Industrial digital transformation

At the Research Centre for Industrial Digital Transformation, our ambition is to strengthen the digitalisation of manufacturing companies in Northern Jutland. Our focus is on small and medium-sized companies, of which there is a significant number in our region.

Technologies and processes that previously operated in isolation within organisations are now being integrated through digital systems and data sharing. As a result, the former professional domains are increasingly merging within companies, which therefore are looking for employees with interdisciplinary skills..

Through our applied research activities, we explore the needs, barriers and requirements that companies experience when encountering new digital technologies in manufacturing.

The research centre revolves around three sub-themes:

As new technologies develop, new opportunities for optimising industrial manufacturing systems arise. This applies not only in relation to productivity but also in terms of contributing to the green transition of manufacturing companies. Our research centre also works to understand technologies and their potential application to the company operational level. We work on big data analysis, machine learning, vision systems, collaborative robots, simulations and IT security to name a few.

The increasing focus on circularity has become a decisive competitive parameter for many companies. This applies both during the product design process and in production. Small and medium-sized companies in particular, including subcontractors, are looking for concrete instructions on how to meet the demands made on them. At the research centre, we are therefore working to operationalise and concretise how manufacturing companies can make sustainable choices in product design and production.

To generate value, new digital technologies cannot stand alone. They will only work in the hands of the employees, who will often require new or different skills. This leads to a need for developing new ways of upskilling current and future employees in Danish companies. As a result, we do research into new learning technologies, new design principles and learning principles that can all contribute to the design of industrial learning in an increasinglydigitalised future.

Through the Research Centre for Industrial Digital Transformation, UCN aims to further develop and refine the research niche that will provide the greatest benefit to our programmes, employees and employers across the region.

Only three years after the establishment of the research centre in 2022, our research is already making an impact in the North Jutland region through practical, application-oriented research, closely aligned with the needs production companies and basic and further education and training programmes of the North Denmark Region. This is done through systematic knowledge development and extensive research collaboration with the SME segment in North Jutland.

In addition, the research centre is well on its way to establishing itself as an academic community that is acknowledged as a professional and agile partner and making a visible impact on international research. This is particularly evident through a number of EU projects. Collaborations provides us with valuable knowledge from our project partners, just as we impart our knowledge with them and thus bring our research knowledge into international contexts.

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.

Contact principle researcher Hans-Henrik Hvolby

Project

VLF4EU

VLF4EU is an Erasmus+ Centre of Vocational Excellence project that aims to strengthen the competencies of students in a series of technical education programs to make them even more capable of implementing new technologies in production at SMEs. This is achieved through long-lasting virtual learning factories. The project is a collaboration between 14 partners in research, education and business in five EU countries.

Read about the project

Project

SUSTAINABLE TECHNICAL EDUCATION

"Sustainable Technical Education: a learning factory approach" will enable students to understand complex technical systems and their interaction with sustainability. Over three years, the project will use a learning factory approach to develop and implement interdisciplinary technical teaching elements. Funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, it will support sustainability education to meet industry demands. The project is a cross-sector collaboration between UCN, VIA University College, KEA, and UCL University College.

Contact project lead Lasse Christiansen

See all projects, publications and researchers

Projects

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

Publications

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

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

E-mail:

anve@ucn.dk

Phone:

72690796

Digitalisation of Manufacturing Systems

Sustainability in Product Design and Manufacturing

Design of Industrial Learning

VALUE4SEA

VLF4EU

SUSTAINABLE TECHNICAL EDUCATION

See all projects, publications and researchers

Research collaboration with DOLLE

Contact