Following a fruitful meeting between the SDRN, the Royal Academy of Engineers and Defra, a high-level workshop is being organised for November 2009 to explore ways in which engineers and engineering can be made more central to sustainable development policy, research and delivery.

The workshop will bring together senior policy-makers, engineers and science manager/advisors in government in Defra and beyond to discuss and explore:

• the existing and potential role of engineering in sustainable development policy, research and delivery;


• the advantages a greater input from engineering and engineers might bring to these areas;


• specific policy agendas of relevance to sustainable development in which engineering has or could add value and potentially redirect policy;


• the actions that could be taken by government, the research community and engineering profession to better capture these benefits.

This event is being held as part of SDRN’s Research into Practice workstream.

Catalysed by the meeting a number of other possibilities are being explored, including engineering placements within Defra to ensure that engineering expertise is brought to bear on policy formulation and implementation. For further information, please contact Ben Watson at PSI.

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