an automotive manufacturer itself an automotive company? We have to draw the line somewhere to create a picture of how clusters change. The result will be presented at the beginning of next year, so I ask that you get back with the answer then.

Because the demarcations between industries are disappearing it is all the more important that we find places where we can meet individuals other than those we know and usually associate with so that we can gain inspiration from encounters with new people. There´s an opportunity to see a great variety of companies that work with transportation issues in one way or another at our Automotive Forum — Way Forward, May 30-31, 2012. There is an exciting conference program and we hope to provide a meeting place with room for much more than just a single industry.

MALIN NORÉN
Automotive Sweden