Research brief
Product development in a rapidly evolving landscape
Product development is undergoing a fundamental transformation. What was once a primarily sequential, document-driven activity is increasingly becoming a continuous, data-rich, and AI-supported process spanning the entire lifecycle of products and systems. Advances in computation, sensing, connectivity, and artificial intelligence are dissolving traditional boundaries between design, manufacturing, operation, and service.
In this evolving landscape, digital representations of physical systems are no longer auxiliary tools. They are becoming central to how products are conceived, validated, operated, and improved. This shift is driving the emergence of digital twins, model-based decision support, and, more recently, physical AI — where intelligent behaviour is embedded directly into physical systems through the tight integration of models, data, and control.
Rather than treating digital twins, AI, and simulation as isolated technologies, our work focuses on how they transform product development itself — how decisions are made, how uncertainty is handled, how value is created over time, and how complex systems can be designed to be robust, adaptive, and sustainable in real operational contexts.
A central ambition is to move from static product descriptions to living system models that evolve with the product, continuously informed by data and capable of supporting both human and automated decision-making throughout the lifecycle, and being able to support decisions on the path towards these new smart product-service systems (PSS).
Tobias Larsson?
I am a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH), Sweden, where I lead research and education in product development, digital twins, model-driven innovation, and engineering decision support, under the umbrella of Product Development Research Lab (PDRL), actively contributes to the above transition.
My work explores how product development is evolving from a largely static, design-time activity into a continuous, data- and model-driven lifecycle process. I focus on how advanced engineering methods — including simulation-driven design, digital twins, AI-supported decision-making, and product–service systems (PSS) — can be combined to provide robust decision support and enable competitive, sustainable solutions that remain valuable throughout their operational life.
Research focus
My research operates at the intersection of engineering design, operational research, and digital technologies, with a strong emphasis on real-world impact and implementation.
A central theme is the transition from traditional product models to living system representations — digital twins that evolve over time and increasingly enable physical AI, where intelligent behaviour emerges from the tight integration of physics-based models, data, and algorithms.
Core research themes include:
- Digital twins and virtual representations
for design, operation, monitoring, and lifecycle decision support - Product–Service Systems (PSS) and servitization
enabling long-term value creation through integrated products, services, and digital capabilities - Simulation-driven and data-enhanced product development
supporting early-phase exploration, trade-off analysis, and informed decision-making in complex systems - AI-supported engineering and innovation processes
augmenting human engineering work rather than replacing it, from concept development to system optimisation - Resilience, security, and sustainability in complex socio-technical systems
with particular attention to uncertainty, disruption, and evolving operational contexts
A recurring and unifying perspective in my work is dual-use and triple-use innovation, where engineering solutions simultaneously address civil, defense, and sustainability objectives.
Industry collaboration & applied research
I work closely with industry, public organizations, and authorities, often through long-term strategic collaborations. Research is typically conducted in applied settings and spans TRL 2–7, bridging foundational research with industrial deployment.
I have been involved in 60+ research and innovation projects, funded by Swedish and European programmes such as KK-stiftelsen, Vinnova, MSB, Formas, Energimyndigheten, and EU Horizon. Collectively, these activities represent more than SEK 1 billion in accumulated research funding over the years and commonly involve large-scale industrial systems, complex stakeholder environments, and high demands on methodological rigor, traceability, and demonstrable impact.
Research leadership & infrastructure
I lead the Product Development Research Lab (PDRL) at BTH and actively contribute to the development of research infrastructures that connect engineering, simulation, visualisation, and digital content creation.
This includes work on virtual production environments, immersive and interactive simulation, and AI-assisted workflows, supporting both engineering research and interdisciplinary collaboration across technology, media, and design.
Beyond individual projects, I am engaged in research strategy, doctoral education, evaluation of research and innovation programmes, and the long-term development of interdisciplinary research environments linking engineering, digital media, and applied AI.
Engagement & roles
Alongside my academic role, I regularly act as:
- Evaluator, reviewer, and opponent in national and European research and innovation programmes, as well as in doctoral examinations and research assessments
- Scientific advisor to industry, public organisations, and authorities on research strategy, technology development, and innovation programmes
- Keynote speaker and invited lecturer, delivering talks and education on product development, digital twins, physical AI, research strategy, research funding, and innovation.
- Supervisor and examiner in doctoral and master’s education
Through these roles, I actively contribute to shaping research agendas, evaluation practices, and competence development across academia, industry, and the public sector.
My ambition is to contribute to engineering research that matters — research that is scientifically rigorous, industrially relevant, and capable of addressing pressing societal challenges in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
Contact
Tobias Larsson
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH)
Department of Mechanical Engineering
📍 Karlskrona, Sweden
📧 Email: tobias.larsson@bth.se / t.c.larsson@gmail.com
🌐 Web: https://www.bth.se/english/staff-landing-page/tobias-larsson
🔗 Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.se/citations?user=3fRlakgAAAAJ&h
🔗 Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=7102916337
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobiaslarsson/
🔗 ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tobias-Larsson-2
🔗 ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9662-4576