UK Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (ITRC): PROGRAMME GRANT: Long term dynamics of interdependent infrastructure systems

Completed

Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Energy system analysis)
Not Energy Related

Basic and strategic applied research

SOCIAL SCIENCES (Economics and Econometrics)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Business and Management Studies)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Politics and International Studies)
PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Applied Mathematics)

Systems Analysis related to energy R&D (Other Systems Analysis)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation)

Professor J Hall
Environmental Change Institute
University of Oxford

Standard

EPSRC

07 February 2011

06 January 2016

59 months

£4,793,012

Civil eng. & built environment

South East

Process Environment and Sustainability

Professor J Hall, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford

Dr SP Blainey, School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton
Professor TP Curtis, Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University
Mr C Kilsby, Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University

Project Contact, Infrastructure and Project Authority
Project Contact, Department of Energy & Climate Change
Project Contact, Ove Arup & Partners Ltd
Project Contact, Mott Macdonald UK Ltd
Project Contact, Veolia Environmental Services
Project Contact, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Project Contact, Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
Project Contact, Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG)
Project Contact, Association of North East Councils
Project Contact, Parsons Brinckerhoff
Project Contact, CABE - the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
Project Contact, Scottish and Southern Energy plc
Project Contact, Innovation - BT Plc
Project Contact, National Grid plc
Project Contact, Willis Limited
Project Contact, Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Project Contact, Costain Ltd
Project Contact, United Utilities PLC
Project Contact, Ordnance Survey
Project Contact, BAM Nuttall Ltd
Project Contact, Halcrow Group Ltd
Project Contact, Yorkshire Water
Project Contact, Town & Country Planning Assoc (TCPA)
Project Contact, Met Office
Project Contact, Swanbarton Limited
Project Contact, Northumbrian Water Ltd
Project Contact, Black & Veatch
Project Contact, BP PLC
Project Contact, Transport Scotland
Project Contact, MWH UK Ltd
Project Contact, E.ON E&P UK Ltd
Project Contact, Network Rail Ltd
Project Contact, UK Water Industry Research Ltd (UKWIR)
Project Contact, Energy Generation and Supply KTN
Project Contact, JBA Consulting
Project Contact, Royal Haskoning
Project Contact, Environmental Agency
Project Contact, Highways Agency
Project Contact, Cabinet Office
Project Contact, Department for Transport
Project Contact, Local Government Group
Project Contact, DEFRA
Project Contact, Atkins

National infrastructure (NI) systems (energy, transport, water, waste and ICT) in the UK and in advanced economies globally face serious challenges. The 2009 Council for Science and Technology (CST) report on NI in the UK identified significant vulnerabilities, capacity limitations and a number of NI components nearing the end of their useful life. It also highlighted serious fragmentation in the arrangements for infrastructure provision in the UK. There is an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions from infrastructure, to respond to future demographic, social and lifestyle changes and to build resilience to intensifying impacts of climate change. If this process of transforming NI is to take place efficiently, whilst also minimising the associated risks, it will need to be underpinned by a long-term, cross-sectoral approach to understanding NI performance under a range of possible futures. The 'systems of systems' analysis that must form the basis for such a strategic approach does not yet exist - this inter-disciplinary research programme will provide it.The aim of the UK Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium is to develop and demonstrate a new generation of system simulation models and tools to inform analysis, planning and design of NI. The research will deal with energy, transport, water, waste and ICT systems at a national scale, developing new methods for analysing their performance, risks and interdependencies. It will provide a virtual environment in which we will test strategies for long term investment in NI and understand how alternative strategies perform with respect to policy constraints such as reliability and security of supply, cost, carbon emissions, and adaptability to demographic and climate change.The research programme is structured around four major challenges:1. How can infrastructure capacity and demand be balanced in an uncertain future? We will develop methods for modelling capacity, demand and interdependence in NI systems in a compatible way under a wide range of technological, socio-economic and climate futures. We will thereby provide the tools needed to identify robust strategies for sustainably balancing capacity and demand.2. What are the risks of infrastructure failure and how can we adapt NI to make it more resilient?We will analyse the risks of interdependent infrastructure failure by establishing network models of NI and analysing the consequences of failure for people and the economy. Information on key vulnerabilities and risks will be used to identify ways of adapting infrastructure systems to reduce risks in future.3. How do infrastructure systems evolve and interact with society and the economy? Starting with idealised simulations and working up to the national scale, we will develop new models of how infrastructure, society and the economy evolve in the long term. We will use the simulation models to demonstrate alternative long term futures for infrastructure provision andhow they might be reached.4. What should the UK's strategy be for integrated provision of NI in the long term? Working with a remarkable group of project partners in government and industry, we will use our new methods to develop and test alternative strategies for Britain's NI, building an evidence-based case for a transition to sustainability. We will analyse the governance arrangements necessary to ensure that this transition is realisable in practice.A Programme Grant provides the opportunity to work flexibly with key partners in government and industry to address research challenges of national importance in a sustained way over five years. Our ambition is that through development of a new generation of tools, in concert with our government and industry partners, we will enable a revolution in the strategic analysis of NI provision in the UK, whilst at the same time becoming an international landmark programme recognised for novelty, research excellence and impact

17/11/11