The conference emphasized that industry needs research and research needs industry, highlighting the importance of collaboration:
Kjersti Salvesen Gjøsund, Director of Manufacturing Norway at TechnipFMC, and Bjørn Jalving, Chief Technology Officer at Kongsberg Maritime, provided industry perspectives on the value of industry-academia partnerships in driving innovation.
Professor Heikki Handroos from Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, Finland, demonstrated how doctoral training in Finland effectively connects academic research excellence with relevant industrial R&D challenges, contributing to accelerated industrial renewal in the machine industry.
Prof. Maarten Bonnema from the University of Twente presented the "Industry as a Laboratory" research approach, which embeds part of the research candidates in an industrial setting. This approach is highly relevant for INRESCOS, as we continuously strive to give our PhD candidates the opportunity to embed part of their research in real industrial settings to increase their problem understanding and relevance.
The panel discussion addressed the pressing issue of the scarcity of technologists and how companies are hunting for talents. The panelists explored strategies to attract and retain skilled professionals and discussed ways to ensure that research conducted by PhD candidates and post-docs aligns with industry and societal needs.
The event also featured engaging presentations by PhD members of INRESCOS on their research topics.
The conference concluded with CELECT workshop involving representatives from our industry partners, focusing on strengthening collaboration and discussing how research can be managed to provide value to both industry and academia.