Sparking discussions on Industrial Transformation solutions during Science Week 2023
Around 50 people discussed Industrial Transformation during one of the Science Week 2023 seminars in February, led by the KTH Industrial Transformation Platform Researchers' Network. One topic centred on the urgency of transforming the industry for carbon neutrality, using sustainable materials and green energy.
Science Week is an annual event with free seminars and workshops in Södertälje, where KTH is one of the partners. It is a forum for the possibilities and challenges of the transformation to a more sustainable society.
During the seminar Industrial Transformation: Changing together, deciding together, a conceptual perspective of the subject was introduced first, followed by an industrial case and discussion.
“With this seminar, we wanted to bring together researchers, students, and industry practitioners to discuss the core topic of our KTH Industrial Transformation Platform. We wanted to capture different views, identify challenges and hopefully stimulate some interactions to work together,” says Zuhara Zemke Chavez, a member of the KTH Industrial Transformation Platform Researchers' Network who organised the seminar.
The presentations led to interesting discussions on how different disciplines perceive transformation, the urgency of transforming the industry for carbon neutrality, using sustainable materials and green energy, and collaboration.
According to Zuhara Zemke Chavez, the industrial case, The Marcus Pin by Marcus Komponenter, is an example of good collaboration between a small company SME, and academia, KTH, to address sustainability in the automotive industry.
“The case findings call for action from stakeholders in the industry to join the collaboration for a higher impact with a long-term view. This sparked a discussion on the challenges for SMEs to transform and the need to transform together with original equipment manufacturers, OEMs, academia, government, etc., how we need to view the transformation as a whole and each stakeholder has a stake in the transition,” she says.
During the seminar, participants also shared their views on where the future is going with CO2 having the potential to be the new currency, views on digital technologies supporting the transformation, and the need for awareness of the impact, even small parts like the Marcus pin have at the bigger scale.
Now, the KTH Industrial Transformation Platform Researchers' Network hopes for new connections and collaborations to develop. They seek industrial partners like Marcus Komponenter, who are interested in actively working on the topic and want to establish connections with other stakeholders in the value chain to make a change.