PRIMO Lab – Production Innovation and Manufacturing Lab
The project examines the conditions for integrated experimental environments for four geographically close departments within the ITM school. The project also investigates whether this kind of shared environments can facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the different phases of product realisation and, ultimately, contribute to the circular society.
Background and problem definition
Product realisation happens within an innovation and production ecosystem, where engineers need comprehensive understanding to see product innovation and production as enablers. Experimental pedagogy should offer optimal conditions for learning, and education in this area would benefit from a unified experimental environment covering the different stages of product realisation. Therefore, we want to explore the conditions for an experimental environment that gathers product innovation and realisation for the circular and climate-smart society.
What we want to achieve
We want to create favorable conditions for experimental learning in Industrial Engineering, for both students and teachers. We envision a new model for educational infrastructure that is open, flexible, and integrated, extending beyond the interests of a single institution. Spaces in the ”Machine” area can be utilised more efficiently, allowing us to consolidate equipment currently dispersed in different locations, partly to reduce costs but also to create significantly greater benefits.
Challenges
The current funding system for experimental environments at KTH requires each department to prioritise rigorously when it comes to experimental environments for education. They must be funded by course revenues, and funding is divided between experimental and theoretical courses. This creates a risk of fragmented and under-critical experimental environments, which may also be deprioritised due to cost considerations. There is also no incentive to create environments for off-curriculum activities or optimal conditions for learning within experimental pedagogy at KTH.
Suggestions for improvement
We have roughly defined interest, and going forward, we will deepen and detail the work through a series of workshops:
- How we engage stakeholders outside the institutions.
- Proposed solutions regarding content, activities, facilities, and technology.
- Governance, organisation, and management. Subject boundaries and estimated investment needs.
- A sustainable model for long-term financing.
- How the concept and its financing are aligned with KTH’s management as well as with programs, institutions, centre formations, and from a student perspective.
Results and lessons learnt
The most critical aspect is to establish a sustainable financing solution for this open environment. We must also organise management and development and their processes with clear ownership and responsibility. This goes beyond the normal responsibilities and mandates of a single department. This environment must replace and reduce existing laboratory spaces at the institutions, achieving increased spatial efficiency while also creating enhanced quality and utility.
Next step
We intend to continue this work within the framework of an ongoing project within Future Education. It will be coordinated with the move from KTH Södertälje.