AI-DRIVEN DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR ENERGY AND PRODUCTION OPERATIONS

Do you want to learn the basics of Industry 4.0, at your own pace, whenever you want? Then the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) Introduction to Industry 4.0 is for you. You will learn basic terminology and theory while gaining insight and understanding of the fourth industrial revolution and how it affects us. The MOOC: Introduction to Industry 4.0 is part of MDU's investment in smart production. The course is divided into ten modules, each of which describes different technologies in Industry 4.0. We estimate that it will take about 40 hours to complete the course and it is in English. The MOOC can also give you eligibility to apply for these 3 university courses at Mälardalen University: Internet of things for industrial applications, 5 credits Simulation of production system, 5 credits Big data for industrial applications, 5 credits

WHat you will learn Increased knowledge on sustainable cities and communities. Deeper understanding of the relationship between urbanization, decarbonisation and sustainability. Improved critical thinking on the opportunities and challenges for sustainable cities and communities as engines for greening the economy. Expanded ability to use systems thinking to assess sustainable cities and communities.   About this SpecializationIn this specialization you will learn how to drive change in cities and communities towards sustainable, climate friendly, just, healthy and prosperous futures, and you will boost your career with new knowledge, understanding and skills for navigating urban transformations. This specialisation brings together a series of cutting-edge courses with world-leading teachers on cities, communities, sustainability, governance and innovation. This specialization is offered by the IIIEE at Lund University and the City Futures Academy – an online learning community on urban transformations. Our flagship course, Greening the Economy: Sustainable Cities, is ranked in the Best Online Courses of All Time by Class Central. The ranking by Class Central contains 250 courses from 100 universities based on 170,000 reviews. Our specialisation builds on the success of the Greening the Economy: Sustainable Cities course.  A key approach embedded in the courses in this specialisation is the role of experimentation in urban transformations. In particular, urban living labs are highlighted as a means for catalysing change in cities and communities towards sustainable, climate friendly, just, healthy and prosperous futures. The experimentation within urban living labs offers the potential for accelerating transformations and systematic learning across urban and national contexts. Applied Learning Project Learners are introduced to key facts and insights about sustainable cities and communities as engines for greening the economy, then tasked with developing this understanding through readings and practice exercises that highlight the role of urban living labs in creating sustainable cities and communities. Specifically, you will learn: how to work with greening the economy through cities and communities; how to design and implement urban living labs for accelerating change in cities and communities; how to build resilience and create a host of benefits from nature-based solutions in cities and communities; and how to influence consumption patterns in cities and communities through sharing practices . Further documentaries and quizzes will provide you with critical thinking and a broader and deeper perspective that are essential to understanding and creating sustainable cities and communities. 

Our society must shift to sustainable production. The production systems need to be developed in line with the global goals set by the UN and that have been agreed on by the countries. Sustainable production is about producing with, preferably, positive impact, but usually at least as little negative impact as possible, on people and our planet. This three-week course introduces you to sustainable production systems and helps you understand them from economic, social and ecological perspectives. The course begins with an exposé of how production systems have developed historically. You will learn about the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The course continues with an in-depth study of production systems, covering some prominent people and theories in the field. Next, you will learn about current developments in production innovation and Industry 4.0. You will also meet two companies in the manufacturing industry, Polarbröd and Sandvik Coromant, and see examples of how they work with sustainable production. The course concludes by giving you tools to design sustainable production systems. The course is aimed at anyone curious about sustainable production and how industrial production can be developed to become more sustainable. The course will be given in English.

Society is transitioning from oil dependency to metal dependency as we are turning to fossil-free alternatives in the energy and transport sectors. Today, many more metals in the periodic table are used in our daily lives compared to only a few decades ago and many metals that previously had marginal applications are today central to achieving the climate goals. But where do these metals come from and how are they linked to geology?In this course, you will explore the basics of geology and understand how geology controls where critical metals are in the earth’s crust. You will gain insight into what it takes to mine an ore body and broaden your perspective on what risks and challenges we are facing when it comes to the raw material supply that drives the fossil-free energy transition. This course covers the role of ore geology in the transition to fossil-free energy and transport systems, which means that we are moving from oil dependency to metal dependency. Geological processes throughout the earth’s history are responsible for the current distribution of ore deposits. By understanding how these ore forming processes work, we can better explain why certain metals occur in extractable amounts in one place while being almost absent in another. To meet the global demand of metals needed in, for example, solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries, a thorough understanding of how geological processes work is fundamental. In this course, you will be introduced to the fantastic world of the subsurface that made all the technology you take for granted possible.    You will explore: What critical metals are, where they are produced today, and what risks and challenges are involved in the supply of raw materials that drives the fossil-free energy transition. Basic geology – minerals, rock types, geological structures and why they matter. What an ore is and the natural processes that accumulate metals in the earth’s crust.  This course is designed for people that would like to gain knowledge about the role of geology in the transition to fossil-free energy systems. The course is for those who want to know more about what critical metals are, how an ore is formed, and about risks and challenges coupled to the supply of raw materials that drive the energy transition. This may include politicians and other authorities, teachers and students in elementary and high school that want to know more about subjects critical to the energy transition. It may also include university students within the social sciences, and many more. The course will also be useful for anyone who is employed and wishes to upskill within the area of societal challenges coupled to the supply of raw materials and the need for metals in modern society. The course will be given in english.

Hydrogen is a clean fuel, a versatile energy carrier, and seems to be the answer to the climate change challenge. Why is everyone talking about it, and how is it going to replace traditional fuels? This modularized course provides a comprehensive overview on hydrogen as an energy carrier, with focus on fuel cell as hydrogen conversion technology. Hydrogen production and storage and their role in decarbonization will be covered. Different fuel cell technologies will be analyzed and discussed to present benefits and challenges in the use of hydrogen for power production, urban mobility, aviation, transportation, residential sector and much more. The learners will be able to combine the available modules to create their personalized education based on their needs and get insights on where and when hydrogen can play a role in a carbon-free society.

UMA TALKS CLIMATE CHANGE 2022 Climate Adaptation of the Built Environment DESIGNING CYCLES AT 64°   Interior Urban Landscapes and the Water-Energy Food Nexus Climate change demands a recalibration of our built environment to become more resilient. Designing Cycles at 64° takes a multi-scalar approach addressing individual building typologies and, exemplarily for climate adaptation of northern climate zones, the city of Umeå with its diverse urban fabric as a whole. The active involvement of all stakeholders in the planning and future use of buildings and open spaces becomes key. How to create spaces that contribute to community building and social interaction while integrating a maximum of ecosystemic services is therefore a central question that demands for implementable methods, tools, processes and design solutions. At 64° latitude, interior landscapes and the water-energy-food nexus offer interesting possibilities to extend growing seasons and diversify crops, to reduce energy consumption while providing hybrid living spaces between inside and outside. By exploring greenhouse extensions and building envelopes as local passive architectural solutions, DC64° sets out to build productive interfaces between the private and public sector, academia involving the disciplines of architecture and urban planning, urban water management, plant physiology and vertical gardening, as well as the general public in a living lab format. Retrofitting the existing building stock, repurposing vacancies and expanding our building performance may accumulatively have a systemic impact both in terms of reducing water and energy consumption, as well as food miles, while buffering existing infrastructure networks and enabling local food production on site. Expanding on Bengt Warne’s Naturhus (1974) and following examples, we anticipate new multifunctional architectural models applicable in various contexts and scales. FORMAT / The program includes an introductory lecture that addresses climate urgencies and potential capacity for change in the context of the built environment the week before the one-day symposium (hybrid format). The symposium brings together practitioners, researchers and educators and consists of five thematic sessions that can be attended as a full day or individually as they are interrelated, yet also function independently (See program link below). INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES / Understanding of multi-scalar climate-adapation design approaches within the built environment with a focus on the Nordic context / Reflect on aspects of social sustainability when it comes to transforming buildings and inhabitants from being consumers to becoming producers /   Umeå University School of Architecture   Presentations   Program Nov. 30.     For any questions content-related questions please email us cornelia.redeker@umu.se sara.thor@umu.se constanze.hirt@umu.se