Automation Region Research Academy (ARRAY) is an industrial postgraduate school built up on Mälardalen University’s (MDU’s) experience from three generations of KKS funded postgraduate schools (SAVE-IT, ITS-EASY, and ITS-ESS-H), while possessing several unique elements.
In addition to innovation research addressing important challenges related to automation, the key novelty from the MDU perspective is that ARRAY brings together top researchers from all three MDU Engineering research specializations (ES, FEC, and IPR).
From the non-academic perspective, ARRAY brings together a broad spectrum of industrial players focusing on Automation, including several Swedish engineering companies, related public initiatives such as Automation Region and Robotdalen, the Research Institute RISE SICS Västerås, MITC and the Engineering research at MDH.
ARRAY provides a solid platform for multi-partner synergy, value creation, and substantial benefits for the partners as well as for Sweden in general.
On the basis of collaboration between MDU and the industrial partners (ABB AB, Alten AB, Bombardier Transportation AB, First Control Systems AB, Kanthal AB, Skanska AB, Volvo CE), ARRAY will educate 14 PhD students in areas of strategic importance.
ARRAY will provide a comprehensive set of post-graduate courses, and promote cross-fertilization among students and the partners by networking activities. Supervision teams will consist of both academic and industrial supervisors and mentors, which along with coordination of the five research tracks, are means to ensure collaboration and synergies.
The five research tracks, namely Embedded systems design, Control and optimization, Safety and security, Test and verification, and Applications of automation, are chosen to match industrial strategic priorities and challenges of the ARRAY industrial partners, as well as the existing expertise on the academic side.
In addition to the expertise in strategic areas provided by the 14 Ph.D. candidates, the expected impact of ARRAY includes :
- increased competence and expertise in scientific areas of strategic relevance to the Swedish engineering industry,
- the establishment of Automation as a joint theme of excellence of the entire engineering research at MDH,
- strengthening of the regional and national eco-system of Automation research, innovation, and development.