The TRATON GROUP is showing how innovation can be strengthened through collaboration.
With a unified Group R&D in place, the company is pooling its engineering expertise in a shared
mission and a modular approach to shape the future of sustainable transportation.
On July 1, 2025, the TRATON GROUP entered a new phase in its development: around 9,000
employees from the Research & Development (R&D) organizations of the brands Scania, MAN,
International, and Volkswagen Truck & Bus were brought together in a joint Group R&D organization.
The new organization is led by Executive Board Member Niklas Klingenberg, who is responsible for
R&D across the Group.
The Group R&D organization works closely with around 3,000 colleagues in the brands’ R&D teams.
As part of Brand Identity Development, these teams continue to focus on brand-specific innovations
and ensure that the unique requirements of each brand and its customers are safeguarded.
“In the end, we are here to serve the customers of our brands. That is our shared commitment.”
Niklas Klingenberg, Member of the Executive Board of TRATON SE, responsible for Group Research & Development
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Christian Gramm
Global Section Head Modularization Planning
Helen Sjöblom
Domain Head Vehicle Interaction
Scott Smay
Global Domain Head, TMS Central Verification, Modular Solutions
Andrea Leitl
Section Head Digital Methods & Systems GER
Rodrigo Reis
Global Domain Head Chassis & Cab Testing & Verification
Lina Ankargren
Global Domain Head, Charging & Power Distribution
Christian Gramm
Global Section Head Modularization Planning
Helen Sjöblom
Domain Head Vehicle Interaction
Scott Smay
Global Domain Head, TMS Central Verification, Modular Solutions
Andrea Leitl
Section Head Digital Methods & Systems GER
Rodrigo Reis
Global Domain Head Chassis & Cab Testing & Verification
Lina Ankargren
Global Domain Head, Charging & Power Distribution
Unleashing synergies
“We are one R&D community, with the same objective: to make our brands successful by
utilizing all the skills we have across the organization,” Klingenberg explains. “We
believe we can be among the best R&D organizations in the world, delivering strong value
to customers across all brands.”
By consolidating R&D, TRATON aims to unlock synergies by reducing duplication of work,
improving integration, and accelerating time to market. Standardized interfaces, balanced performance
steps, and modular components developed once and used across multiple brands are key elements
of this strategy.
A unified roadmap
The move to a Group-wide R&D structure was driven by TRATON’s ambition to fully leverage its
modular architecture, the TRATON Modular System. Under the previous setup, R&D activities were
more fragmented. The new organization enables TRATON R&D to eliminate redundancies, increase
development speed, and integrate components more efficiently across all brands.
A unified roadmap supports the joint development of battery packs, propulsion units, and electrical
architectures. By harmonizing the electrical architecture, TRATON can scale software development,
deploy updates faster, and deliver consistent innovation across the Group.
At the same time, Klingenberg emphasizes the continued importance of conventional technologies.
“We need to further develop our existing products with conventional combustion engines alongside
overall vehicle technology.”
“We believe we can be among the best R&D organizations in the world, delivering strong value to customers across all brands.”
Niklas Klingenberg, Member of the Executive Board of TRATON SE, responsible for Group Research & Development
Building a shared culture
Establishing a Group-wide R&D organization on this scale is a complex task.
While such transformations often take years, TRATON implemented the transition within months.
The process required significant effort across the organization, involving close collaboration
between IT, HR, Finance, Communications, and many other teams, as well as representatives from
R&D sites across the Group.
Beyond structure and processes, building a shared culture is essential. “To support this, we
launched the TRATON R&D Way,” says Klingenberg. The initiative brings together shared values,
leadership principles, and ways of working that define how TRATON R&D operates across brands
and regions.
Establishing a new normal
Looking ahead, Klingenberg highlights the importance of stabilizing the new organization.
“We are in the midst of aligning roles, processes, and responsibilities to establish a new
normal.”
Key priorities include accelerating the roll-out of unified IT systems, further embedding the
TRATON R&D Way, and defining a clear strategic direction — including how methods are developed
and where focus areas should lie. “We also want to make better use of new capacities,” Klingenberg
adds. In particular, TRATON is exploring how to leverage local R&D capabilities in China, apply
artificial intelligence, and scale best practices across the organization.
For Klingenberg, the transformation is ultimately about responsibility and commitment.
“It’s a commitment to our employees — to build an efficient R&D organization that delivers
strong customer value. In the end, we are here to serve the customers of our brands. That
is our shared commitment.”
