CIRP Strategic Vision
The role and mission of CIRP is to promote - in the field of production engineering - research and development among its members from academia and industry, to contribute to environmentally sustainable global prosperity and well-being of society.
Addressing Key Research Areas
To fulfil this mission, one fundamental challenge to be emphasized in the future is related to digitization of industry, and digital manufacturing and engineering. Therefore, key research areas, emerging topics and advanced techniques are to be addressed, to directly impact digital manufacturing or induce significant improvements in combination with digital technologies:
• modelling and simulation: digital twins, augmented and virtual reality;
• artificial intelligence: data generation, big data analytics, machine learning, smart robots, smart sensors;
• connectivity and security: cyber-physical systems, human-machine interfaces, IoT, data protection, cybersecurity;
• advanced manufacturing technologies: smart, high performance, high precision and additive manufacturing, robotics, sustainable processes;
• advanced materials and nanotechnologies: smart sustainable materials, nanotechnology, biomaterials;
• life science theories: biologisation of manufacturing, biosensors, bio actuators.
Education Paradigm
Contributing to environmentally sustainable well-being of society is also a matter of education engagements, as a key factor for economic growth and well-being. We have to improve education towards digital manufacturing and digital engineering, addressing the fields mentioned above. A new industry will require a new set of skills. Consequently, education and training will take a new shape that provides such an industry with the required skilled labour. Globally, there is a need for quality education linked to digital engineering across the world and CIRP takes initiatives to contribute to that challenge, emphasizing the need for an integrated vision.
Environmentally Sustainable Development
Production engineering is a large contributor to energy and resource consumption, resulting in negative social and environmental impacts, as well as the driving force for wealth. Therefore, the challenge of digital manufacturing – from the scientific and education point of view – must reflect the core concern of achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. This is in particular stated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Among the 17 goals mentioned by the United Nations, three are strongly related to actions CIRP should undertake:
• “Goal #9: Industries, innovation and infrastructures – Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation … Manufacturing is an important driver of economic development and employment ... Without technology and innovation, industrialization will not happen, and without industrialization, development will not happen”.
However, this may be included within an environmentally sustainable development, and CIRP must play an active role in this field.
• “Goal #4: Quality education. Obtaining a quality education is the foundation to creating sustainable development. In addition to improving quality of life, access to inclusive education can help equip locals with the tools required to develop innovative solutions to the world’s greatest problems”.
Educate students under specific consideration of sustainable development is a necessity and CIRP must be part of this challenge.
• “Goal #12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production”.
We must consider how the new systems emerging from the digital revolution can help society to deliver goods and services to a broader spectrum of humanity, to improve the quality of life of human beings, through environmentally sustainable improvements.
Defining a common understanding of sustainability and emphasizing criteria in line with this understanding and United Nations’ SDGs are part of the activities of a permanent task force on sustainability challenges initiated within CIRP: Task Force definition of Manufacturing for Sustainability.