University of East London
Sustainability Research Institute (SRI)
UEL's Sustainability Research Insititute (SRI) is a centre for knowledge and expertise in the sustainability and environmental technologies field. It operates as a a front-end to the HE knowledge-base at UEL (and its partners) to broker access for SMEs and larger business to sustainability and environmental technologies expertise and facilities (including the Manufactured Aggregates Research Centre).
It facilitates access to new market opportunities in this emerging sector across the Thames Gateway, pan-London and beyond though its business-facing networks and partners. It also coordinates multi-disciplinary projects and partnership working within UEL and through its partners in KnowledgeEast ( a business-facing consortium of Higher Education institutions across the London Thames Gateway). The SRI is currently working with the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and the ODA to support the delivery of a sustainable Olympics in 2012, sustainable procurement, inward investment and other activity related to the development at Dagenham Dock of the Institute for Sustainability and the Sustainable Industries Park.
Key areas of activity for the SRI include:
Consultancy, advice and expertise on environmental technologies and sustainable development in the following sectors;
- automotive and transportation
- construction
- eco-effective product design
- life cycle analysis (energy and material implications)
- renewable energy
- waste management
- sustainable construction
- sustainable procurement
- materials testing (and validation)
- environmental technologies
Expertise tailored to business (SME to corporate), public and voluntary sector requirements;
- supply chain development and analysis
- access to markets (inward investment, business networks, brokering new
- business relationships and opportunities, access to suppliers/partners,
- cluster development, market-making)
- risk management (dangers of recycling including poisoning et al)
- materials validation (access to facilities, labs and expertise)
- skills development and assessment (inc. HE course development)
- awareness raising workshops (tailored to given audience)
- access to development funding for businesses and entrepreneurs (innovation & R&D funds)
- regional (TG) geographical and market knowledge (facilities, networks, expertise in above sectors)
- benchmarking and competitor analysis for small business and corporate usp and product development
- sustainable aggregate development, innovation and testing (with aggregates validation) through MARC facilities
- sustainable procurement
- sustainable construction techniques
- regional stakeholder and partner engagement and networking (UDC, Borough and County Councils, HEIs (KE), ODA, Private Sector (Ford, Visteon, Lafarge, Tate & Lyle), education providers)
The SRI also supports student project work with business, including SHELL STEP, KTPS and Enterpise Bureau projects.
Website: www.knowledgedock.com/
