Industrial Ecology and Sustainability
About
Research in Industrial Ecology and Sustainability aims to improve urban sustainability through the design of complex sustainable systems that help understand and model the links among: population dynamics, energy and materials’ usage, ecosystem services, environmental impacts of human activities, economic growth.
Its final purpose is to deliver a holistic view of these energy systems, which requires tools to bridge different scales, from site- or product-specific analysis to the whole economy and across the economic, social and environmental dimensions. These tools are used to design and promote new policy instruments and sustainable materials and technologies that may improve the environmental performance of products and services through their life-cycle, as well as contribute to more efficient economic metabolisms at different scales.
Goals
Cooperation with industry and governments gives rise to innovations in sustainable buildings, in designing better sustainable energy systems, including intelligent transportation systems and ecosystem services.
To accomplish our vision, we seek to:
Develop fundamental theory for sustainability assessment and translate this theory in operational tools.
Develop and empirically calibrate modelling tools for environmental processes.
Develop and empirically calibrate modelling tools for integrated environmental-energy-economic processes.
Develop and use advanced research methodologies for the analysis of sustainable energy systems.
Promote the exchange of knowledge in advanced technologies for the optimisation of processes and systems.
Organization
The current research agenda permits a functional organization for the Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Sustainability. Currently, the Director of Industrial Ecology and Sustainability at IN+ is Professor Patrícia Baptista. She is supported by a team of Doctorate Researchers who manage the research agenda for the next term, namely Urban Sustainability, Sustainable Energy Systems and Sustainable Materials and Technologies.
Due to its size and to keep in touch, each Friday, the team from the Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Sustainability gathers in discussion sessions where researchers present their work.
Diana Neves is responsible for the organization of these meetings.
Infrastructures
In terms of Infrastructure and facilities, the largest laboratory is the Laboratory of Waste Processing and Management, where we focus on the recycling and revaluation of residues. Please consult the laboratory page to know more. The person responsible for the laboratory is Professor Fernanda Margarido.
Other facilities for the Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Sustainability are located in Tagus Park.
