Researchers join the SPIRIT Programme with a focus on Digital Twin Technology

PhD students Carl Toller Melén and Raj Jiten Machchhar, together with Prof. Tobias Lasson as their mentor from Blekinge Tekniska Högskola (BTH), have been selected to participate in the SPIRIT (Swedish Programme for Innovative Researchers Impact Training) Programme, a national initiative designed to train researchers in the commercial utilization of their research. The programme, which focuses on translating academic work into real-world applications, is a collaboration between several Swedish universities, including BTH, and is funded by Vinnova. Researchers at BTH aim to bring their research in Digital Twin technology to the forefront, exploring its potential for industrial and societal impact.

“This feels like an amazing opportunity for seeing how one can move research from scientific impact to societal implementation.” – Carl

The SPIRIT Programme

The SPIRIT Programme is an eight-week intensive programme where selected researchers from universities across Sweden receive training on how to commercialize their research. By focusing on innovation, impact, and utilization, the programme helps participants to explore commercialization opportunities for their research without the immediate need for company formation. SPIRIT stands for Swedish Programme for Innovative Researchers Impact Training and is a collaboration between BTH, Chalmers, Lund University, LTU Business, Luleå Tekniska Universitet, KTH and financed by Vinnova. The inspiration for development of the this programme is the I-Corps and ICURe programmes in US and UK. Further reading at https://www.bth.se/eng/collaboration/innovation-office/spirit-programme/

BTH’s focus on Digital Twin Technology with application in the mining industry

The mining industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by increasing sustainability demands and the need for more efficient operations. To meet these challenges, many mining companies are turning to automation and electrification. However, this transition requires advanced tools and technologies to optimize operations, reduce costs, and ensure sustainability. The autonomy and electrification transition enables concurrent optimization at the machine, operation, and site levels. However, succeeding in multi-layer optimization requires new set of tools.

“We are getting into a multi-disciplinary design problem that is larger than what a human can comprehend; it is only through simulations that we can grasp the total effects.” – Carl

The team at BTH will focus on developing an Integrated Simulation Platform as a foundation for Digital Twins in the mining industry. Such a simulation platform shall be capable of capturing the complex interdependencies and cascading effects within mining operations, enabling more informed decision-making. By simulating various operational scenarios that utilize the potential in each design level, one can identify opportunities for improvement in the operations and optimize the performance of the systems. As part of the SPIRIT Programme, the primary focus shall be exploring how such a simulation platform can be made commercially viable in the mining sector but also how it could be expanded to similar fields.

“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to young researchers to translate their research into a tangible solution having a quantified industrial impact.” – Raj

“Previous projects and research has led us up to this point, and I think it is great that Carl and Raj who are early in their research career get the opportunity to take their science and bring it further into use for society. I really look forward to the participation as a mentor for the team and I am eager to see where this ends up” – Tobias