Elif Kaynak

Contact Operation and Maintenance Engineering | Luleå tekniska universitet Brief information I am an Associate Professor at the Division of Operation and Maintenance Engineering at Luleå University of Technology (LTU), where I lead various research activities, including Climate adaptation, Climate change mitigation and Circular Economy (CE), for transport infrastructure network. My academic contributions are centered on optimization theory, statistical modelling techniques, machine learning (ML), RAMS engineering, climate adaptation tools, circularity in transport system, and digital transformation. My last 8 years' research profile is dedicated more toward solving challenges related to transport systems utilizing various tools including statistical and machine learning, optimization toolkits, etc. For instance, one of my most impactful contributions has been in the AdaptUrbanRail project, where I led the development of ML tools to distinguish between climatic and non climatic railway asset failure based on various related parameters. Climate Change Nature Journal selected our paper as a pioneering research breakthrough, showcasing the innovative use of AI/ML in climate adaptation for critical infrastructure. The developed methodology can be customized to various critical infrastructure assets and support infrastructure managers to improve network resiliency.