Kicking off Move2Green: Kalmar's bold five-year vision for zero-carbon logistics in heavy industry

Jukka Borgman, Kalmar’s Director, Technology and Research, answers some key questions about Move2Green and its anticipated outcomes.

What are the main objectives of the Move2Green program?

From Kalmar’s perspective, the aim is to build future business. In our technology strategy, we have defined certain focus areas, and this program allows us to advance them with the support of Business Finland. It lets us take more risks and move faster, starting things earlier than we otherwise could.

By beginning sooner, we can create new products, services and features to our offering earlier. The program also includes a broad ecosystem, and those partners can receive their own direct funding from Business Finland. The idea is not only that Kalmar develops solutions, but that we involve the ecosystem too. This way, more people can focus on the same goals, results come faster, and we can gain valuable new viewpoints from outside our organisation.

What is your own role in the Move2Green program, and what do you find inspiring in this role?

I’m responsible for Kalmar technology, and my team is leading the Move2Green program. What inspires me is the growth potential in technology and product development. We already have equipment and services with unique features you can’t find elsewhere. These deliver superior customer value, which drives Kalmar’s growth and profitability.

Kalmar wants to be a good partner in return, so we can develop solutions together in a true win-win setup.

The program brings together more than 150 ecosystem partners, ranging from tech firms to universities. How will this network be built, and how do you manage collaboration across such a diverse group?

We’re holding a big kickoff event on October 6, with the aim of attracting many new potential ecosystem partners. At the event, we’ll share where Kalmar is heading, what Move2Green is about, and what kind of partners we are looking for.

We also want to hear from partners about their own ideas and how they could join the program. This is our first big step in building the ecosystem, and we will invest in broader communication going forward. The plan is to hold such events annually and expand the network by finding the best possible partners.

Of course, Kalmar also wants to be a good partner in return, so we can develop solutions together in a true win-win setup. Some partners may also bring their own products that could later become part of our offering. These could be software, components, sensors or services.

What specific roles are universities and research institutions playing in Move2Green?

Universities and research institutes focus more on research than development. They work on early-stage topics and phenomena, like sensors and other technologies, often from a theoretical angle. In Move2Green, they could produce research results that Kalmar and other companies can apply to products and test in practice. If they provide new customer value, we commercialise them. We also want to provide universities and research institutes with challenges, research topics and funding.

Move2Green’s guiding themes include electrification. Could you share some of the most promising technological developments related to it?

Customers want to reduce emissions from our equipment during their usage. That naturally means moving from diesel to electric, with hybrid powerline as a transition phase. We already have electric machines, but further developments are coming, for example in charging. The challenge is charging faster to minimize the machine downtime due to charging. We are looking at ultra-fast charging and even technologies that allow charging while the machine is in operation.

Battery technology is another key area. The goal is to store more energy, ideally the equivalent of a tankful of diesel, refill as fast as diesel, and have a battery last through as many charging cycles as possible without wearing out, at a comparable cost. We’re not quite there yet in all the aspects, but electric machines are already superior to diesel-powered in many aspects. We are also studying alternative fuels. If some of our equipment in the future still uses combustion engines, the fuel must be as low-emission as possible. Today, we already see HVO biodiesel in use with our machines, and in shipping, there is research into methanol, ammonia and hydrogen engines. 

The next step is mixed traffic mode, meaning environments where autonomous machines work alongside manually driven machines and pedestrians.

The program also focuses on smart equipment. What innovations can we expect to see?

Mobile work machines are becoming more automated, similar to cars. First come driver-assist features, like brake assist or lane assist, and the goal is full autonomy.

We already have fully automated machines in ports, but they operate in closed-off areas. The next step is mixed traffic mode, meaning environments where autonomous machines work alongside manually driven machines and pedestrians, but still manage to navigate and move containers independently.

This requires advanced sensors. Current sensors work well in clear weather, but may struggle in fog or snow. We need better, more diverse sensors, plus AI solutions that process the data for reliable navigation and container handling, even in challenging conditions.

Digitalisation is another part of automation. In the future, the physical machine will be only one part of the value. The data it generates and the smart use of that data can bring major benefits, like improved efficiency and safety for customers. We welcome ecosystem partners to join us in developing these solutions.

How are circular economy principles and lifecycle thinking going to be integrated into the solutions developed within the Move2Green program?

We’ve already done a lot to support sustainability goals, but looking at every product and service through a circular economy lens is still new for us. Extending the lifespan of our equipment is key.

The EU Battery Directive is setting stricter rules for battery recycling. We will need to take back used batteries from customers and decide what to do with them, reuse them in some way, or recycle them to recover valuable raw materials for new batteries.

We also need to think about extending product lifecycles. That can mean upgrades to older machines, replacing worn parts, or other measures to keep machines running longer. Eventually, when a product is no longer worth upgrading, it must be recycled in the right way.

Beyond environmental impact, how will this program influence employment and R&D investment across the ecosystem?

This is exactly why Business Finland is funding the program. The expectation is that new products and services will grow Kalmar’s sales and profits, and this allows us to invest more in R&D.

Because ecosystem partners are involved, they grow with us. The whole idea is that Kalmar acts as the engine that exports Finnish know-how. That means more R&D activity, more jobs in development, and, as sales grow, more employment across the whole supply chain. This also benefits Finland through taxes and jobs.

I believe our equipment will be the most productive, efficient, low-emission and also the safest on the market.

Looking ahead to 2045, how do you envision Kalmar’s role in enabling net-zero logistics chains globally through this program?

I see us playing a big role. We already have some 68,000 machines installed worldwide. By 2045, many new types of equipment will operate with net-zero emissions. In global container and heavy material handling, I believe our equipment will be the most productive, efficient, low-emission and also the safest on the market. Productivity and safety must go hand in hand. These themes are central to Move2Green. If the program succeeds, Kalmar will be much bigger by 2045, both in absolute terms and compared to our competitors.

What should Kalmar’s website visitors and social media followers expect from Move2Green in the near future?

They can expect a lot of communication and new opportunities. I also hope followers will actively reach out to share ideas on what we could do together. Once we get started with partners, I can promise an interesting journey ahead. A journey that hopefully leads to long-term partnerships beneficial to both sides.

Learn more about the Move2Green program