Meet our researchers in operation and maintenance engineering

Uday Kumar: “We are not just developing tools, technology and management solutions for maintenance—we are defining its future.”

Chair Professor Uday Kumar has been working at Luleå University of Technology for 35 years and has built the Division of Operation and Maintenance Engineering to what it is today. Later this spring he will take on the role as Professor and Senior Advisor, passing the torch to the next chair.

What have you done during your 35 years at the university?
– I started my journey as a PhD student, later becoming a lecturer and then a professor in mechanical engineering. I also spent some years teaching in Norway before returning to Luleå University of Technology (LTU) with a vision—to establish maintenance as a scientific research discipline.

At the time, maintenance was not acknowledged as a formal discipline. I proposed the idea to LTU management, which laid the foundation for what would become one of the university’s most successful research areas. In 2001, we started a research group from scratch. By 2018, it had grown to be the largest at LTU.

Our goal was to create a multi- and cross-disciplinary field combining engineering, management, economics, and IT, computer science, etc. Over time, we not only developed practical tools and methods but helped define maintenance as a science.

How has the subject area developed over the years?
– The railway sector offered many challenges, which attracted the interest of external partners such as the Swedish Transport Administration and LKAB. In 2001, the Luleå Railway Research Center (JVTC) was given a focus on operations and maintenance technology, and I became its director. The work was both challenging and stimulating.

In 2006, we established the Centre for Maintenance and Industrial Services (CMIS) which later became Centre of Intelligent Asset Management (CIAM). This brought major industry players like Vattenfall Vattenkraft, LKAB, SSAB, Scania and Boliden on board. However, as the senior personnel retired or changed positions, interest diminished somewhat, and the centre didn’t develop as much as we had expected.

In 2009, I was nominated to be part of the National Working Group on Transport 2030 as representative of researchers which deepened our engagement on national issues.

A major milestone came when the SKF Condition Monitoring Centre was established in Luleå. This significantly elevated our international profile and positioned Luleå as a hub for condition monitoring and maintenance research.

What have been the biggest challenges?
– There are two core challenges that continue to shape our field.

The first is establishing stable, long-term financial support for fundamental research. Much of our work requires sustained funding, which is difficult to secure in a competitive and shifting funding landscape.

The second is establishing maintenance as a cohesive scientific discipline. The field’s inherent complexity—spanning engineering, economics logistics, and management which makes it inherently complex. Integrating these disciplines into a unified academic discipline requires deep interdisciplinary collaboration.

What has been most memorable?
– There have been many memorable moments, but one that stands out was being invited to speak during a nationally televised hearing in Swedish Parliament. The session, hosted by the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, focused on how to improve the reliability and robustness of the Swedish railway system. It was a moment of great pride and recognition—not just for me, but for the research community I represent.

What are some of the highlights over the years?
– Our division has achieved a great deal:

• We have graduated 55 PhD students.
• Built world-class labs, many financed internally.
• Secured patents and hosted several international conferences.
• Authored one textbook and eight reference books on maintenance
• Launched and established the International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management, published by Springer.
• Established ourselves university’s flagship divisions, winning numerous awards and earning international recognition.

In just two decades a short period in the life span of an academic discipline, we’ve come a very long way—from a humble beginning to being leaders in the field.

Any final thoughts?
– We are not just developing tools, technology and management solutions for maintenance—we are defining its future.