UK and China join forces to collaborate on sustainability research
Today Arup, Thames Gateway Institute for Sustainability and Tongji University signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote collaboration on research in Sustainable Design and Construction of the Urban Environment.
The agreement took place at the UK-China Business Summit, attended by the UK Prime Minister, Rt Hon Gordon Brown and Premier of the People's Republic of China, Wen Jiabao.
Signatories included Professor Zheng Shiling of Tongji University, Malcolm Grant, Provost of UCL and Chair of the Thames Gateway Institute for Sustainability and Jeremy Watson, Global Research Director of Arup.
The MoU formalises the shared intent of the UK and China to collaborate on sustainability and heralds the establishment of sustainability research institutes in both countries. It will ensure that together the UK and China become leaders of the environmental technologies industry - already worth £25 billion to the UK economy alone*.
Jeremy Watson, Director of Global Research at Arup said: “This partnership is a significant step in meeting the sustainability challenges faced by every nation. The creation of new and lasting links between Chinese and British research institutes, government agencies and business, should result in policies and best practice to lead development and future design in China, the UK and worldwide.”
Witnesses to the agreement were Professor Michael Kelly (Chief Scientific Advisor, UK Department of Communities and Local Government), Professor Ed Metcalfe (Scientific Advisor, South East England Development Agency), Mr Ian Short (Deputy Chief Executive, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation) and Mr Terry Hill (Group Chairman, Arup).
All are partners in the development of the Thames Gateway Institute for Sustainability, a multi-million pound centre of excellence set to support the development of practical and commercial innovations aimed at reducing negative impacts on the environment.
Ian Short, Deputy Chief Executive of LTGDC, said: “The creation of the Thames Gateway Institute for Sustainability was driven by the need for commercially viable technologies to tackle climate change. Our agreement with China provides a vital platform to share our expertise and bring new innovations to the market swiftly.”
Professor Malcolm Grant, President and Provost of UCL will chair the initial Board of the Institute, of which Professor Zheng Shiling of Tongji University is a member. Ed Metcalfe, Ian Short and Jeremy Watson have each been invited to become trustees.
Professor Grant said: “The Thames Gateway Institute for Sustainability is an exciting new venture that will bring together powerful research teams from the private sector, universities and other research organisations, with global co-operation - particularly with our partners in China - to address some of the most pressing problems confronting the world today.”
Ed Metcalfe, Chief Scientific Advisor at SEEDA commented: “This is a tremendous opportunity particularly at this time to pool our collective expertise to create world-leading eco-regions in both countries and a new high value employment sector.”
To date, an international Eco-City Research Network has been initiated by Arup and facilitated by support from the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (STCSM).
*Source: UKTI