For my Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the University of Brighton and Phlorum Limited, I have been developing a toolkit that models, assesses and makes recommendations to reduce life-cycle carbon emissions associated with new-build dwellings. The focus has been on carbon embodied within the manufacture and transportation of construction materials, as this is where the innovation within the project lies.
In the first year of the KTP, I attended the 11th International Conference on Non-Conventional Materials and Technologies (NOCMAT) in Bath, as part of my training and development. I was impressed by the work being done by materials scientists all over the world, especially in the area of environmental impact. In the second year, the conference was being held in Cairo, and I was encouraged to submit a paper on our work.
The paper, entitled ‘Accounting for the Life-Cycle Carbon emissions of new dwellings in the UK" was written and sent for peer review. It gave;
a background on carbon emissions in the UK (focusing especially on the domestic sector)
examined legislation and guidance in energy and carbon emission assessment
outlined the development of the software tool
discussed a case study dwelling assessed by the tool and the ensuing carbon savings.
After some revision, it was accepted by the conference organisers and I spent some time putting together the presentation. The project team decided that this would be an excellent place in which to open the tool up to academic scrutiny, and validate the methodology and results in the process.
The trip would be useful for future marketing strategies for the company, and to assure potential users of the reliability of the data and methodology by gaining academic validation. The University would further benefit from exhibiting their capacity for research in materials, construction and environmental technology, and valuable contacts could be made within the field. For me personally, the trip gave me the opportunity to further my academic ambitions, hone my presentation skills, and associate first-hand with those whose work I have only ever had the chance of reading.
The conference began and it was extremely hectic. With attendees from the all over the world and experts on a vast range of materials, the first day’s information was overwhelming. There were presentations on structural bamboo bridges, the pozzalonic properties of vegetable ash, self-consolidating concrete slabs and the stabilisation of Egyptian soil, among others. My presentation was due on the second day. However it was in the evening where I learnt the most. The hotels suggested by the organisers were full of academics, and when work was over, I was surprised at how sociable and open they were. We spoke at length about each other’s work, looked at potential collaborations and the state of industry and academia in general. Throughout the week there were trips organised to the Pyramids, traditional markets, museums and mosques, where people could get to know each other further.
I was quite nervous about my presentation so I spent some time each evening and morning practising so as to be fully prepared. When it was time, the auditorium had filled with about 50 academics who I now found myself on par with. The presentation went by without a glitch, and although there were no questions at the time, it provoked a lively discussion later that evening, with the founder of NOCMAT suggesting our work and database could be a method of collating all the work that members had done on the environmental implications of their materials.
I left Cairo with many contacts, and some friends. It made me appreciate my position as disseminator of academic knowledge into industry, and made me realise the importance of a scheme like KTP. There was so much work at the Conference that industry could benefit from, yet not enough bodies/organisations that aid/support the transfer of that knowledge.
Before the trip, I checked my Personal Development Plan to see what could be achieved. When I returned, I examined it again. I was amazed at the experience I had gained in just a few days. I had:
expanded my academic expertise;
obtained further experience in public speaking;
enhanced my knowledge on the sustainability of construction materials;
increased my network of professionals and academics; and
obtained ideas for potential future roles, which I hope will include further undertaking and disseminating research.
I am sure the contacts I made in Cairo will have a part to play at some point in achieving this aspiration. Having met and got know these people, the world feels a smaller and less daunting place with potential for opportunity around every corner.
