Kazuhiro Saitou

Kazuhiro Saitou is an engineering design researcher who left the University of Michigan to join the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Applied Science in Vancouver, Canada, as an Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair of Canada in Engineering Design, focused on computational design for mechanical products and systems and engineering AI.

The appointment was announced August 27, 2026 as part of UBC's first cohort of nine Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs, with his move set to begin in summer 2027. He will also hold the Patrick David Campbell Chair in Mechanical Engineering Design, funded by the Patrick and Beryl Campbell Charitable Trust, which he sees as a hub for multi-disciplinary work spanning students, industry and community partners.

Saitou's research combines design thinking with systems thinking, using AI to support creative problem-solving and automate routine design work while keeping human designers at the center. He aims to build a unified computational design framework spanning the full product lifecycle from concept to production, an area he sees as split between abstract academic models and narrow, industry-specific optimization tools. He points to expected impacts across manufacturing and defense technology, more sustainable and cost-effective production, and the training of a new generation of engineers versed in AI-aided design. He was drawn to UBC's mechanical engineering department and its Wayne and William White Engineering Design Centre, along with Vancouver's broader innovation ecosystem and culture of cross-disciplinary collaboration.