Open Session Abstracts

● “Large Knowledge Exchange Centres at Brookes: Helping research groups become sustainable.” Led by Kevin M

One of the best of way to carrying out world-leading research is to have a reliable income stream -other than grants - to support the research. Brooke's ambition is to create such an environment within the University – where possible. One of the tools that the University has to help deliver this ambition are the Large Knowledge Exchange Centres (LKECs). These are large OBU groups which have established sustainable turnovers of >£500k, often >£1 million per year and indeed in one case >£9 million per year. Many of these groups have existed for more than 30 years and often this income supports high quality research for the associated academics.

Our ambition is to help others in the University to consider developing LKECs for their own area. However, LKEC operate differently and we would like academics to understand how they operate and the pros as well as the cons of working with an LKEC.

This session will hold a round table discussion with some of the University's Large Knowledge Exchange Groups (LKECs). Academics can come and speak with LKEC members, hear how they achieved their success and how this integrates with the academic exercise.

● Explore the Potential of Innovative Digital Technologies (Augmented and Virtual Reality) in Research, led by Avar A

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies are rapidly emerging as transformative tools within built environment research, offering innovative, interactive approaches that challenge conventional methodologies. Despite their considerable potential, AR and VR have not yet achieved widespread adoption in research contexts. They can significantly enhance collaborative research efforts, allowing multidisciplinary teams to transcend spatial limitations and engage in real-time, interactive, and immersive experiences. This integration promotes a synthesis of diverse expertise, facilitating more comprehensive and informed decision-making processes. This session will explore the vast, yet underutilised, potential of AR and VR in research. We will discuss the challenges and opportunities related to their adoption, and the session will include a roundtable discussion aimed at identifying areas where they can be integrated effectively, highlighting their potential to revolutionise both the methodology and the impact of research.

● Carbon Taxation in the Built Environment, led by George B

It is expected that further restrictions, regulations and taxes, will be imposed on the owners and developers of built assets in the UK. These may extend beyond energy conservation measure and may include market mechanisms such as carbon-based taxes or with the imposition of a cap and trade programme. These will result in increased costs for building and development, as the principle of "polluter pays" may be applied to all new buildings and other structures. Under this scenario, payment may be requested up-front and at regular intervals as the for the whole life-cycle. This shift in measures used to control emissions in the built environment will impose new demands on the built asset owners, for example, new carbon accounting responsibilities, inspections and the requirement that embodied as well as operational carbon emissions must be taken into account.

This research session is expected to set out the parameters of these expected developments and encourage collaboration to answer a series of pressing questions.

● Developing Dynamic Darwinism, led by Tjeerd oS

The novel concept of Dynamic Darwinism in biological systems describes the selection of best dynamic system behaviour in biological systems matching the external input. It is inspired by the concept of Neural Darwinism. By creating receptive fields for dynamic responses in networks of biochemical oscillators, the principle of evolutionary selection of best fit dynamics can be used to both understand and model biodynamic behaviour. The underlying proposed mechanism is the emergence of Self-Organised Criticality (SOC) within the network of Rate Control of Chaos (RCC) oscillators. SOC systems are responsive to small variations in input, yet are dynamically stable and deterministic. This allows critical systems to be constructed and used to create nonlinear representation spaces that respond rapidly to the input, provide dynamic classification, and control of complex feedback loops. These three aspects are explicitly explored by studying the dynamics of low level kinematics and sub- cellular control mechanisms, mid-level control within tissues and homeostatic processes, and at high level as memory interaction dynamics in neuronal models, and human gait. The goal is to discuss opportunities, goals and data sources to develop a broader consensus of biological complexity in health and disorder.