Resilient supply of materials and products in times of crisis and conf

We have become accustomed to a certain level of delivery capacity, and businesses generally expect deliveries to arrive in the correct quantities at the correct time. However, we know that this is not always possible in a crisis situation.

Resilient system

A new, robust and adaptable system needs to be developed to ensure the supply of materials and products when deliveries from abroad are unavailable or "normal" volumes are insufficient. Achieving this requires both preparedness and knowledge.

The project aims to develop a supply of critical materials and products in the event of disruptions, as well as investigating how stability can be strengthened in general. The project focuses on building a resilient system, which is defined here as 'the ability to deliver function under changing conditions'.

New working methods and systems can provide a structured approach to securing the necessary material resources, setting up production of critical products and verifying the resilience of systems in advance.

The project will highlight both shortcomings and opportunities within Sweden. The research will focus on alternative materials and manufacturing techniques, as well as potential actors who could step in and supplement or compensate for shortages or disruptions in 'normal' production.

Circularity is an important concept

Securing supply is an important part of creating opportunities for circular material flows, where we reuse or recycle materials and products to meet demand. This project will focus particularly on circular solutions for household plastics, metals and electronics.

With regard to products, the project will evaluate the feasibility of quickly setting up the production of face masks, 3D-printed items, and one or more essential electronic components. To manage such a transition, a supply of skilled labour must be secured. The project will also investigate how production systems, instructions and processes can be designed to enable those unfamiliar with them to carry out the work.

Measurement and verification

In order to increase our knowledge of how prepared we are, and to ensure the quality of our material and production systems, the project will develop a model for verifying resilience levels. This will involve measuring how well a system works and what can be expected from it in specific circumstances.