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5 days & £2 million in a sandpit could help create a more sustainable future

The University of Warwick is to use a "sandpit" full of people to decide to how to spend £2,000,000. They will decide how best to use that money to fund research projects that will help companies make the environment and sustainability a key driver of their business.

The University's Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre (WIMRC) is looking for a range of people from customers and Chief Executives to activists and academics to apply to be part of this project which will run for 5 days in April 2007.

"Sandpits" are residential, interactive workshops promoting dynamic and lateral thinking amongst people who would normally not have the chance to interact. WIMRC successfully ran a sand-pit on lean-healthcare during 2006 which was facilitated by Paul Roberts of Warwick Manufacturing Group. Paul Roberts said

"A sandpit enables researchers and practitioners from various disciplines to share their ideas on a topic. The exploration of different perspectives in a creative workshop environment increases the likelihood of developing innovative research proposals that can attract significant funding support."

WIMRC's Director, Dr Ken Young said "The role of organisations such as WIMRC is to perform research that will ensure the future prosperity of the UK and particularly its manufacturing sector. There can be little doubt that sustainability is the most important issue we need to address and one that has had little attention to date."

Further details, including Call for Participants and Application Form can be found at:

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wimrc/sustainability

Note for editors: Warwick IMRC is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.


For further imformation please contact:


Dr Ken Young
Warwick Manufacturing Group
024 7652 2764 or mobile 07775 534 345

Peter Dunn, Press and Media Relations Manager, Communications Office, University of Warwick,
024 76 523708 email: p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk

11th December 2006