Prof Steve Evans, director of research at the Centre for Industrial Sustainability

Director of Research in Industrial Sustainability at University of Cambridge

Prof Evans spent 12 years in industry, eventually as Engineering Systems Manager at Martin-Baker Engineering, the world leading manufacturer of ejection seats. His industrial experience led to an emphasis on improving engineering performance and provided an excellent grounding for tackling complex, real-life problems.

How do you increase economic growth while simultaneously reducing resource consumption?  Companies demand growth so they need to sell more stuff, so they make more stuff, consume more stuff, and so use more energy. Show me a company that makes more money from consuming less material. And how do we make plastic when the oil runs out?

Are any organisations, let alone politicians, really seeking to solve this tangled enigma beyond well-meaning words? Steve Evans’ community is trying.

Evans heads up the Centre for Industrial Sustainability (CIS), with sponsorship from the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and input from four UK universities - Cambridge, Cranfield, Imperial and Loughborough - is five years into its mission to redesign industry to be more environmentally sustainable while minimising economic concessions like growth and profit. Early on, the Centre divided the subject broadly into three parts: Eco-efficiency – the more efficient use of resources like water and electricity; Eco-factory – developing smart, resource efficient factories and whole industrial system redesign. Efficiency comes first.