Inaugural lectures
Wednesday 24th October, 2012 at 5pm – Lecture Theatre T.0.003 (Wolfson Building)
How can we 'manufacture' a sustainable future for 9 billion people?
Professor Shahin Rahimifard, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
It is widely agreed that current international efforts in planning for a globally sustainable future are insufficient. For example, there are significant concerns over the emission of greenhouse gases associated with energy generation, and yet it is predicted that the energy demands will be 45% higher within the next twenty years.
This clearly highlights a need for a paradigm shift in the way we use and preserve our energy and other resources, in particular in the field of manufacturing where the effects of resource depletion, climate change and population growth will have a severe impact on the design of future products and their production methods.
In this lecture, Professor Shahin Rahimifard will be using a target year of 2050 to describe four possible scenarios for the future of manufacturing industry. Professor Rahimifard will consider the impact of these scenarios on five key issues influencing manufacturing businesses - namely resources, products, production, labour and market.
He will then explore possible solutions for one of the greatest challenges facing the global society, i.e. How can we manufacture a sustainable future for 9 billion people in 2050?