New postdoc will help manufacturing companies step into the future
There is huge potential in designing production machines in smarter ways, says a new postdoc working with digital development and testing of machines constructed in modules. His idea will make the production of companies flexible and less susceptible to breakdowns.
Machines in modules
In the industry, some companies have posted a direct hotline on their machines with the phone number of the machine builder in the event of a breakdown. If a machine breaks down, the production downtime can quickly become more expensive than the machine itself. Therefore, it’s important to react quickly.
”The reports state it clearly: If you don’t get started now, you’ll be left behind
If the company has a virtual version of the machine, new parts can be created and tested digitally. If they work, you can build new physical parts for the machine.
If the machine is built in modules, new parts for it can be built faster, and the production can be changed without much expense. In this way, the machines can be quickly optimised and their service life extended.
SDU researchers start companies
The Spin-outs Denmark programme is open to all junior researchers who want to start a company based on research in the humanities or the technical, natural and social sciences.
As part of the programme, Jesper will receive one year of financial and professional support to develop a concrete idea and start his own business. He has been awarded the fourth out of the eight postdoc positions that SDU may award.
Facts on the programme:
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Spin-outs Denmark is a one-year programme for junior researchers dreaming of creating a company based on their own research (a spin-out).
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The programme is run by the eight Danish universities and is funded by the Villum Foundation.
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Spin-outs Denmark expects to appoint up to 60 translational postdocs over the next five years.
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Read more about the programme on the Research Support Hub.
Businesses can’t afford not to
The researcher has not yet settled on a specific industry for virtual machine development, but he notes that the need is great. He’s in the process of figuring out where his knowledge will be of most use.
- Businesses can’t afford not to. Maybe it’s not standard today, but tomorrow it will be a requirement. What will they do then? Various reports – including one from the World Economic Forum – point out that digitalisation of production machinery increases productivity by up to 160 % and output by up to 200 % in businesses, explains Jesper Puggaard de Oliveira Hansen.
- The reports state it clearly: If you don’t get started now, you’ll be left behind, says the researcher, who worked with Siemens and Velux during his PhD programme.
Researchers developing companies
In Sønderborg there are several promising examples of researchers - besides Jesper - who are developing companies. One is Bhushan Patil who is working on indoor light cells that can replace batteries in small devices.
Read about the indoor light cells that are moving towards the market