In the future, the two Swedish companies POC and Volvo Car Group would like to work out ways of expanding the level of safety in road traffic and the product range of the two companies in the segments of safety and design. “We are doing our best to potentially save lives and minimize injuries in accidents involving people participating in gravity sports and everyday cycling. That is why it is an honor for us to work with Volvo Cars in the field of road safety – not only because of the vision, competence and experience with which they have led the development in safety for more than 80 years.”, explains Stefan Ytterborn, CEO and founder of POC.
The first joint research and development project by the two Swedish brands focuses on communication between vehicles and cyclists. “Improving the exchange of information with cyclists who are in the vicinity of the vehicle is a possible extension of our groundbreaking emergency brake assistant with automatic pedestrian and cyclist detection. Giving the cyclist reassurance that they are seen makes communication between road users in urban areas easier.”, explains Jan Ivarsson, Senior Manager Safety Strategy and Requirements at Volvo Car Group.
POC will release its first racing bike collection AVIP, consisting of helmets, clothing, glasses and accessories, in spring. AVIP stands for Attention, Visibility, Interaction and Protection and is the Swedes' most ambitious project to date to increase safety for racing cyclists. "POC's products combine functional design with lightweight, high-performance materials that provide maximum protection and an ultimate sense of freedom when the going gets tough.", says Thomas Ingenlat, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Car Group: “We expect a creative and fruitful cooperation. Both companies have a strong focus on safety and POC will inspire us to make safety an emotional experience and design even more desirable vehicles.”
The first results of the cooperation between POC and the Volvo Car Group should already be presented in the second half of 2014.