Organisation profile

Industrial digital transformation
The ambition of this research center is to enhance the digitalization 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 center with this particular focus. Here we intend to define and carve out a niche that will produce the greatest possible yield to our study programs 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 center revolves around three sub-themes

• Digitalization of manufacturing systems
• Intelligent and sustainable product design
• Design of industrial design

Research projects i collaboration with the industry and knowledge partners
We are focusing on research activities in collaboration with the SME segment and other knowledge partners.
Research projects in collaboration with the industry and knowledge partners
We focus on conducting research activities in collaboration with SMEs. Thus, a number of internal research projects are initiated, in which employees primarily from UCN's technology education work on practice-relevant research themes. In addition, a number of national and international collaborative projects are being undertaken. 

Scientific publications
The work of The Research Center for Industrial Digital Transformation results in a number of scientific publications each year. Most of them are available for download and can be found in UC Viden.