Klas Hedvall

Klas Hedvall is a researcher at Chalmers University of Technology specializing in the Department of Technology Management and Economics within the Supply and Operations Management division. His academic work focuses on business networks, industrial network approaches, and solutions in business-to-business contexts, with particular emphasis on transport systems and heavy vehicle maintenance.

Dr. Hedvall completed his doctoral thesis 'Conceptualising Solutions in Business Networks: The Case of Heavy Vehicle Maintenance' in March 2020. His research has been supported by significant funding bodies including VINNOVA and the Volvo Group through projects such as 'Efficient Maintenance for Sustainable Transport Solutions (EMATS)' (2015-2018) and 'AUTOFREIGHT 2' (2022-2025).

Hedvall's research centers on understanding how solutions emerge and evolve within business networks through resource interaction and integration across organizational boundaries. His conceptual model highlights temporal and spatial embeddedness of solutions and emphasizes how interdependencies across firm boundaries affect solution efficiency and value. His work advocates for an 'interaction-centric' approach to solutions that acknowledges interconnected characteristics of business networks.

His publication portfolio shows a consistent trajectory from theoretical development of the Industrial Network Approach toward practical applications in transport and maintenance solutions, with recent expansion into sustainability applications including reusable cup systems and circular economy approaches.

Dr. Hedvall collaborates extensively with researchers across multiple institutions, with notable co-authors including Anna Dubois, Frans Prenkert, and Sophie Charpentier. His methodological approach typically involves single case studies examining specific contexts while situating these within broader business network frameworks.

His research has practical implications for various transport industry stakeholders including hauliers, transport buyers, vehicle manufacturers, and workshops, who he recommends jointly coordinate solutions to improve efficiency across the transport value chain.