This networking and ideas generation event brought together researchers from across the University of Manchester to explore how digital technology can be used to develop innovative responses to climate change. It showcased exciting research in this area and provided an opportunity to discuss future research collaborations. This was a cross-platform event between the Digital Futures Cities & Environment theme and the Sustainable Futures research platform.
Joe Cahill, KTP Associate - Artesia Consulting, University of Manchester: Normal and Peak Water Demand: A social practice analytical toolkit
Our project seeks to generate new methods for exploring household water demand. The project uses practice theories and mixed methodologies to understand everyday water practices. We aim to develop new business practices for a UK Water Consultancy (Artesia Consulting) combining existing data analytics and data science techniques within Artesia with social science concepts (social practice theory) and qualitative/mixed methods data, a first for the UK Water sector. From this project we hope to deliver new insights and evidence on the diverse everyday practices of water use as well as a Water Practices Analytical Toolkit. This toolkit will outline our unique conceptual and methodological approach for understanding and managing household water demand.
Michael Fisher, Computer Science, University of Manchester: Yes we can, but should we?
Digital technologies, AI, and Autonomous Systems can all be used to develop responses to climate change. But should they? In developing and deploying these technologies, we must take a more responsible view, as these technologies may be unreliable, incorrect, unwanted and even environmentally damaging.
Raphael Tarpani, Research Assistant, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research: Environmental impacts of digital services for health and wellbeing in the home
Digitalization is increasingly visible in our daily lives, from the most basic to the most complex activities in workplaces and social gatherings. It is also expected to promote significant changes to future health care and well-being services, including hospitals and living schemes. These services can range from simple tasks like monitoring daily activities, to more complex ones like verifying heart beat rates, online diagnostics and recovery check-ups. Our project is looking into the environmental effects of providing these services at different independent living schemes for elderly people in the UK and, in collaboration with a group of social scientists, gain a better understanding of how users interact with digital devices. The project's outcomes are expected to shed light on how they can be used to improve health care services and, at same time, the sustainability of modern societies.
James Evans, Professor of Geography, University of Manchester: Manchester Urban Observatory: real time data for sustainable cities
The Manchester Urban Observatory (MUO) offers a unique service bringing data, sensors and expertise together to improve decision making in cities relating to air quality, urban infrastructure and wellbeing. Through partnership and big data, MUO provides an innovative new model for how Universities can create sustainable and scalable change.
Muir Freer, PhD Student, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research: Carbon Efficient Digital Twin Modelling of a Critical Climate Change Mitigation Technology for the UK
How the carbon-efficient modelling of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage supply chains using a digital twin model of the UK’s freight transport network can accelerate the deployment of the technology and act as a heuristic to better inform policy and decision making.
Ann Gledson, Research Software Engineer, University of Manchester: Enabling FAIR access to environmental data: The Research Software Engineer (RSE) role
Facilitating access to data using open sustainable software development methods is an important part of the RSE role. Working on a recent Turing Institute-funded project, RSEs at the University of Manchester created an open-source environmental data-set and tool-set that have been published in the Nature Scientific Data journal. Working on the Digital Solutions Hub, we will be continuing this work, converting a broad range of hub requirements into a set of tools that allow FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) access to existing and future datasets.