Mission 0 House, a collaboration between industry and academia with the goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing processes, has secured its first long-term research funding. Several leading companies, together with the Knowledge Foundation (KK-stiftelsen), have jointly guaranteed nearly 100 million SEK for the next five years.
Mission 0 House, led by Polestar and Lindholmen Science Park, started as a pilot project in 2024. The initiative has allowed five Swedish universities to join Mission 0 House in Gothenburg: Karlstad University, University of Borås, University West, Jönköping University and Mid Sweden University. The institutions will contribute scientific expertise and hire a total of 10 new postdoctoral researchers. These researchers, along with senior scientists, will work together to develop future emission-free manufacturing methods.
– This funding is an important step towards realizing our vision of a sustainable future for the manufacturing industry. By combining academic research with industrial expertise, we can accelerate the development of groundbreaking technologies and solutions, says Hans Pehrson, who leads the daily operations at Mission 0 House.
Collaboration under one roof
The vision is to develop a groundbreaking way for academia and industry to collaborate towards sustainable and innovative solutions for the future. For Karlstad University, this means an opportunity to combine expertise from three research areas – physical chemistry, environmental and energy systems and chemical engineering. Karin Granström, professor of environmental and energy systems, is co-project leader for Mission 0 House and Patricia Saenz Mendez, associate professor of chemistry, is leading Karlstad University’s sub-project.
– We look forward to working at the forefront of research together with other universities and leading companies, says Karin Granström.
The companies Borgstena, Polestar, Sekab, and SSAB represent a broad industrial competence within the automotive, textile, chemical, and steel industries. Their involvement in Mission 0 House ensures that the research is relevant to real-world challenges, and the results have the potential to be effectively implemented by industry.
Two unique aspects of Mission 0 House are the emphasis on physical presence and close collaboration between industry and academia. This creates a dynamic environment where experts from different disciplines can meet and work together towards a common goal, promoting innovation and accelerating the development of solutions.
The ambition is to expand Mission 0 House to include 75 researchers and engineers. More companies, institutions, and financiers are encouraged to join the initiative to contribute to a fossil-free future with modern materials and processes.
– The Knowledge Foundation’s ambition is to support organizations who want to lead the way. Our contribution to Mission 0 House is a clear example of this. The initiative has the potential to break new ground in several ways, not least through the experimental mission-based approach and the fact that the initiative is led by the industry, says Eva Schelin, CEO of the Knowledge Foundation.
About Mission 0 House
Mission 0 House was initiated by Polestar in 2022. During 2023, Polestar and Lindholmen Science Park conducted a theoretical feasibility study with support from Vinnova, which led to a pilot phase in 2024. The pilot included several industry partners and universities that contributed engineers, master’s students, and a postdoctoral researcher. The funding, which amounted to over 20 MSEK, came from industry partners, Vinnova, and the Region Västra Götaland.
Starting in Q1 2025, Mission 0 House is now developing into a place where researchers and engineers collaborate under one roof with the goal of eliminating greenhouse gases from material production and products.
