Arun Nagarajah

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Arun Nagarajah is Chair of Product Development Processes and Data Management at the University of Duisburg-Essen's Faculty of Engineering (IPE). He holds a doctorate from RWTH Aachen University (2010) and previously worked in the automotive industry and supply sector, leading product data management and digitalization initiatives. His research focuses on digitalization in engineering processes, product lifecycle management, machine learning applications, and knowledge graph-based standards interpretation. He leads projects like the UMEK initiative on multidisciplinary engineering processes in power plant construction and has contributed to over 50 peer-reviewed publications since 2011.

Education:

• Mechanical Engineering & Quality Management, University of Wuppertal
• Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University (2010)

Research Interests: Digital twins, sustainable product design, machine learning in engineering, requirements mining from standards, and modular product development. His work bridges theoretical frameworks (e.g., knowledge graphs) with practical applications in automotive, manufacturing, and energy sectors.

Grants & Projects: Led the BMWI-funded UMEK project (2015-2018), focusing on multidisciplinary engineering processes in power plants. Collaborates on initiatives like SMART Standards for machine-actionable engineering guidelines.

Labs/Teams: Heads the Product Engineering Processes (PEP) research group, specializing in data-driven product development methodologies and digital transformation in industry.