Bernhard Meussen

Bernhard Meussen is a full Professor of Mechanical Engineering at NORDAKADEMIE, serving as Head of the Master of Science in Industrial Engineering program since October 2013. His academic leadership spans teaching core engineering courses while driving innovation in digital product development and educational technology.

Education Background:

• Undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering at Ruhr-Universität Bochum
• Graduate studies in Design Engineering at Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg with international stays in Kingston-Upon-Thames (UK) and University of Victoria (Canada)
• PhD in Continuum Mechanics from Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg (Thesis: "Deformation behavior of snow under multi-axial loading")

Research Focus: Professor Meussen's work centers on product development theory, digitization of engineering processes (Industry 4.0), and simulation of technical systems. His research bridges academic theory and industrial applications through projects in wind turbine load simulation, CAD-supported tool development, and driverless transport systems. Current initiatives explore collaborative robotics in component assembly and additive manufacturing applications in industrial contexts.

Publication Trends: Recent publications (2017-2024) demonstrate a strategic pivot toward educational technology and cyber-physical laboratories. While maintaining industrial engineering applications, his work increasingly addresses digital transformation in STEM education through cross-reality labs, remote laboratory design, and model-based systems engineering pedagogy. This reflects a dual commitment to advancing industrial practices and reimagining engineering education.

Research Infrastructure:

• Lead investigator for Cyber Physical Laboratories project (2018-2021, funded by NORDAKADEMIE Foundation)
• Principal developer of CrossLabs: Flexibly combinable cross-reality labs (funded by Foundation for Innovation in Higher Education)
• Director of projects implementing automated cylinder production and lithium-ion battery industrial trucks

Professional Integration: Active in VDI Hamburg Working Group Development and Construction, and Society for Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (GAMM). His industrial experience as simulation group leader at wind turbine manufacturers and development manager at industrial truck companies directly informs his academic work, creating strong industry-academia linkages in mechanical engineering education.