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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number EP/K012398/1
Title i-BUILD: Infrastructure BUsiness models, valuation and Innovation for Local Delivery
Status Completed
Energy Categories Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Energy system analysis) 10%;
Not Energy Related 80%;
Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Environmental, social and economic impacts) 10%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields SOCIAL SCIENCES (Business and Management Studies) 20%;
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Politics and International Studies) 10%;
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Civil Engineering) 65%;
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Architecture and the Built Environment) 5%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation) 100%
Principal Investigator Dr RJ Dawson
No email address given
Civil Engineering and Geosciences
Newcastle University
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 01 August 2013
End Date 31 March 2018
Duration 56 months
Total Grant Value £3,567,862
Industrial Sectors Construction; Energy; Environment; Transport Systems and Vehicles
Region North East
Programme LWEC : Eng, LWEC : LWEC
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Dr RJ Dawson , Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University (99.974%)
  Other Investigator Professor CJ Baker , Infra. Engineering & Management, University of Birmingham (0.001%)
Professor CDF Rogers , Infra. Engineering & Management, University of Birmingham (0.001%)
Professor MR (Miles ) Tight , Civil Engineering, University of Birmingham (0.001%)
Dr AD Quinn , Civil Engineering, University of Birmingham (0.001%)
Dr N Metje , Civil Engineering, University of Birmingham (0.001%)
Dr I Jefferson , Civil Engineering, University of Birmingham (0.001%)
Professor PT Blythe , Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University (0.001%)
Dr N Thorpe , Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University (0.001%)
Professor S Glendinning , Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University (0.001%)
Dr S Wilkinson , Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University (0.001%)
Dr TJ Foxon , School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds (0.001%)
Dr J K Steinberger , School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds (0.001%)
Professor A Gouldson , School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds (0.001%)
Professor JR Bryson , Sch of Geography, Earth & Env Sciences, University of Birmingham (0.001%)
Dr P Purnell , Civil Engineering, University of Leeds (0.001%)
Professor N Brookes , Civil Engineering, University of Leeds (0.001%)
Professor D Bower , Civil Engineering, University of Leeds (0.001%)
Dr DJ Campbell , University of Newcastle Business School, Newcastle University (0.001%)
Dr J Gibbon , University of Newcastle Business School, Newcastle University (0.001%)
Prof A (Andrew ) Brown , Leeds University Business School (LUBS), University of Leeds (0.001%)
Dr D Spencer , Leeds University Business School (LUBS), University of Leeds (0.001%)
Professor M Kafouros , Leeds University Business School (LUBS), University of Leeds (0.001%)
Professor J Tomaney , Bartlett Sch of Planning, University College London (0.001%)
Professor J Coaffee , Centre for Interdisc. Methodologies, University of Warwick (0.001%)
Professor A Pike , Geography Politics and Sociology, Newcastle University (0.001%)
Mr GD Garrod , Agriculture Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University (0.001%)
  Industrial Collaborator Project Contact , Building Research Establishment (BRE) Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , Atkins (0.000%)
Project Contact , University of Salford (0.000%)
Project Contact , Birmingham City Council (0.000%)
Project Contact , Ove Arup & Partners Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , Newcastle City Council (0.000%)
Project Contact , National Grid plc (0.000%)
Project Contact , Network Rail Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , Halcrow Group Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , Balfour Beatty Plc (0.000%)
Project Contact , Leeds City Council (0.000%)
Project Contact , Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) (0.000%)
Project Contact , Malvern Hills District Council (0.000%)
Project Contact , Marine Scotland Science (0.000%)
Project Contact , NEL Fund Managers (0.000%)
Project Contact , Carillion Plc (0.000%)
Project Contact , Climate KIC UK (0.000%)
Project Contact , Environmental Sustainability Knowledge Transfer Network (0.000%)
Project Contact , National Underground Assets Group Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , Tipping Point (0.000%)
Project Contact , Worcestershire County Council (0.000%)
Project Contact , Price Waterhouse Coopers (0.000%)
Project Contact , Newcastle Science Central (0.000%)
Project Contact , North East Local Enterprise Partnership (0.000%)
Project Contact , Pipeline Industries Guild (0.000%)
Project Contact , Confederation of British Industry (CBI) (0.000%)
Project Contact , UK Water Industry Research Ltd (UKWIR) (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract Our national infrastructure - the systems of infrastructure networks (e.g. energy, water, transport, waste, ICT) that support services such as healthcare, education, emergency response and thereby ensure our social, economic and environmental wellbeing - faces a multitude of challenges. A growing population, modern economy and proliferation of new technologies have placed increased and new demands on infrastructure services and made infrastructure networks increasingly inter-connected. Meanwhile, investment has not kept up with the pace of change leaving many components at the end of their life. Moreover, global environmental change necessitates reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved resilience to extreme events, implying major reconfigurations of these infrastructure systems. Addressing these challenges is further complicated by fragmented, often reactive, regulation and governance arrangements. Existing business models are considered by the Treasury Select Committee to provide poor value but few proven alternative models exist for mobilising finance, particularly in the current economic climate.Continued delivery of our civil infrastructure, particularly given current financial constraints, will require innovative and integrated thinking across engineering, economic and social sciences. If the process of addressing these issues is to take place efficiently, whilst also minimising associated risks, it will need to be underpinned by an appropriate multi-disciplinary approach that brings together engineering, economic and social science expertise to understand infrastructure financing, valuation and interdependencies under a range of possible futures. The evidence that must form the basis for such a strategic approach does not yet exist. However, evidence alone will be insufficient, so we therefore propose to establish a Centre of excellence, i-BUILD, that will bring together three UK universities with world-leading track records in engineering, economics and social sciences; a portfolio of pioneering inter-disciplinary research; and the research vision and capacity to deliver a multi-disciplinary analysis of innovative business models around infrastructure interdependencies.While national scale plans, projects and procedures set the wider agenda, it is at the scale of neighbourhoods, towns and cities that infrastructure is most dense and interdependencies between infrastructures, economies and society are most profound - this is where our bid is focussed. Balancing growth across regions and scales is crucial to the success of the national economy. Moreover, the localism agenda is encouraging local agents to develop new infrastructure related business but these are limited by the lack of robust new business models with which to do so at the local and urban scale. These new business models can only arise from a step change in the cost-benefit ratio for infrastructure delivery which we will achieve by:(i) reducing the costs of infrastructure delivery by understanding interdependencies and alternative finance models,(ii) improving valuation of infrastructure benefits by identifying and exploiting the social, environmental and economic opportunities, and,(iii) reconciling national and local priorities. The i-BUILD centre will deliver these advances through development of a new generation of value analysis tools, interdependency models and multi-scale implementation plans. These methods will be tested on integrative case studies that are co-created with an extensive stakeholder group, to provide demonstrations of new methods that will enable a revolution in the business of infrastructure delivery in the UK. Funding for a Centre provides the opportunity to work flexibly with partners in industry, local and national government to address a research challenge of national and international importance, whilst becoming an international landmark programme recognised for novelty, research excellence and impact
Publications (none)
Final Report (none)
Added to Database 26/09/13