A multidisciplinary approach to meeting the engineering challenges of our urban environments, concentrating on three main intertwining  themes of energy, transport and smart materials, with cross-cutting activities in photonics communications and control, all of which are strongly represented in Northumbria.  

Across the world, the percentage of the population living in urban centres is growing, bringing the challenge of a prosperous and equitable lifestyle for all within an environment that is constrained by reducing resources of materials, space and time.  Our research concentrates on increasing efficiency, in all its aspects, in order to meet this challenge.

How can engineers make the physical aspects of cities more efficient so that they can cope with more people yet fewer resources?

In 10 years’ time, 60% of the global population will live in urban areas. At Northumbria we are taking a multidisciplinary approach to develop engineering know-how that will be ‘fit for purpose’.

We already have an international reputation in the areas of intelligent transport systems, smart materials and surfaces, photonic communications and renewable energy and power. We also have one of the world’s leading research groups on visible light communications and free space optics. Our whole systems approach means that the best innovations in each area can be combined into novel and exciting ways to deliver the engineering of the future.

Click here to read more about our research themes