The two Swedish companies POC and Volvo Car Group intend to explore ways to enhance road safety and expand their product offerings in the safety and design segments. “We do everything we can to potentially save lives and minimize injuries in accidents, both when participating in gravity sports and during everyday cycling. That's why we are honored to collaborate with Volvo Cars in the field of road safety – not only because of the vision, expertise, and experience with which they have led the development of safety for more than 80 years,” explains Stefan Ytterborn, CEO and founder of POC.
The first joint research and development project between the two Swedish brands focuses on communication between vehicles and cyclists. “Improving information exchange with cyclists near the vehicle is a potential extension of our groundbreaking emergency braking system with automatic pedestrian and cyclist detection. Assuring cyclists that they are seen simplifies communication between road users in urban areas,” explains Jan Ivarsson, Senior Manager of Safety Strategy and Requirements at Volvo Car Group.
POC will launch its first road cycling collection, AVIP, this spring, consisting of helmets, apparel, eyewear, and accessories. AVIP stands for Attention, Visibility, Interaction, and Protection, and is the Swedish company's most ambitious project to date aimed at increasing safety for road cyclists. "POC's products combine functional design with lightweight, high-performance materials that provide maximum protection and an ultimate feeling of freedom, even when things get tough," says Thomas Ingenlat, Senior Vice President of Design at the Volvo Car Group. "We anticipate a creative and fruitful collaboration. Both companies share a strong commitment to safety, and POC will inspire us to make safety an emotional experience and to 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.