Kalmar opens industry-first automated Test Centre in Ljungby, Sweden

Kalmar has officially opened its world-class, industry-first fully automated Test Centre in Ljungby, Sweden. This investment marks a strategic milestone accelerating our electric and autonomous product development. It will strengthen product reliability and shorten time-to-market, directly supporting our commitment to customer uptime and sustainable growth. The grand opening ceremony, held on 3 September, welcomed approximately 300 guests, including customers, dealers, key suppliers, industrial partners, employees and media representatives.

The Test Centre designed specifically for material handling equipment is unique in size, scope, and technical capability within the global material handling sector. Designed for 24/7 fully automated, unattended accelerated lifetime testing, it enables Kalmar to test the entire lifecycle of both its Electric Vehicle (EV) and diesel product lines under extreme conditions, with temperatures ranging from arctic cold to desert heat.

Within the facility, machines can undergo rigorous driving simulations and load testing of up to 45t, ensuring the highest level of build quality, structural uptime, and operational reliability. This cutting-edge facility will significantly accelerate Kalmar’s time-to-market for future product generations while guaranteeing outstanding operational performance under all conditions.

Alf-Gunnar Karlgren, president of Counterbalanced at Kalmar, said, “Located right next to our Innovation Centre in Ljungby, our new Test Centre is designed to push our machines to their absolute limits. By enabling 24/7 accelerated lifetime testing under extreme conditions, we are ensuring that our products deliver the highest reliability and longest possible lifetime, while simultaneously shortening our time-to-market for new developments. I am incredibly proud that we are the first OEM in the industry to offer this unique capability.”

Sami Niiranen, president and CEO of Kalmar, said, “This milestone represents the next chapter in our commitment to invest in sustainable innovations and sets a new benchmark for the industry. It shows that we are not simply following the future – we are actively shaping it.”