Breakfast networking event: Sustainable Design and its Importance to Reduce Impact

Sustainable design is the approach to creating products and services that have considered the environmental, social, and economic impacts from the initial phase through to the end of life.

Each year the University of Bath’s Department of Mechanical Engineering hosts a Group Business Design Project (GBDP). The next GBDP project will be a cross-departmental project with Mechanical, Automotive, Manufacturing, Design & Mechanical Electrical.

The project helps students understand the scope and scale of completing a project, navigate social and cultural differences to work towards a common goal as a team and understand how engineering fits into the wider commercial environment.

The GBDP project launches in February and the assessments take place in May.

We’ll be joined by Dr Elies Dekoninck, Senior Lecturer in the departments of Mechanical Engineering and Advanced Design & Manufacturing at the University of Bath. Dr Dekoninck will provide insights into eco-innovation and its importance to reduce impact.

Following our keynote talk, we’ll hear from companies innovating in sustainable product design and who are already supporting student projects as part of the University of Bath Group Business Design project.

Virtual breakfast networking event on Wednesday 19th January, 09:00 - 10:30am

Agenda:

8.55 Attendees join via Zoom

9.00 Welcome and introductions from our event host, Lucy Paine

9.15 Keynote talk: Dr Elies Dekoninck, Senior Lecturer at University of Bath

Dr Dekoninck will give a brief historical perspective on how approaches to eco-design have evolved since the 90’s. Then she will give some examples of her own work supporting eco-design and eco-innovation in industry. Finally, she will attempt to give an overview of research identifying the most successful approaches to tackle sustainability through design.

9.30 Interactive Q&A panel session:                                            

                        Nav Sawhney, Founder, The Washing Machine Project

                        Keven Chappell, Technical Director, Pinweld Ltd

                        Sarah Whelan, Operations, Airway Medical     

09.45 Breakout networking rooms – your chance to mix, mingle and exchange contact details

10.30 Meeting closes

Join like-minded people and a panel of experts for this free to attend, sustainable business networking event.

Once you have pre-registered, you will be sent a zoom invite to join the event.

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This networking event is hosted by the West of England Sustainable Technologies Scale-Up Programme. This programme is funded through the European Regional Development Fund and provides a package of support to businesses in the West of England in any sector that are developing low carbon technologies or looking to make their products or services more sustainable.