Sanjooram Paddea, Author at Transfire

Transforming the Foundation Industries Research and Innovation Hub (TransFIRe) Completion

Transforming the Foundation Industries Research and Innovation Hub (TransFIRe) Completion

After three productive years, the TransFIRe project has successfully concluded, achieving significant advancements in the Foundation Industries. Recognising the substantial impact these industries have on both the economy and the environment, TransFIRe was established to foster a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to their transformation, with a strong focus on sustainability, efficiency, and innovation. Our comprehensive final report highlights the project's impact on creating innovative materials and processes, contributing to potential energy savings of up to 20% and a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions. In collaboration with International Synergies, TransFIRe facilitated the exploration of over 350 industrial symbiosis opportunities, leading to the diversion of more than 10,000 tonnes of waste from landfill. This effort has resulted in innovative products from waste streams. Explore our key findings and the lasting impact of the TransFIRe project in our final report.

Sanjooram Paddea2024-12-17T13:42:27+00:00December 17th, 2024|

A Systems Perspective on Policy Enablers to Transform Foundation Industries

A Systems Perspective on Policy Enablers to Transform Foundation Industries

Foundation industries including chemicals, metals, glass, cement, paper and ceramics need a system-level policy approach to enable them to compete in a green, decarbonised markets. Enablers at whole system macro-level will align stakeholders to support transformation from wasteful linear supply chains to resource efficient, circular business models exploiting innovative technologies and new ways of working operationally and strategically. Competition will be enabled by offering greater value in the marketplace whilst using less resources through collaboration. This brief identifies policy enablers by drawing on UKRI’s £10M TransFIRe Hub research into transforming foundation industries: Change must be place-based and value-driven, with a shared direction among all business, societal and governance stakeholders UK public and private investment into skills, technology and infrastructure is essential A co-produced national UK industrial strategy is needed to give certainty and enable long-term investment into low-carbon technologies

Sanjooram Paddea2024-08-19T10:46:13+00:00August 19th, 2024|

Barriers and enablers to decarbonising UK manufacturing: views of technical experts and trade organisations

Barriers and enablers to decarbonising UK manufacturing: views of technical experts and trade organisations

As part of TransFIRe, two groups of partners were interviewed: 12 TransFIRe technical academic leads and 7 representatives from trade organisations for representing chemicals (plastics), metals (steel and cast metals), glass, cement, paper and ceramics. The interviewees were given 3-5 prompts of innovations in their industry gathered from the academic and trade literature and encouraged to suggest other innovations. They were then asked to outline the barriers and enablers for each innovation. This document presents the key messages from these interviews.

Sanjooram Paddea2024-07-15T10:57:49+00:00July 15th, 2024|

UK Metals Expo: 14-15 September 2022

UK Metals Expo: 14-15 September 2022

The UK Metal EXPO 2022 UK Metals Expo | 14-15 September 2022 | NEC was held in Birmingham a few days after the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The expo was the first time the entire sector was both represented and brought together entirely at the NEC, Birmingham; from primary metal manufacture, supply chain management, processing metals, fabrication, surface coatings and recycling along with UKRI, BEIS, industry experts, leading vendors, innovators and academic researchers Jo Stansfield, Mike Thakoordin and I, EDI - Transfire (transfire-hub.org) spent most of the day speaking to exhibitors and attending talks at the Skills, Training & Strategy Theatre, which had an overarching agenda on: ‘Workforce of the Future – The need for green skills, digital skills & attracting talent’. At the ‘Future skills, upskilling and reskilling: Lifelong learning in the metal sector’ talk, we listened to the UK Metal Council panel who [...]

Sanjooram Paddea2023-01-24T11:51:38+00:00October 12th, 2022|

Ciel Newton

Ciel Newton

I am Ciel (pronounced - CL), the TransFIRe EDI Project Manager in the team lead by Prof Sue Black. I have previously worked in the aviation industry, diplomatic service, and volunteer for a diversity leadership charity and IPAG Kent. I recently completed my studies at the University of Kent, where I was a mentor, reverse mentor and an EDI advocate who championed, supported, and advocated for marginalised stakeholders, social mobility, and age-inclusion. I also engage in mental health and domestic abuse advocacy. I have a passion for diversity, inclusion, equity, belonging and a keen interest in sustainability. I am delighted to be working with Sue, Jo, Mike, and the wider EDI Working Group, towards narrowing and eliminating the diversity, equity and inclusion gaps in the Foundation Industries. Along with the team, I hope to engage, inspire, and empower Foundation Industry partners to eliminate these gaps, and to [...]

Sanjooram Paddea2023-01-24T11:51:12+00:00September 12th, 2022|

Jo Stansfield

Jo Stansfield

I’m Jo, and I’m an engineer turned business psychologist, specialising in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. I am founder and director of a social enterprise, Inclusioneering Ltd, helping organisations in the tech and engineering industries with EDI. Within TransFIRe, I am delighted to be working as Senior EDI Project Manager on our EDI strategy and its implementation. It’s a massively exciting space to be working in, as academics and industry partners come together to solve the biggest challenges of our generation, to reach the Net Zero 2050 goals. The UK Foundation industries together produce 28 million tonnes of raw material – cement, metals, glass, paper, ceramics, and chemicals – which are the foundation to all the stuff we see constructed and produced all around us. But together these industries currently contribute 10% of the total CO2 emissions from UK homes and businesses. We need to find sustainable ways [...]

Sanjooram Paddea2023-05-05T08:54:02+00:00September 12th, 2022|

Mike Thakoordin

Mike Thakoordin

Hi there, I’m Mike, and I work as both as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate with Durham University on the TransFIRe project and as a freelance consultant. I am a professional engineer who has gone on to develop an interest in inclusion and wellbeing. Within this project, I work in the EDI team under Professor Sue Black on a 2.5 days per week basis. Outside of this I am the founder and director of Working Well Matters Ltd which provides training and consultancy in all aspects of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and in many areas of Wellbeing such as Mental Health; Suicide First Aid, and Neurodiversity. I also provide input to organisations’ ISO Management Systems (health, safety, quality, environmental) to achieve success beyond just compliance. I work with organisations to bring about such success in the areas of people, planet and profit. I have just started with TransFIRe (July [...]

Sanjooram Paddea2023-01-24T11:50:16+00:00September 12th, 2022|