Driving the future of load handling: Inside Hiab’s Advanced Controls

Load handling industry is undergoing a massive structural shift. Driven by autonomous solutions, electrification, electro-hydraulic systems, functional safety, and software-defined architectures, the equipment of tomorrow will be vastly different from what we have been used to.

To stay ahead of this curve and maintain its position as an industry pioneer, Hiab has set up a dedicated, group-wide organization: Advanced Controls. Led by the Vice President Hannu Hyttinen, a seasoned professional with over 20 years of R&D experience within Hiab, the unit operates across locations in Finland, Poland and Sweden. 

Advanced Controls is built upon three critical pillars: Autonomous Technologies, Olsbergs Electronics and Hydraulics, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). The organization works seamlessly with business-specific R&D teams to deliver market-leading, innovative solutions.

Hannu Hyttinen, Vice President, Advanced Controls, Hiab

“Hiab has strong R&D, product understanding, business acumen, and market insights across our business areas. Advanced Controls can support the ongoing product development across Hiab’s businesses with new technologies and fresh offerings that meet market and customer needs,” explains Hannu Hyttinen.

Autonomous Technologies for a changing world

Autonomous Technologies, one of Advanced Controls’s future technology development areas, focuses on solving real-world macroeconomic and logistical challenges via autonomous operations, most notably the severe global shortage of skilled operators.

Hiab's autonomous capabilities are essential for autonomous on-road logistics

“The driver shortage is growing globally, and autonomous trucks will increase in traffic in the future. Hiab has already shown that we can provide solutions today, but above all, we are preparing for the future,” says Hyttinen.

He continues: “Advanced Controls creates autonomous, hydraulic, and electronic solutions for Hiab that help us stand out better from competitors in the future. At the same time we are providing unique solutions to help our customers navigate upcoming challenges.”

By gradually introducing user-assistive features and automated solutions, Hiab is creating a compelling package that matches the autonomous capabilities being developed by truck OEMs, perfectly bridging the gap for less experienced operators.

Olsbergs' in-house technologies drive profitable growth and synergies

Acquired in 2022 to strengthen Hiab’s technological leadership, Olsbergs operates out of two key Swedish locations: Eksjö, where the hydraulic valves are manufactured, and Vallentuna, home of its electronics.

Olsbergs electronic and hydraulic solutions bring competitive advantages to Hiab. Image copyright: Olsbergs

By controlling the development and manufacturing of these core components, Hiab drives margin uplift and standardizes unique controls across its portfolio. Specifically, Olsbergs supports Hiab to own the three key components that form the core of loader crane operations:

• Input: Olsbergs remote controllers (steering by the operator)
• Control: The advanced SPACEevo system (the "brain" programming the operations)
• Execution: Olsbergs hydraulic valves (precision in physical movement)

Hiab operates in an industry where full vertical integration of all electrical and mechanical hardware is neither capital-efficient nor technically viable. In standard electronic and hydraulic components, global offering is broad and product differentiation minimal. That's why external partners and suppliers are used for standard products while retaining control of premium technology development and manufacturing in-house.

Insourcing premium and highly differentiated technology has proven to be strategically critical. With Olsbergs, that is clearly evident and provides a strategic edge.

“To build and meet the demand for smart solutions, increasingly advanced technology and components are continually required,” Hyttinen notes. “Future machinery will rely more and more on advanced sensors and connectivity units. Olsbergs does not only have the know-how to develop these systems, but it also manufactures these key components in-house. Being able to do all of this inside the company accelerates our development work and allows us to bring solutions to market faster, without relying on external companies or service providers.”

IPR – Protecting the pioneer position

With such a heavy emphasis on rapid, in-house technological advancement, protecting innovations is paramount. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) - the third pillar in Advanced Controls - guarantees freedom to operate and ensures that Hiab's unique offerings are safeguarded from copying.

IPR management protects Hiab’s competitive edge

However, IPR is not just a defensive shield; it is an active commercial tool.

“As Hiab creates unique solutions (being first in the industry to make unique solutions for customers) the greater the opportunity we have to protect these solutions and strengthen our market position through IPR,” Hyttinen explains. “When discussing with new customers and new partners, IPR can also be used as a tool in those discussions to set Hiab apart. It emphasizes that we have something unique, that we were first to do something great and significant which solves problems recognized by the market.”

A sustainable competitive advantage

The transition to intelligent, autonomous load handling systems requires a profound fusion of capabilities. By combining deep in-house knowledge of hydraulics, electronics, and application software, Advanced Controls is significantly speeding up the development of new features.

Through the combined strengths of Autonomous Technologies, the precision of Olsbergs solutions, and a robust IPR portfolio, Hiab is not just responding to the structural shifts in the industry; it is driving them.

For more information, please have a look at the following:

• L2 Driver Support for Multilift Hooklift Operations
• Olsbergs video