20.-21. March: SFB 837 meets IKC Cambridge

On 20 and 21 March 2012 a delegation from the SFB 837consisting of 10 researchers will travel to the University of Cambridge to participate in a workshop hosted by the "Innovation and Knowledge Centre" (IKC)on Smart Infrastructure and Construction. The workshop aims at consolidating the close research cooperation between SFB 837 and the University of Cambridge / IKC, and furthermore, at exchanging the latest research results in the field of smart infrastructure. Within the frame of the workshop five projects will be presented by both research partners.





"Innovation and Knowledge Centre" (IKC), University of Cambridge:

The "Innovation and Knowledge Centre" (IKC)on Smart Infrastructure and Construction at the University of Cambridge is focused on Smart Infrastructure and Construction and combines business knowledge with the most up-to-date research to harness the full potential of emerging technologies. IKC is led by Professor Robert Mair and Professor Kenichi Soga of the Civil Engineering Division of the Department of Engineering. Innovation and Knowledge Centres are center’s of excellence with five years" funding to accelerate and promote business exploitation of an emerging research and technology field. Their key feature is a shared space and entrepreneurial environment, in which researchers, potential customers and skilled professionals from both academia and business can work side-by-side to scope applications, business models and routes to market. In this respect, IKC are quite comparable to the German SFBs (Sonderforschungsbereiche / Collaborative Research Centers).



The Cambridge IKC is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Technology Strategy Board, and by industry with a total amount of £17 million. Funding for the Cambridge IKC will be £10 million from EPSRC and the Technology Strategy Board, with an additional £7 million from a number of industry organisations.


The Cambridge research centre links research in sensor and data management with innovative manufacturing processes to provide radical changes to the construction and management of infrastructure. The aim is to transform the industry through a whole-life approach to achieving sustainability in construction and infrastructure, covering design and commissioning, the construction process, exploitation and use, and eventual decommissioning.