Every year, there are around 1900 train accidents worldwide - more than five a day. Accidents that can have devastating consequences for both people and society. Roger Danielsson, through his company RXD, has created a synchronized crash absorber for trains, i.e. an energy absorber in the coupling between the train cars. A great innovation with the aim of saving human lives and changing the future of rail traffic. Through Dalarna Science Park, RXD receives coaching in business development with a focus on sustainable process innovations.
-"I have always enjoyed creating and developing new concepts," says innovator Roger Danielsson, at RXD in Avesta. After graduating from Dalarna University, I have worked at several large and small companies in Dalarna and traveled all over the world. The focus has always been sales and development as well as the creation of new solutions. Trains have gradually become a specialty area where I have immersed myself and seen both shortcomings, challenges and opportunities. And it is this that I have now taken further, says Roger. "Together in the project team, we want to contribute to offering safer, sustainable, more efficient and lighter solutions for trains.
Sweden is a leading country in trains, and we have a good knowledge of technology and safety. But there are many countries that have high knowledge in this area such as France and Germany, Italy and Japan to name a few, says Roger.
-"We at RXD have now developed a patented safety system that distributes energy in the event of an accident, thus avoiding derailment - hence our slogan Stay on Track. Trains are also safer because there are specific zones on the trains that absorb the energy. According to previous investigations by the Accident Investigation Commission, the direct or indirect cause of derailments has been insufficiently tight couplings.
-"Another part of the innovation is the GREEN BUFFERS cloud service," says Roger Danielsson. When an accident occurs, it is registered digitally and information is sent which part of the coupling has been damaged via a control center. This means that exactly the right part can be replaced and material consumption is streamlined. We work sustainably and climate-smart and this can also facilitate the work of, for example, the Accident Investigation Commission when investigating accidents.
Through Dalarna Science Park, RXD has gone through a sustainability module that looks at various challenges and opportunities to influence climate, economy and social aspects. The innovation includes traceability of the material and together with an initiated life cycle analysis, the product is developed to contribute to the least possible climate impact.
- We know that GREEN BUFFERS will help to solve many problems in train traffic. We see that it can work in all rail traffic, such as trams, metro cars, express trains, etc. Earlier this year, we did real train tests on the damper function and before that the material was tested together with SSAB. We are also in close dialog with suppliers, train manufacturing experts and end users to ensure that the launch works optimally. We want our customers to get a product and service that is 100% functional and of the highest quality, both for new trains and upgrades of existing trains. That's why we want to enable close cooperation with relevant actors such as coupling manufacturers, wagon builders and end customers/operators; everyone involved should have the opportunity to use this safe and sustainable solution," says Roger.
Through Dalarna Science Park's incubator, work is currently underway to build a functioning process innovation, develop a marketing strategy and develop sustainability issues.
During the first period in the incubator, RXD has passed crucial technical milestones and verified that the products deliver on their promises in real-life crash tests. We have also worked on sustainability issues related to the technology and its use. GREEN BUFFERS fit incredibly well into the transition from road to rail-based passenger and freight transport. Now an exciting phase awaits with market introduction and dialog with major international players," says Jörgen Steen, business coach at Dalarna Science Park.
In connection with Dalarna Science Park, RXD will also have the opportunity to connect with other companies, potential customers and partners. Through the Ignite platform, there are opportunities for matchmaking, i.e. meetings between buyers and sellers. And here Roger sees potential for the future.
-"We want to become a world leader with GREEN BUFFERS, and we see that we can sell to customers internationally directly. And then it is fantastic with networks and collaborations of various kinds. Through our ability to work in an integrated way with stakeholders throughout the value chain, we want to offer our customers sustainable competitiveness - at all stages.
*RXD - Research eXchange Development
3 tips for other entrepreneurs
Roger Danielsson shares three pieces of advice for other entrepreneurs;
- Be passionate about what you do and surround yourself with good and great people
- Be open to new knowledge and seek support, e.g. through the business incubator
- Think strategically about sustainability - it should be integrated and done right!
