On the 20th March 2017 CDT-SIS invited non-academic partners from the South Downs National Park Authority, Southern Water, Forest Research, Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Environment Agency and CPRE Hampshire to take part in an Engagement Day at the University. The aim of the event was to bring together a variety of non-academic partners (e.g. NGOs, regulators, industry) and academics who have an interest in areas within the CDT-SIS remit of developing the environmental sustainability of water, energy and transport infrastructure in the South Downs National Park Region. We aimed to better understand and define the non-academic stakeholder perspectives and identify collaborative research priorities in this area.
The event featured many engaging networking activities in an aim to get the perspective of the non-academic partners present research priorities across to the academics taking part in the event. These events included soapbox style mini presentations and Q and A sessions, as well as project creation drafting and presentations from current students on the CDT programme.
The event was a success with many academics gaining useful contacts from the organisations represented at the event, and it created the start of potential projects and collaborations between the CDT and the organisations present at the event.
