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One key component of industrial digital transformation is that technologies and processes that used to work in isolation in manufacturing companies are now integrated with one another through digital systems and data sharing. This leads to the disruption of traditional subject-specific domains, which in turn leads to the increased expectation that current and future staff will be capable of working across traditional subject-specific domains.  

In Denmark and worldwide, great amounts of research are being conducted into these themes, which some refer to as Industry 4.0, while others claim that we are already heading into Industry 5.0. UCN gathers all these research activities under the theme of Industrial Digital Transformation, and we have established an applied research centre with this particular focus. Here we intend to define and carve out a niche that will produce the greatest possible yield to our study programmes and staff as well as the employers in our region.

It is our ambition to build an internationally recognized academic environment within the next five years. Through continued systematic developments and extensive collaboration with the regional SME segment, our academic environment will play a significant part in the North Jutland region while also influencing international research.

The research centre revolves around three sub-themes:

Project

VALUE4SEA

The Interreg project Value4Sea aims to contribute to more sustainable and efficient supply chains. This will be achieved through increased digitalisation, integration, automation and energy and CO2 management. The project involves 19 partners from Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Project

FIT4FOF

In collaboration with a number of other European knowledge institutions and businesses under the Horizon2020 project FIT4FoF, we are considering the need for skill development among industrial workers. We analyse trends in six areas of industry to arrive at new job profiles and skill requirements for future industrial workers. Based on these analyses, UCN is developing a co-design tool for designing industrial continuing education programmes.

Project

HEI4FUTURE PROJECT

The purpose of this project is to develop entrepreneurship and innovation capacity in students and staff in higher education institutions. Through co-design and open innovation, we aim to generate is to generate new knowledge of how to prepare the employees of the future for technological developments. This project is financed by the European HEI Initiative.

See all projects, publications and researchers

Projects
Projects

We focus on carrying out research activities in close collaboration with businesses partners, both nationally and internationally.

Publications
Publications

The work in the research centre results in a number of publications each year. Most are available for download.

Researchers
Researchers

The research centre has a number of active researchers with a deep and broad insight into the industrial digital transformation.

Research collaboration with DOLLE

One of the companies UCN collaborates with is DOLLE, the world leading manufacturer of loft ladders. UCN researchers have worked together with DOLLE to optimise processes in their manufacturing system.

Contact

Anders Vestergaard

Research Manager