Workshop on "Research in Green Manufacturing" Held on Campus
The Division of Engineering at The University of Nottingham Ningbo, China successfully organised a Workshop on "Research in Green Manufacturing" at their International Conference Centre on their campus. The workshop was held on the 16/12/08 and it is the first in a series of workshops. These workshops will serve as a platform for the exchange of knowledge and ideas paying particular regard to the risks involved in green production technology.
It is generally acknowledged that climate change and the continuously growing world-wide demand for both energy and resources pose major threats towards today's global economies. Hence, it is imperative to decouple economic growth from resource and energy consumption. Accordingly, this workshop addressed the need to research and implement the efficient use of both energy and resources in manufacturing.
More than 20 invited attendees (mainly from industry but also from academia) actively discussed areas for future research in cleaner manufacturing solutions. Industrialists outlined their views on the economic risks involved in implementing green technologies together with the relevant business models. Moreover, this workshop captured which industrial needs are most important when realising energy and resource efficient production. Creative thinkers from diverse businesses, ranging from small to large sized enterprises, discussed the following points:
- Needs and expectations of industry
- Risks involved implementing sustainable manufacturing technologies
- Government regulations on sustainability
- Opportunities for cooperation between academia and industry on regional, national and international levels
Companies expressed a desire for long-term cooperation with academic research institutions, helping with the optimisation of product design, manufacturing processes, and sustainable production.
The Division of Engineering gratefully acknowledges the help and support of the Ningbo Science and Technology Bureau in organising the event and making it a success.
