DAFNI Conference 2022 – Environmental impacts

The Data and Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure (DAFNI) was officially launched in July 2021 and is fast growing its community of researchers whose primary focus is delivering insights on how we can improve our everyday infrastructure.

The theme of this conference was Environmental Impacts. We shared all the research that our community is involved in, particularly looking at climate adaptation and developing a greater understanding of how we might influence the path of climate change.

DAFNI’s initial project stage was funded by EPSRC as part of the UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities, and in July 2021 we were delighted to receive continuation funding from EPSRC as part of their Resource Only Strategic Equipment (ROSE).

Welcome and introduction

Professor Stephen Hallett, Chair of Applied Environmental Informatics,

Cranfield University

Keynote presentation

The future of modelling in support of infrastructure decisions
Professor Jim Hall, Commissioner for the National Infrastructure Commission

Presentation

The link will open a PDF document

DAFNI – Platform as a service
Dr Brian Matthews, DAFNI Facility Lead, Scientific Computing, STFC

Presentation

The link will open a PDF document

The OpenCLIM Project: supporting future risk and adaptation assessments
Professor Robert Nicholls, Director of the Tyndall Centre,
University of East Anglia [virtual]

Video comming soon 

Presentation

The link will open a PDF document

OpenCLIM: Developing a framework for a national scale assessment of climate change risk and adaptation 
Dr Craig Robson, Research Associate in Geospatial Data Science,

University of Newcastle 

Presentation

The link will open a PDF document

How DAFNI’s platform is supporting water modelling in the UK
Dr Jonny Wilson, Water Resources Modelling Lead, Environment Agency 

Presentation

The link will open a PDF document

Building NERC’s Digital Solutions Hub – a user centric approach
Professor Richard Kingston, University of Manchester 

Presentation

The link will open a PDF document

Morning Session Q&A panel
Chaired by Professor Stephen Hallett, Chair of Applied Environmental Informatics, Cranfield University 

Keynote presentation

The future of connected Digital Twins 
Mark Enzer, OBE, Strategic Advisor, Mott MacDonald and Former Head of the National Digital Twin Programme 

Presentation

The link will open a PDF document

Engaging with UKCRIC: An overview of UKCRIC Facilities, Clusters, Scientific Missions and Systemic Perspectives
Dr Tom Dolan, UKCRIC Senior Research Fellow, UCL

Presentation

The link will open a PDF document

Analysis pipeline for hydrological simulation in the PYRAMID project 
Dr Robin Wardle, Research Software Engineer, Newcastle University

Presentation

The link will open a PDF document

Maritime shipping digital twin for construction waste distribution
Dr Evangelia Manola, UCL Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering

Presentation

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CReDo – Climate flood resilience Digital Twin
Dr Jens JensenScientific Computing, STFC
Dr Ben Mawdsley, Hartree Centre, STFC
Dr Jethro Akroyd, University of Cambridge and CMCL

Presentation

The link will open a PDF document

A flexible approach to local energy modelling
Dr André Paul Neto-Bradley, Research Associate, University of Cambridge 

Presentation

The link will open a PDF document

Morning Session Q&A panel
Chaired by Professor Liz Varga, UCL 

DAFNI Conference 2022 Closing remarks
Dr Brian Matthews, DAFNI Facility Lead, Scientific Computing, STFC

Speakers

For more information, click on the speakers’ names.

Professor Jim Hall
Commissioner for the National Infrastructure Commission
Mark Enzer
Mark Enzer
OBE, Strategic Advisor, Mott MacDonald
Stephen Hallet
Professor Stephen Hallett
Chair of Applied Environmental Informatics, Cranfield University  
Liz Varga
Professor Liz Varga
Head of UCL’s Infrastructure Systems Institute
Bran Matthews
Dr Brian Matthews
DAFNI Facility Lead, Scientific Computing STFC
Jethro Akroyd
Dr Jethro Akroyd
Research Fellow in the CoMo Group, University of Cambridge and CMCL innovations
Tom Dolan
Dr Tom Dolan
UKCRIC Senior Research Fellow and Senior Research Associate, UCL
Jens Jensen
Dr Jens Jensen
Scientific Computing, STFC
Richard Kingston
Professor Richard Kingston
University of Manchester and PI for NERC’s Digital Solutions programme 
Evangelia Manola
Dr Evangelia Manola
Research Fellow in UCL Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering 
Ben Mawdsley
Dr Ben Mawdsley
Senior Data Scientist, Hartree Centre, STFC
Andre Paul Neto-Bradley
Dr André Paul Neto-Bradley
Research Associate, University of Cambridge
Robert Nicholls
Professor Robert Nicholls
Director, Tyndall Centre
Craig Robson
Dr Craig Robson
Research Associate in Geospatial Data Science, University of Newcastle 
Robin Wardle
Dr Robin Wardle
Research Software Engineer, Newcastle University
Jonny Wilson
Dr Jonny Wilson
Water Resources Modelling Lead, Environment Agency
Marion Samler
Marion Samler
DAFNI Partnership Manager, STFC

Agenda

09:00 Arrival – Breakfast networking
09:30 Welcome and introduction
Professor Stephen Hallett, Chair of Applied Environmental Informatics, Cranfield University
09:40 Keynote presentation

The future of modelling in support of infrastructure decisions
Professor Jim Hall, new Commissioner for the National Infrastructure Commission

10:10 DAFNI – Platform as a service
Dr Brian Matthews, DAFNI Facility Lead, Scientific Computing, STFC

DAFNI is supporting research to understand Environmental Impacts: OpenCLIM and Water modelling projects

 

10:30 The OpenCLIM Project: supporting future risk and adaptation assessments
Professor Robert Nicholls, Director of the Tyndall Centre, University of East Anglia [virtual]  
10:45 OpenCLIM: Developing a framework for a national scale assessment of climate change risk and adaptation 
Dr Craig Robson, Research Associate in Geospatial Data Science, University of Newcastle 
11:00 How DAFNI’s platform is supporting water modelling in the UK
Dr Jonny Wilson, Water Resources Modelling Lead, Environment Agency 
11:15 Refreshments and networking
11:35 Building NERC’s Digital Solutions Hub – a user centric approach
Professor Richard Kingston, University of Manchester and PI for NERC’s Digital Solutions programme 
11:50 Q&A panel session
Chaired by Professor Stephen Hallett, Chair of Applied Environmental Informatics, Cranfield University 

Panel:
Professor Jim Hall, National Infrastructure Commission
Dr Brian Matthews, STFC
Dr Craig Robson, University of Newcastle
Dr Jonny Wilson, Environmental Agency 
Professor Richard Kingston, University of Manchester

12:20 Networking lunch, poster session and exhibition
13:30 Welcome back and introduction to the afternoon session  
Professor Liz Varga, Professor of Complex Systems, Head of UCL’s Infrastructure Systems Institute, UCL  
13:40 Keynote presentation  

The future of connected Digital Twins 
Mark Enzer, OBE, Strategic Advisor, Mott MacDonald and Former Head of the National Digital Twin Programme 

14:00
Q&A session
         A series of talks showcase DAFNIhow DAFNI is supporting research

 

14:15 Engaging with UKCRIC: An overview of UKCRIC Facilities, Clusters, Scientific Missions and Systemic Perspectives
Dr Tom Dolan, UKCRIC Senior Research Fellow, UCL
14:30 Analysis pipeline for hydrological simulation in the PYRAMID project 
Dr Robin Wardle, Research Software Engineer, Newcastle University
14:45 Maritime shipping digital twin for construction waste distribution
Dr Evangelia Manola, Research Fellow in UCL Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering
15:00 Refreshments and networking
15:15 CReDoClimate flood resilience Digital Twin
Dr Jens Jensen, Scientific Computing, STFC
Dr Ben Mawdsley, Hartree Centre, STFC
Dr Jethro Akroyd, University of Cambridge and CMCL
15:35 A flexible approach to local energy modelling
Dr André Paul Neto-Bradley, Research Associate, University of Cambridge 
15:50 Q & A panel session  
Chaired by Professor Liz Varga, UCL 

Panel: 
Mark Enzer, Mott MacDonald 
Dr Jens Jensen, Scientific Computing, STFC 
Dr Robin Wardle, Newcastle University 
Dr Tom Dolan, UCL 
Dr André Neto-Bradley, University of Cambridge  

 

16:15 Conference closing remarks 
Dr Brian Matthews, DAFNI Facility Lead, Scientific Computing, STFC
16:30 Close of Conference

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