In celebration of Swindon Heritage Open Day, we are delighted to have welcomed members of the public to the iCAST Creative Hub on Saturday 7 September.
Located in the historic Carriage Works, the iCAST Creative Hub is designed to inspire innovation in sustainable technologies among the research community and industry. People were invited to learn about how part of this Grade II listed Carriage Works, once the largest in Europe, has transformed into a hub for advancing sustainable technologies and solving pressing environmental challenges.
iCAST Managers Francesca Guiso Gallisai and Clair Stenning, together with Technology Translators Dr Naba Kumar Kalita, Dr Vlad Jarkov, Dr Philip Yang, and Dr Xiang Ding, spoke to members of the public about the innovation projects undertaken at iCAST and how we are engaging with the local community and businesses to deliver net zero targets. As a sample of our work with iCAST industry members, people were shown sustainable building materials, sustainable plastics, biobased resins and plastic recycling technology. Also on display was Steph Tudor’s artwork, providing an artist’s interpretation of the sustainability work undertaken by University of Bath researchers and what research, innovation and green technologies could look like in the future.
Artist Steph Tudor’s representation of the future of sustainable, green materials, inspired by the University of Bath research community.
A history of innovation
Heritage Open Days give people the chance to look around some of Swindon’s oldest structures and discover their history through guided tours, expert talks, photo and art exhibitions, and many other activities. For example, the floor in the Creative Hub is made from old train carriages.
The Open Days are also an opportunity to discover how these buildings are used in contemporary times. Technology and innovation continue to play a key role in the current use of this building, with iCAST highlighting several Joint Industry Projects (JIPs):
- GaiaTech, which bleaches hemp fibres in a more sustainable way
- Fibreright, which turns municipal waste into plastic
- Arda, which transforms spent beer grain into leather
- FlexSea, which makes plastics from seaweed)
- Tensei, which creates glue from fruit waste
- Labcycle, which recycles lab waste
The importance of public engagement
 “Research tends to be always seen as above the heads of the general public, and that is a myth that needs to be dispelled. It benefits both researchers and the public to get a good understanding of the science of sustainability and how it can impact everyone’s lives for the better” says Vlad.
“Everyone can engage with science; we just need to make sure it’s accessible for everyone and events like this allow that to happen. It’s also great to do it in a place of such historic importance to Swindon as we represent a transition to more sustainable industry in the heart of where Swindon’s industry was born.
Among our visitors at the Creative Hub, we were pleased to welcome the Mayor of Swindon Cllr Imtiyaz Shaikh, who was impressed by the cutting-edge research and projects carried out at iCAST.
