Masood Fathi
Associate Professor of Production Engineering
How can manufacturing companies stay productive while reducing their carbon footprint and adapting to volatile energy markets? The AI-COMPETE project takes on this challenge by developing an AI-powered decision support system for sustainable manufacturing.
Its vision is to transform production into a system that is intelligent, adaptive, and environmentally responsible, helping Swedish industry lead the transition toward a climate-neutral future.
Led by the University of Skövde in collaboration with Uppsala University and industry partners Volvo Penta, Scania, Daloc, and Evoma AB, AI-COMPETE brings together researchers and practitioners to create solutions that combine advanced AI technologies with real-world industrial needs.
Project Goals and Innovation
AI-COMPETE aims to develop a multi-agent AI decision support system that helps manufacturers optimise production processes while maximising the use of renewable energy. By coordinating multiple specialised AI agents, the project addresses productivity challenges, energy efficiency, and sustainability goals in a unified framework.
The system is designed for operational agility and can be deployed quickly, particularly by SMEs, without the need for major infrastructure investments, making advanced AI both scalable and practical across Swedish manufacturing.
AI-COMPETE’s innovation is built around three interconnected areas:
- Coordinated Decision-Making: Developing AI systems where multiple agents collaborate to balance conflicting objectives.
- Green Production Scheduling: Designing scheduling methods that link production activities with renewable energy availability.
- Digital Twin-Enabled Optimisation: Building digital twin models that continuously test and refine production strategies, enabling factories to reduce energy use and optimise resources.
Real-World Impact
All solutions in AI-COMPETE are developed and tested with industrial partners to ensure they are directly applicable to real production environments. The outcome will be an AI-powered decision support platform that combines coordinated agents, scheduling tools, and digital twins into a unified system.
This platform will help factories monitor, predict, and adapt production activities to maintain productivity while reducing environmental impact.
Supporting the Global Goals
AI-COMPETE contributes to several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
By integrating advanced AI with renewable energy use and sustainable practices, AI-COMPETE is laying the groundwork for a new generation of manufacturing that is both technologically advanced and environmentally responsible.
