Production Management

The Production Management Research Group at Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering is a team of about 15 professors and researchers focusing on the design and planning of production and logistics systems, seen as integrated systems of people, materials and products, information, equipment, and energy and environmental resources. The research group develops specialized knowledge, applying mixed methodology, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, from action research and case studies to statistical analysis and operations research. Focus is put on multidisciplinary approach, joining skills, principles and methods of engineering, management, and computer science.

Research is done in close cooperation with industrial and international networks, funded by funding bodies, as EU commission and Research Council of Norway. The current portfolio is composed of more than 5 active research projects, for about 2.5 million euro.

The results of these projects are published in relevant journals, such as International Journal of Production Research, Production Planning and Control, International Journal of Production Economics, European Journal of Operational Research, Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, International Journal of Operations and Production Management.

The Production Management Research Group is responsible of the Logistics 4.0 lab, the Norway’s first logistics laboratory that merges digital technologies with traditional production and logistics systems, enabling researchers, practitioners, engineers, pioneers, students, and other enthusiasts to come together and collaborate on common ground. Members of the research group are actively involved in editorial boards of relevant journals (IJPR, IJPE, JIM, and others) as well as active and managing roles in international societies (IFIP, IFAC, MHI, and others).

Members of the research group are actively involved in editorial boards of relevant journals (IJPR, IJPE, JIM, and others) as well as active and managing roles in international societies (IFIP, IFAC, MHI, and others).

Education

The research group contributes to many courses and programmes:

• Coordination of two-year master programme in Global Manufacturing Management which educates in the fields of industrial engineering, production, logistics and technology management.
• Coordination for the study direction in production management for the 5-years master programme in Mechanical Engineering.
• Coordination for the study direction in production management for the 5-years master programme in Engineering and ICT

Members in the research group supervise around 40-50 master theses projects per year and currently more than 10 PhD projects based on the research projects they are involved in.

Moreover, members are responsible of continuous education courses (EVU) at NTNU on advanced topics in production and supply chain management, lean management, digital logistics.

Research

The Production management research group is the leading research group in its field in Norway and works on a high international level. The group focuses on theory, models, systems, design thinking, and solutions to improve production and logistics within the industrial value chain. The objective of the group is to develop world-class education and research in sustainable and circular production and logistics of the future at NTNU.

Research is done in close cooperation with industrial and international networks. The research group for Production Management is involved in various projects mostly in cooperation with firms in engineering, production, wholesale and trading. The projects are set within a variety of industries, including shipbuilding, offshore, hydrogen, and public sector.

Some of the projects the group is involved in (2023-2024): FutureLog (project leader – NFR funded), SmartLib (scientific coordinator and leader – NFR funded), H2GLASS (partner – EU funded), Norsk Katapult Circular Manufacturing (partner – SIVA funded), DigCBA (partner – NFR funded), DE4Human (partner – EU funded), X-HuLOG4.0 (partner - EU funded).

Read more about previous projects on the website of SMARTLOG, a network established by the research group to spread research results and practice to the Norwegian industry.