Groundbreaking project builds the electric car of the future without a climate footprint

Thu 20 Mar 2025 14:18

Mid Sweden University is participating in the Mission 0 House project, a collaboration between companies and universities. Together with companies like Polestar, Sekab, and Borgstena, materials and manufacturing processes for a zero-emission electric car will be developed.

Tre män och två kvinnor sitter vid ett bord framför en bildskärm — Recently, representatives from Mid Sweden University visited Mission 0 House to start the collaboration. From left: Hans Pehrson, director of Mission 0 House who leads the daily work, Solange Magalhães, postdoc and Mid Sweden University's researcher in the project, Magnus Norgren, professor of chemical engineering at Mid Sweden University, David Maibach, Mission 0 House's leader for the focus area chemicals and polymers, Anneli Wärn from the textile company Borgstena.

"It is a unique collaboration between researchers and experts in industry, and we look forward to contributing with our research. It is a way of working that focuses on developing new things – new products and processes – that pave the way for revolutionary methods of manufacturing cars and of course many other products in the future. All with the aim of zero emissions of greenhouse gases," says Magnus Norgren, professor of chemical engineering at Mid Sweden University, who is participating in the project.

Together with funding from several leading companies and grants from the Knowledge Foundation of SEK 50 million, the total budget amounts to SEK 100 million for the next five years.

Mission 0 House, led by Polestar and Lindholmen Science Park, started as a pilot project in 2024. Together with Mid Sweden University, the University of Borås, University West, Jönköping University and Karlstad University are also joining the collaboration. The universities will contribute with scientific expertise and together employ a total of 10 new postdocs who, together with senior researchers, will conduct research.

Companies such as Borgstena, Polestar, Sekab and SSAB represent a broad industrial competence in the automotive, textile, chemical and steel industries. Their involvement in Mission 0 House ensures that the research is relevant to real-world challenges and can be implemented effectively in industry.

"Mid Sweden University has a long experience of conducting research in collaboration with the business community, and we can bring that with us into this work. We see that our cutting-edge in research, developing sustainable materials based on cellulose, is an important contribution," says Magnus Norgren.

One of the unique aspects of Mission 0 House is that researchers and representatives from industry will spend a large part of their time in the same place and work side by side. This creates a dynamic environment where experts from different disciplines can meet and work together.

The ambition is to expand Mission 0 House to include 75 researchers and engineers. More companies, universities and financiers are encouraged to join the initiative to contribute to a fossil-free future with modern materials.

About Mission 0 House:

Mission 0 House started as an initiative of Polestar in 2022. In 2023, Polestar and Lindholmen conducted a theoretical feasibility study with the support of Vinnova, which resulted in a pilot phase in 2024. The pilot included several industry partners and universities that contributed engineers, master's students and a postdoc. The pilot phase was financed by industry partners, Vinnova and Region Västra Götaland.

Starting in early 2025, Mission 0 House is now evolving into a place where scientists and engineers meet and work together under one roof with the common task of eliminating greenhouse gases from material manufacturing and products.