Society is facing a growing shortage of skilled labour due to demographic decline.

Our response is to replace manual work tasks with next-generation automation using AI and robots, and to enhance human capability by exoskeletons, advanced rehabilitation, and technological solutions to population diseases such as osteoarthritis, diabetes and cancer.

This includes innovations in digital decision‑support systems, digital twins, collaborative robots, and other intelligent tools that enhance human capabilities.

We help society transition toward more sustainable and resource‑efficient production systems.

Our approach is holistic: we rethink products and production processes from end to end and in circular supply chains that optimize the re-use of parts and materials.

This 360‑degree perspective requires research into logistics, design, material science, production processes, and new methods for recycling and resource recovery. 

This is sustainable and future‑proof use of materials.

It seems like the only constant condition in the world is ever-faster change - and it is testing the systems our societies depend on. 

Pandemics, supply-chain disruptions, climate impacts, geopolitical conflicts, financial shocks, and strained infrastructure are no longer exceptions; they are conditions we must be prepared to handle.

At the Department of Materials and Production, much of our research strengthens resilience and security by improving how we design, manage, and protect complex systems.

From supply chain management and logistics to decentralized, green energy solutions and optimization of emergency response, we develop knowledge that helps society adapt and recover - even when the unexpected happens, including rare cosmic events that can influence life on Earth.