Technology Convergence and System Divergence: Toyota and Uddevalla, Volvo

Hikari Nohara is the professor emeritus at Hiroshima University and at Nagano University, and the former president of Nagano University. His main publications are Automobile Industry and its Workers (Horitubunkasya,1988)(co-edited with Eishi Fujita) and The Division of Labour and the Standardization in Modern World(Takasugasyuppan, 2006)(both in Japanese).

Lars Medbo is Associate Professor in technology management at Chalmers University of Technology. His main publications are Materials Supply and Product Descriptions for Assembly System - Design and Operation (Gothenburg, 1999) and Assembly Work Execution and Materials Kit Functionality in Parallel Flow Assembly Systems (International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 2003).