Project RESISTTE: Simulation-based stress testing for Manufacturing

In September 2025, Dr Tanel Aruväli joined the Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Malta as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellow. He is carrying out the fellowship project RESISTTE (Development and validation of simulation-based stress test for resilience assessment in manufacturing companies) under the supervision of Prof. Emmanuel Francalanza. The interdisciplinary research is supported by co-supervisor Dr Daniel Gravino from the Department of Economics.

The research will support the manufacturing sector by developing and validating a simulation-based stress test tool for shop floor resilience assessment under realistic disruption scenarios. It adapts methodologies from the European Banking Authority stress-testing framework for banks and integrates its relevant elements with advanced computational simulation and Large Language Model (LLM)-based disruption scenario prediction.

By combining advanced simulation with disruption forecasting, RESISTTE aims to help manufacturing companies to map their vulnerabilities and support planning of long-term investments, while also offering banks and investors valuable insights into industrial resilience as a metric for creditworthiness. The project will be tested in both laboratory conditions at the University of Malta and in collaboration with STMicroelectronics (Malta) Ltd in an industrial setting.

Dr Aruväli commented: “This fellowship offers a unique opportunity to turn a long-standing research vision into reality and contribute to the manufacturing sector’s resilience.  I am especially grateful to continue my collaboration with Prof. Emmanuel Francalanza, whose guidance and expertise are instrumental to the success of this project.”