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The series consists of a number of presentations and roundtable discussions covering a diverse range of topics, all focused on sustainability. Its aim is to prepare design engineers for the fast-evolving green agenda which is driven by both legislation and customer demand.
And, according to Protolabs, design will have to play a crucial role if a manufacturer is to meet such needs. Industry data from the EU Science Hub states that an estimated 80% of all product-related environmental impacts are determined during the design phase, reinforcing the importance sustainability plays in the design lifecycle.
For many businesses, such adaption represents a significant change in thinking. While cost reduction and in some cases planned obsolescence or replacement was part of the business model, this is no longer acceptable to many customers.
But the good news, according to Nicky Davies, director of marketing programmes and operations EMEA at Protolabs, is that there is a lot of good thinking and innovation occurring. “We believe experts from both industry and academia can be brought together to share their expertise and thinking with others. The online knowledge-sharing InspirON series meets this need.”
The event provides a platform and environment to think about and discuss pertinent topics that will increasingly affect a designer’s day-to-day work.
InspirON kicks off live on 4 and 5 October, and registration is free, enabling you to listen and ask the panel of speakers questions. This year the focus will be on design engineering and the impact that it will make for future manufactured products and goods. The series will cover topics ranging from sustainable material selection, the role that digital manufacturing and industry 4.0 will play, and how to develop and optimise a sustainable supply chain.
Each presentation and discussion will be chaired by Protolabs and will bring together world-leading experts from industry and academia.
Nicky concludes: “While there is no one size fits all solution, design engineers should not operate in isolation. As the Design Council points out in a recent collaboration with us, we all need to share our thinking.”
For further information, please visit www.protolabs.co.uk
Find out more about InspirON and sign up for the next series here: https://events.hubilo.com/inspiron/register
Become a net zero expert at Sustainability in Engineering (26-30 September), part of the Engineering Futures webinar series. Register for FREE now.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.