Bernd Weiss, Kiruna Space Campus
Bernd Weiss
Research Assistant
Research subject: Product Innovation
Division: Humans and Technology
Department of Social Sciences, Technology and Arts
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Luleå, A2204
About me
Architecting resilient dual-use systems for Earth and beyond gravity. Practice: Reindustrializing. Research: 'Sustainable-By-Default' design.
Current Research Focus
🏭 1. Industrial Transformation (The Future Factory)
- Project: Sustainable Innovation in Manufacturing
- Leveraging Circular Economy principles for resilient supply chains
- Using Digital Twins to track material flows.
- Developing "Sustainable-by-Default" design frameworks for the manufacturing sector (Creaternity Aerospace Lab).
🚀 2. Space Sustainability (The Circular Orbit)
- Project: Satellite Reusability & Debris Mitigation
- Investigating "Design for Satellite Reusability" for future spacecraft.
- Analyzing the economic viability of repairing vs. replacing satellites.
Bio
In research Industrial Transformation, Reindustrialization, and Circular Economy . My work bridges the gap between sustainable production and manufacturing effective practices and the emerging need for a circular economy on Earth and beyond.
Bernd is a doctoral candidate in the intersection of Product Innovation and Space Systems at Luleå University of Technology (LTU). His expertise is in industry-scale transformation and technology management. Bernd conducts research on best practices for circular-, digital-, and sustainable transformation and on approaches for Sustainable-Designs by default. With his work, he aims to contribute to the knowledge bodies of industrial transformation, change and innovation management, reusable product designs, and sustainable production. Bernd is co-founder of Circulate360, an accelerator to foster university-industry collaboration and the development of innovations based on the circular economy principles. Bernd is speaker and actively involved in the renowned Ecosystems2030 think-tank, which has its origin at NASA Innovation Summits.
Contact
LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/bmw321
Medium:https://medium.com/@IAmBD
Substack Newsletter:https://industrialize.substack.com/
External Links to Research Publications
Bernd M Weiss Researchgate Profile
Creaternity AeroSpace Lab
Creaternity AeroSpace Lab is an interdisciplinary research group aiming to connect stakeholders of circularity and reuseability in space. Currently we have members from Sweden, USA, UK, and Germany.
Find out more:https://creaternity.spaceorhttps://circularspaceeconomy.com
Research
Theme A: Industrial Transformation & Reindustrialization
- Focus: Sustainable production, smart manufacturing, and continuous transition processes on Earth and in space (Creaternity Aerospace Lab).
- "Sustainable Reindustrialization" – Leveraging digital tools (Industry 4.0) to modernize and secure domestic production capabilities.
- Key Highlight: Developing frameworks for 'Change Readiness' in legacy manufacturing sectors.
Theme B: Circular Economy & Space Sustainability
- Focus: Satellite reusability, space debris, and "Design for X" in orbit.
- "The Circular Space Economy" – Developing frameworks for satellite reuse and debris mitigation.
- Key Highlight: Defining 'Design-for-Spacecraft-Reuse'.
Theme C: Digitalization & Software Systems
- Focus: Digital Twins, system interoperability, and software architecture for complex industrial environments.
- "The Digital Thread" – Creating seamless data flows between physical assets (factories/satellites) and digital models to optimize lifecycle management.
- Key Highlight: Architecting 'Digital Twins' for simulation and predictive maintenance.
Selected Projects
Project A: Managing Change and Innovation for Circular Transformation
The Challenge: Transitioning to a Circular Economy requires more than just will; it requires structural change.
The Research: This project investigates how digital technologies—specifically IoT, AI, and blockchain—act as catalysts for this transition. We explore how these tools verify resource efficiency and enable new, sustainable business models, turning industrial challenges into measurable opportunities for resilience.
Project B: Approaching Sustainable Spacecraft End-of-life: Reusable Hardware and Circular Economy Principles in Outer Space
The Challenge: Current "burn-up" disposal methods waste rare-earth elements and contribute to the space debris crisis.
The Research: I investigate the drivers, barriers, and design implications of "in-space reuse" as an alternative to disposal. By analyzing the financial viability of circular business models, this work aims to develop a roadmap for full spacecraft reusability—extending the circular economy beyond Earth.
Project C: Regulatory Actions and Space Sustainability
The Challenge: As commercial space activity accelerates, existing governance frameworks struggle to enforce sustainable practices.
The Research: This research analyzes the intersection of policy and technology. We examine how international regulations can be adapted to mandate debris mitigation and responsible resource utilization, ensuring that technical innovation is matched by robust legal frameworks.
Project Collaborations:
- Sustainability in Engineering Education, LTU, Luleå, Sweden (project contact: Bernd Weiss).
- CATALYST ACCELERATOR - Watermelon, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
- Tooltrace, Luleå, LTU, Sweden (LINK at Production2030),
project contact:Mohamed Elnourani Elhag Abdelmageed - Sustainable-By-Default in Product Development, Creativity AeroSpace Lab, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
- Life-Cycle Assessment in Space / Space Sustainability Ratings, University Stuttgart, Germany / EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland.
Involved Organizations and Clusters
- Creativity LTU: Creativity Space Lab
- Swedish Aerospace Research Cluster (SARC)
- Ecosystems2030
- Production2030
- Creaternity Graduate School
- Alliance for A Sustainable Future in Space
International Collaborations
For his research, he works with several academic institutions in the US and industry partners in the US, Taiwan, Sweden and Germany.
Space Debris Project at Creativity
Keynotes and talks
- Humanity's Future in Space: Approaching Space Sustainability, UNIVERSEH Special Lecture Series, Towards a Sustainable and Circular Space Econom, 3/8/2023: LINK (no recording). Presentation: on request
- Ecosystems 2030 - Open Session: How to Innovate in Uncertainty:LINK Recording
In the Press
- Green Leaders of the Future:LinkedIn |Page for PDF Page 24 (direct link PDF)
- Educating the green leaders of the future: Future Research
- Creaternity Space Lab -First Paper Publication
- Production2030 Graduate School Interview:LinkedIn|PDF
Teaching and Examining
Current
- M7014 T Product Development Processes | LTU Canvas Page Lp1, H24 (Teacher)
- I0002A, Sustainable production: Introduction to sustainable production systems, Lp1-2, H24|LTU Canvas Page
- Product, production and business development for circular flows LP4, H24|LTU Canvas Page
Archived
- O7014N, Advanced project management | LTU Canvas Page LP4, H22 (Examiner)
- M7014 T Product Development Processes | LTU Canvas Page Lp1, H22 LTU Canvas Page Lp1, H23(Teacher)
Relevant News, Articles, and Books
Circular Economy, Reuse of Space Hardware, and Planetary Sustainability
Bernd's articles on Circular Economy, Innovation, Technology
Book suggestions:
- Product Design and Development, KT Ulrich
- Strategic Management of Technological Innovation, M. Schilling
- Managing Innovation, J. Tidd, J. Bessant
- Life Cycle Assessment, MZ Hauschild
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