Loughborough University Joins £276M Infrastructure and Cities Project
Loughborough University has been announced as a partner in a new £276 million research project aimed at ensuring the long-term functioning of the UK’s infrastructure and cities.
UKCRIC (the UK Collaboratorium for Research in Infrastructure and Cities) brings together academic experts from 14 universities across the country.
The study has secured £138 million of Government funding, with 100% matched funding from other sources. Outside national security and medicine it will be one of the largest collaborative research projects in the UK.
UKCRIC will work to provide a knowledge base to ensure the long-term functioning of the UK’s transport systems, energy systems, clean water supplies, waste management, flood defences and the development of SMART infrastructures.
Speaking about UKCRIC, Universities and Science Minister, Jo Johnson said:
From traffic congestion and floods to rising populations, our cities face big challenges that need innovative infrastructure solutions to keep services secure, low-cost, and effective. That’s why, as a One Nation Government, we are investing £138 million in this world-leading UK research network to develop new materials and engineering solutions that will deliver world-class infrastructure up and down the country.
Jo Johnson, Universities and Science Minister
UKCRIC programmes will integrate research on infrastructure needs, utilisation and performance through experiments, analysis, living labs and modelling. This will provide a new combination of decision support tools to inform infrastructure operators, planners, financiers, regulators, cities, and Government on the optimisation of infrastructure capacity, performance and investment.
The coordinating node of UKCRIC is headed by Professor Brian Collins of UCL’s Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy.
The UCL team will coordinate partnerships between top players across industry, academia and Government in an unprecedented bid to align knowledge producers and the needs of the UK. Current national and international partners include Bristol City Council, Network Rail, Mott MacDonald, Buro Happold, Atkins, National Grid, DfT, EDF and Thames Water, with many more partners to follow.
Loughborough’s involvement with UKCRIC will be led by Professor Neil Dixon from the School of Civil and Building Engineering.
We are delighted to be a part of this ground breaking partnership. Loughborough expects to play a full role in the UKCRIC coordination activities, including interactions with Government and stakeholders and the dissemination of outputs to ensure maximum impact.
UKCRIC represents a once in a generation opportunity to conduct research that will have a lasting impact on the nation’s infrastructure and the lives of everyone in the UK who depend on its efficient operation. We are in an excellent position to take full advantage of this exceptional investment in infrastructure research.
Professor Neil Dixon, School of Civil and Building Engineering at Loughborough University
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2020 QS World University Rankings and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.
Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
Specialising exclusively in postgraduate-level study, Loughborough University London is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers cutting-edge master’s and PhD degrees, as well as business collaboration, research and enterprise opportunities.
The seven specialist institutes at Loughborough University London include: Design Innovation, Digital Technologies, Diplomacy and International Governance, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, International Management, Media and Creative Industries, and Sport Business. Close industry partnerships with a wealth of leading businesses and creative organisations means teaching and learning is informed by real-life challenges and driven by true industry pressures.