12-03-2026 - Lecture Hall C

Mini Symposium - Technical Talk

How do we design and operate manufacturing systems that adapt sustainably?

Alessia Napoleone

Manufacturing systems must increasingly adapt to volatile markets, sustainability demands, and rapid technological change.
This talk introduces the concepts of flexibility and reconfigurability as key mechanisms for enabling such adaptation.
I outline the current state of industry—where digital technologies create new possibilities but decision making remains fragmented—and the state of research, which still lacks integrated, lifecycle aware approaches.
I then present a systems engineering driven research program and illustrative examples that show how coordinated design and operational decisions can support sustainable and resilient manufacturing.