NeVS - Networked Value Systems

Networked Value Systems (NeVS) is a research group that brings together business and engineering to study operations and supply chain management, digital manufacturing and quality management, technology and innovation management, and sustainable energy transition. We are interested in how value networks evolve, how sustainable transformation takes place and how it is shaped by operational excellence, digitalisation, new technologies and products. Under this umbrella, research is organised around four main themes. 

Operations and supply chain management 

Operations and supply chain management is concerned with the design and management of systems controlling the flow of goods and services efficiently. In addition to business-related objectives such as profitability, lead time, and on-time delivery, sustainability and environmental performance are examples of objectives that modern companies seek to achieve. The core areas of this research theme are decision support tools, business analysis tools, information systems, blockchains and life cycle analysis. This work is often conducted in collaboration with companies.

Digital manufacturing and quality management

Contemporary industrial production relies on the extensive use of digital technologies. Dispersed production and quality requirements are driving the use of new solutions. Cloud manufacturing, digital twins, simulation of production and augmented/virtual reality are examples of possible enablers. Additive manufacturing and new design tools, such as topology optimisation and AI-generated designs, present opportunities for new products. Our work focuses on these themes and we work closely with industrial collaborators in this field. Our laboratory space at Technobothnia includes two supporting spaces, the Metal Additive Manufacturing Laboratory and the VR/AR Laboratory. 

Technology and innovation management

Technology and innovation management focuses on socio-technical change and how competitiveness can be built and maintained in a globally changing environment. Our research includes studies of firm-level product development, emerging technology development, university-industry-government relations, and intellectual property rights. 

Over the years we have produced significant research in the areas of sustainable innovation, user and open innovation, and transformative innovation driven by industrial renewal and organisational change. Current major projects focus on innovation ecosystems and sustainable innovation. Our research team collaborates closely with the Digital Economy Research Platform and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship InnoLab Research Platform.

Sustainable Energy Transition

The sustainable energy transition theme focuses on the evolution of energy production and consumption, considering aspects such as technology, users, regulatory policy and markets. In our multidisciplinary studies on energy transition, research contexts range from the Nordic countries to developing countries. We study the diffusion of renewable energy technologies on various scales, from micro-generation to large-scale systems. Our ongoing research projects examine digitally mediated energy communities from an ecosystem and business model perspective, collaborative aspects in advancing sustainable energy goals, and social acceptance of renewable technologies. Our research team collaborates closely with the Vaasa Energy Business Innovation Centre VEBIC.

Programmes

We offer programmes for both business and engineering degrees:

Business administration

• B.Sc. (Econ & Bus. Adm.) in Industrial Management and Information Systems (Teemu Mäenpää)
• Master's Programme in Industrial Management (M.Sc. Bus. Adm.), (Jyri Naarmala)

Technology

• B.Sc. (Tech), industrial engineering (Binod Timilsina) 
• Master's Programme in Industrial System Analytics (M.Sc. Eng.). (Emmanuel Ndzibah)
• Master's Programme in Strategic Project Management (M.Sc. Eng.) (Marko Mäkilouko)

University of Vaasa Doctoral Programme

• Doctoral programme 

NeVS research group is led by Professor Petri Helo (Industrial Management).