Industrial Engineering and Management

Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) discipline combines engineering and technology, business economics methods, and the human factors and behaviour. IEM is unique in its multidisciplinary approach and the integrative nature provides value and enhances efficiency and effectiveness in organisations. The IEM research focuses specifically on the following areas: operations and supply chain management, project business, product management, well-being at work and productivity. The IEM is a research unit within the Faculty of Technology. IEM conducts relevant research in its field, provides teaching, and influences the society.

Research

IEM has long tradition in addressing organisations and their operations technological, economic and social processes with the objective to advance high sustainability and profitability. Research has been done in close collaboration with other fields of technology, due to the essence of modelling complex socio-economic systems. Research methods include both qualitative and quantitative approaches.

The main goal of our research is to have a positive impact on the industry, business and society as a whole. The research of IEM is applied by nature and conducted in a close cooperation with different organisations, the industry being “our laboratory”.

The IEM research groups are focusing specifically on the following areas:

Industrial Engineering and Management is an active contributor to the InStreams Hub - Inorganic circular economy research community, which is a profile field of the University of Oulu, especially through the theme of "Value streams and productisation".

Industrial Engineering and Management is also one of the main subject areas of the Centre for Advanced Steels Research (CASR), coordinated by the University of Oulu, and its research deals with the university’s strategic research areas “Creating sustainability through materials and systems” and “Digital solutions in sensing and interactions”.

Projects and activity

Research unit collaborates actively both nationally and internationally with leading scholars of the field. Main funding sources of the research projects include for example Business Finland, EU and Academy of Finland.

Doctoral Theses

8.3.2024 Marko Salomäki, On the connections between occupational safety, health management, and safety culture development in construction: insights from a large-scale infrastructure alliance project.

27.3.2024 Mohammad Ayati, Toward circular business models and supply chains in manufacturing : building circular dynamic capabilities.

15.12.2023 Tommi Pauna, Development of a collaborative delivery model for industrial engineering projects.

4.12.2023 Matti Matinheikki, Performance Specified Maintenance Contract, procurement, implementation and evaluation in urban areas maintenance. Clients and customers active role during project.

21.6.2023 Emmanuel Nyameke, Project identity formation and maintenance in a temporary organization environment.

14.6.2023 Solmaz Mansoori, Improving data utilization in construction: on the path towards industrialization.

2.6.2023 Elina Jääskä, Game-based learning methods in project management higher education.

12.4.2023 Farooq Ali, A framework for analyzing, developing, and managing stakeholder network relationships in collaborative hospital construction projects.

5.4.2023 Pasi Rönkkö, Circular economy as an enabler of improved resilience and material availability in supply chains.

16.12.2022 Mirva Juntti, Public Service Productization –a constructive approach on research, development and innovation process of University of Applied Sciences.

24.11.2022 Petteri Annunen, Industrialization in construction – A process model for capability creation.

11.11.2022 Kari-Pekka Tampio, Enhancing value creation at the front-end of a collaborative hospital construction project.

11.11.2022 Niko Cajander, Temporary agency work and worker well-being at restaurants: insights into socially sustainable work

6.10.2022 Víctor Pérez Centeno, Merging neuroscience technologies in entrepreneurship research

23.9.2022 Laura Saukko, Managing integration capabilities in collaborative interorganizational projects

20.5.2022 Tero Leppänen, From industrial side streams to the circular economy business – value chain, business ecosystem and productisation approach.

24.3.2022 Iqra Sadaf Khan, Exploring Industry 4.0 and Its Impact on Sustainability and Collaborative Innovation

8.10.2021 Henri Jounila, Holistic corporate responsibility through integrated HSEQ management. Case studies on developing safety and HSEQ in companies

23.6.2021 Henna Longi, Regional innovation systems and company engagement in the Arctic context

12.5.2021 Maria Lindholm, Insights into undesired load factors at work now and tomorrow – Findings from different professions and working conditions

4.2.2021 Päivi Kekkonen, Several actors, one workplace—Development of collaboration of several actors inside and between the organisations

Publications

Collaboration

IEM has intensive co-operation with companies. In addition to the research, collaboration forms include course assignments, extensive courses, theses, cases, lectures and internships. IEM has close contact to the local companies and organisations.

We are interested in solving the practical challenges of organisations – whether big or small. If interested with collaboration with IEM and University of Oulu, please do not hesitate to contact us. Let's think together what the most suitable mode of collaboration would be!