AVANS MAXI: Mechanical Engineering Master program in Data-driven Engineering Design

"It will be very exciting to follow the development of the new master's program in mechanical engineering at Örebro University. The project has extensive support from several companies and there is great potential for the future students to become attractive on the labor market", says Petter Zirath, program manager at the KK Foundation.

The project
Mechanical engineering, and particularly engineering design, is often applied for creation of new innovative, functional, sustainable products and services. Mechanical engineering involves product and production development including operation of machine systems. Science and technology are applied to take conceptual and detailed design decisions, as well as system design and operational decisions, while simultaneously managing diverse and often contradicting constraints. Societal digitalization is an important consideration for future mechanical engineers. Hence, the focus is to develop a state-of-the-art MSc program in data-driven engineering design. The project partners will develop an attractive new mechanical engineering MSc program in data-driven engineering design at Örebro University and establish a structure for continued industrial engagement.

This AVANS-project has two main objectives:
Objective 1: develop an MSc program (format, contents, and pedagogical design) together with industry partners which becomes novel, industrially requested, and attractive to applicants.

Objective 2: develop a structure for how industry partners should contribute to a) the contents of the program, after implementation, and b) continuous development of the program beyond the initial KKS Avans project.

The project strongly supports the mechanical engineering research subject and facilitates future expansion of research. The program, and its industrial collaboration, will allow the group to widen its research network and support new collaboration in product development, data management and new business models. The above will bolster the mechanical engineering unit’s reputation as a sought-after research partner, with a clear strategic research profile further developed in the project. In the project, some companies represent product development (machine systems), while others represent production systems, fleet systems and additive materials components and products. Research in these areas will be further developed through data-driven and other digital approaches related to the new program, creating significant research and educational overlap, as well as improving industrial competitiveness. By 2025, projects, skills recruitment & networks will have progressed to where we are perceived as an obvious partner to turn to within our strategic area, i.e., an acknowledged brand within the mechanical engineering subject in Sweden.

Some parts of, or the whole program, may be offered to engineers with extensive industrial experience, and even as distance courses, which will improve industry collaboration. Development of pedagogic approaches include implementation of the world-wide CDIO initiative, preparing courses for a) flipped classroom pedagogy, b) remote online teaching over IP-networks and c) considering both formative and summative student evaluations. The project will support recruitment of currently underrepresented, additional female students and staff.

Organization
Professor Magnus Löfstrand has developed the application with professor Niclas Strömberg and Dr. Jens Ekengren, together with the project's industrial partners based on their needs. Epiroc, LKAB, SAAB and Volvo Construction Equipment are some of the Swedish industrial companies that are part of the collaboration on the new master's program at Örebro University. The full list of participants is presented below and the support of each partner is greatly appreciated! The program is aimed at engineers with an existing undergraduate degree, who want to deepen their knowledge of mechanical engineering and data-driven engineering design.