Legacy and mission

History

The department of Mechanical Engineering, within the Faculty of Engineering Sciences, is a unit that has been at the core of BTH since the start in early 1990s. The department is active in research, education and collaboration, and is a specialized unit with in-depth knowledge.

We work in high degree accordingly to Blekinge Institute of Technology's profile “applied IT and innovation for sustainable growth" and in our student and research labs we have modern equipment and systems to support product development, prototyping and visualization.

We gather our research efforts under the flag of two research labs:

  • Product Development Research Laboratory
    • Research Director: Prof Tobias Larsson
  • Structural Mechanics Research Laboratory
    • Research Director: Prof Sharon Kao-Walter

All labs are within the research subject of Mechanical Engineering. Education is carried out in the subject of Mechanical Engineering.

Legacy

Some events in the Department of Mechanical Engineering's history worth mention:

  • 2018: Recieves continuation on Knowledge Foundation Profile grant in Model Driven Development (MD3S+) to further profile the strong research environment at BTH
  • 2012: Receives Knowledge Foundation Profile grant in Model Driven Development to build strong research environment at BTH
  • 2012: The Department of Strategic Sustainable Development is successfully created as a spin-off from the department.
  • 2010: The new master's Programme in Sustainable Product-Service Systems Innovation begins successfully.
  • 2005: Mechanical Engineerings two first Ph.D exams
  • 2004: The new master's Programme in Strategic Leadership Towards Sustainability begins successfully.
  • 2003: A new master´s programme in Strategic Leadership Towards Sustainability was approved.
  • 2003: The two first licentiate of technology where examined at the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
  • 2002: “Civilingenjörsutbildning" (a master programme) in Mechanical Engineering was approved
  • 2001: The department got its own research area in Mechanical Engineering.
  • 2001: Our first fulltime professor was appointed.
  • 2001: Two licentiate of technology, supervised at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, where examined.
  • 2000: The three year education programme in Virtual product development and design started
  • 2000: Our first associate professor (docent) was appointed.
  • 1997: The first PhD student began working at the department.
  • 1996: Our master programme in Structural mechanics started.
  • 1993: The three year education programme in Product Development started.

Mission

Our mission statement describes why we exist (i.e. our purpose).

Our mission is to: 

  • Produce high quality research of significance for our partners and society, and of national and international interest
  • Act for efficient knowledge transfer from research to application through education, projects and dissemination activities
  • Support research that brings new knowledge to the field of development of products and services for a sustainable society
  • Facilitate and educate multi-disciplinary process thinking, forward thinking, design thinking, so that engineers can have a deep understanding of industry’s and society’s needs
  • To make a measurable difference in the field of product development

Vision

We want to provide capability!

With practice and science, we support innovation teams in product development through new work methods, tools and processes that will empower them to create and develop new product and services for the sustainable society.

Our dream!

We aim to be a nationally leading and internationally strong actor within our focus areas by scientific excellence, innovative ways of thinking and great collaborative skills, and by this do epic stuff!

Goals

Our 5-year viewpoint for 2024 states:

  • Our PD research is the benchmark for PD research in Sweden
  • We should be the role model for applied research collaboration in Sweden
  • A reference source for industrial companies striving for innovation.
  • A research team that think outside the box.
  • Not the biggest but smartest through focus

Our vision for the upcoming five-year period (2019-2024) embraces the perspective of PD with cornerstones in value models, innovation, creativity and sustainability.

Some KPI areas we pay attention to are:

  • Competent co-workers.
  • Increased collaboration with industry.
  • Increased presence on the international arena.
  • Increased collaboration with leading international universities, and their research centers, in our domains on even terms. 
  • An increased number of high ranked journal publications (ISI). 
  • The ability to effectively share knowledge and expertise through outreach is key.

Timeline of events