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Tomohiko Sakao

Professor

Developing theories applicable into practice and disseminating cutting-edge insights into industry is at the heart of my research and teaching. I am internationally recognised expert in Ecodesign and Product/Service System.

Sustainable Product and Service System

Environmental problems and resource scarcities are growing issues. Innovative ways of providing products and services are needed to enhance the global competitiveness of industry in countries like Sweden. Ecodesign and Product/Service System (PSS) can play a significant role to these challenges. I am internationally well recognized and have a strong influence in the research field.

Integrating services with products has become attractive to industry as it could give a competitive edge and provide higher value and higher margin – called Sustainable Product/Service Systems (S-PSS). The idea is to make it possible for a firm to increase both profits and customer value while decoupling the economic growth from the environmental impact. S-PSS logically needs to address business models of a firm as well. Since the 1990s, S-PSS has been expected as one of the most effective instruments for moving our society towards a resource-efficient, circular economy.

Development of new scientific insights via trans-disciplinary research

I have executed research towards trans-disciplinarity covering primarily engineering and management for sustainability, by developing theories applicable into practice at the heart. I have covered multiple disciplines from engineering design to robotics and artificial intelligence for the last three decades. The impacts include the changes made through implementing methodical approaches / tools and insights in design and R&D of several large multi-national manufacturing organizations through funded projects. I am active also disseminating cutting-edge insights into industry and societies through, e.g., participating in ISO standardization and Swedish government committees as well as providing an annual PhD course.

My research has been financed by, a.o., European Union, Mistra (The Swedish foundation for strategic environmental research), Siemens, Sveriges Ingenjörer (The Swedish Association of Graduate Engineers), Swedish Energy Agency, Tekniska verken in Linköping, Toyota, and VINNOVA (The Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems).

I am also holding 10 patents in mechatronics control and intelligent machinery.

Outstanding Researcher in Ecodesign and Product/ Service System

I joined LiU as the Swedish engineers’ (Sveriges Ingenjörer) Environmental Professor in 2007 and have been active in both carrying out projects with industry and publishing academic articles. Recognized as the most or the second most productive knowledge developers in PSS design in five review articles authored by peer research groups and published on scientific peer review journals between 2013 and 2021, which is clear evidence of my academic influence and expertise in the field. A fellow of CIRP (The International Academy for Production Engineering).

After studying at the University of Tokyo, I worked at Mitsubishi Research Inst., Inc. in Tokyo for 8 full years, where I gained valuable industry experience before beginning my academic career.

Brief facts about me

CV in short

  • Guest Researcher, Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany, 2005 – 2007.
  • Researcher, Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc., Japan, 1998 – 2005, 2007.
  • Research Assistant, The University of Calgary, Canada, 1996.
  • Ph.D. in Precision Machinery Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 1995 – 1998.
  • Master of Engineering in Precision Machinery Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 1993 – 1995.
  • Bachelor of Engineering in Precision Machinery Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 1989 – 1993.

Awards

  • IVA Research2Business (R2B) 100-list, The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA): 2024 (innovation through interdisciplinary), 2023 (climate change, energy supply, welfare technology, cyber security and crisis preparedness), and 2020 (sustainable competitiveness).
  • The Young Scientists’ Prize, The Commendation for Science and Technology, by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan, 2009.
  • Grant for Environmental Professorship, by The Swedish Engineers Association, 2007- 2009.
  • Research Fellowship, Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship Programme, 2005 - 2007.

Teaching

  • Responsible for Trans-disciplinary Approach to Circular Economy Research (P51), a PhD student course.
  • Responsible for Resource Efficient Products (TKMJ29), an Ecodesign course.
  • Involved in Integrated Product Service Engineering (TKMJ32), a PSS course.

Missions of trust

  • Research project proposal evaluation for funding agencies: the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), Research Council of Norway (RCN), EPSRC (The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) of UK, National Science Centre Poland, The Icelandic Research Fund (Iceland), etc.
  • Examination committee / Opponent to 21 Ph.D. theses (in Sweden, Germany, UK, France, Denmark, Australia, etc.)
 

Invited keynote presentations in international conferences

  • TES on what and for what? - Putting TES into contexts of societal challenges, 12th International Conference on Through-life Engineering Services, Cranfield, 2024.
  •  Circular Economy Research and Innovation – Challenges and recommendations for manufacturers, REMADE Circular Economy Technology Summit & Conference, Washington DC, 2024.
  • What, why and how of PSS (product/service system) for environmental sustainability, 4th European Conference on Industrial Engineering & Operations Management, 2021, online.

Publications

2024

Paulina Golinska-Dawson, Tomohiko Sakao, Erik Sundin, Karolina Werner-Lewandowska (2024) How can OEMs scale up remanufacturing in product-as-a-service (PaaS)? - challenges and enablers from a theoretical and industrial perspective International Journal of Production Research (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Abhijna Neramballi, Carine Signoret, Tomohiko Sakao, John Gero (2024) Validation of a procedure for examining the neurocognitive characteristics of design for sustainability activities
Johan Vogt Duberg, Tomohiko Sakao (2024) How can manufacturers identify the conditions for financially viable product-as-a-service? Frontiers in Manufacturing Technology, Vol. 4, Article 1498189 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Jose Hidalgo-Crespo, Andreas Riel, Tomohiko Sakao, Joost R. Duflou (2024) Design platform concept for product-as-a-service offers for electrical and electronic equipment 57th CIRP Conference on Manufacturing Systems 2024 (Conference paper)
Abhijna Neramballi, Leonidas Milios, Tomohiko Sakao, Johannes Matschewsky (2024) Toward a policy landscape to support the product-as-a-service design process for a circular economy Journal of Industrial Ecology, Vol. 28, p. 1045-1059 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

Research

News

Building from the outside, signpost

Interdisciplinary research on IVA’s 100 List

Five research projects from LiU are on the 100 List of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA). The list pulls together projects with great potential to create value in society.

Mattias Lindahl.

The world's first ISO standards for a circular economy have arrived

Several researchers from the Linköping University have participated in the work to develop the world’s first ISO standards for a circular economy. The goal is a more sustainable society.

Autumn at the Campus Valla and bikes.

Research at IEI holds a high standard

Stanford University has recently released an updated list of the top two percent most cited researchers globally, and it is gratifying to note that once again, several distinguished researchers from IEI are represented on the list.

Coworkers at the PSI unit

Organisation