Industrial digital transformation

The ambition of this research centre is to enhance the digitalisation of small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in our region. To do this, our research effort takes a four-faceted approach focusing on a deeper and broader understanding of the many emerging digital technologies of the industry.

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:

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.

For many companies, increased focus on digitalisation and circularity has become a decisive competitive parameter when it comes to developing new products and services. However, especially small and medium-sized enterprises lack specific directions for taking advantage of the new opportunities of digitalisation and circularity. For this reason, our research centre works to operationalise and specify how digitalisation and circularity can be translated into new products and services, and our focus is particularly on small and medium-sized enterprises. Among other projects, we are currently working on user-driven product and service design, the development of circular products and business models and IoT.

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 a more digitalised future.

Project

MADE

In collaboration with MADE – Manufacturing Academy of Denmark – we intend to stoke up lifelong learning for technical staff who are working in robotics, 3D printing, digital twins, etc. We will do this by developing new continuing professional education programmes and courses and by making them flexible and available through new digital learning technologies.

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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.

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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.

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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

Intelligent and sustainable product design

Design of industrial learning

MADE

FIT4FOF

HEI4FUTURE PROJECT

See all projects, publications and researchers

Research collaboration with DOLLE

Contact