By the end of the course, students will be able to: Understand the main technologies and paradigms of digital manufacturingand theur risks (IoT, AI, digital twins, automation).
Analyse how digital transformation affects operations strategy, organizational design, and sustainability.
Apply simulation and lean tools to model and improve production processes.
Design data-driven and sustainable manufacturing models.
Critically assess the human, ethical, and managerial implications of digital technologies.
Collaborate effectively in multidisciplinary teams on real-world digital manufacturing challenges.
Guest lectures from industry and research partners Optional: completion of SAP University Alliance module supplementary certification.
Assessment Methods
Group project work (report and presentation) 65% Final written exam 35%
Texts
Material will be uploaded on kiro. Main references include: Dastbaz, M. (2019). Industry 4.0 (i4. 0): the hype, the reality, and the challenges ahead. In Industry 4.0 and engineering for a sustainable future (pp. 1-11). Springer, Cham.
Nousala, S., & Metcalf, G. (2024). Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0: Explorations in the Transition from a Techno-economic to a Socio-technical Future (p. 184). Springer Nature.
Contents
The course explores how digital technologies are reshaping modern manufacturing systems, integrating Industry 4.0 and 5.0 paradigms, sustainability principles, and advanced managerial practices. It combines theoretical frameworks with applied tools such as lean simulation, to develop strategic, technological, and critical competences in digital manufacturing and operations management.It will also critically asses the historical evolution of the concepts and the tension and critical aspect behind digitalisation. Students will learn to design, manage, and critically assess digital transformation processes in production systems, developing both technical awareness and managerial insight.
