SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

We're working to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. Explore our progress and impact.

Our recent work and impact on SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) aims to build resilient infrastructure and support sustainable innovation.

Our interdisciplinary research drives innovation across health, climate science, digital technologies, business and environmental sustainability.

EarthScale

We have joined the Climate Scaling Collaborative EarthScale, a £5m initiative to accelerate climate science startups. Funded by the Research England Development Fund and led by Imperial College London, the programme unites Exeter, Cranfield, Derby, Leeds and Nottingham to help deep-tech innovators scale solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation. The project builds on our Green Futures Solutions, which supports businesses in achieving net zero and harnessing opportunities in the green economy.

Read our SDG 9 progress report for 2024/25

Exeter Innovation works across the research, development, innovation and skills landscape by: driving impact – supporting academics to develop impact; connecting partners - helping build links with potential partners locally, nationally and globally; creating opportunities - helping to structure relationships and create opportunities for collaboration using national and regional funding; and, generating value – supporting income generation; such as IP licensing, spin-outs, consultancy, facilities access, training services and entrepreneurship across the University.

On our Streatham campus, the Sarah Turvill Multifaith Centre has earned Passivhaus Certification, the first building on our campuses to do so, which recognises its exceptional building quality and energy efficiency. The international certification acknowledges the excellent sustainable design and innovative techniques in the construction of the building. The Multifaith Centre space is highly energy efficient, has low energy costs and net zero carbon emissions, and offers excellent thermal comfort and very good air quality all year round. Well done to everyone involved in the building project for achieving this fantastic recognition.

And the Forum won ‘Building Resilience – Buildings that have stood the test of time’ at the 2024 Education Estates Awards, held in Manchester in October 2024. From its inception, the Forum has been strong on sustainability, achieving a 130% increase in area with only a 40% increase in energy consumption.

The University of Exeter works in partnership with business, industry and other universities to foster and promote infrastructure innovation.

District heat network developments

We’re collaborating with partners in Exeter to explore opportunities for offtake from a major low-to-zero carbon heat project being delivered by 1Energy. The initiative could supply sustainable heat to businesses and organisations across the city via a 20km network of underground pipes, connected to an energy centre powered by air source heat pumps and other low carbon technologies.

Centre for Future Mobility

The University of Exeter Centre for Future Mobility (CFCM)  partner with businesses to develop low-emissions, high-efficiency integrated power systems for applications in the aerospace, automotive, marine and rail sectors. Driving the next generation towards zero carbon.

As part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 3 (CMDC3), OS Energy is spearheading a retrofit project in collaboration with CFCM. The project entails equipping the Prince Madog vessel with a hydrogen propulsion system that will complement the vessel’s diesel-fuelled main engine, enabling zero-emission operation during low-speed or short-distance trips. Under regular operation, the hybrid system and innovative propulsion design are expected to reduce emissions by up to 60%.

In addition, the CFCM are part of a consortium led by South West-based hydrogen developer, Tower Group, will deliver the Exeter H2 Hub, a 10 MW pilot plant with mobile refuelling capability in East Devon, by 2026. This will demonstrate how hydrogen can be used in transport.

National Grid Electricity Transmission

The University of Exeter is part of a pivotal partnership that will help decarbonise the electricity system in Great Britain and accelerate progress towards net zero. Exeter is one of six universities across the UK to sign innovation partnerships with the National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET). The partnerships, which cover the five-year period of the RIIO-2 price control from 2021 to 2026, will help to enable the transition to a cleaner electricity system through knowledge sharing and creation of a culture of innovation, both between NGET and individual universities and as an entire collective.

GW4

Founded in 2013, GW4 is an alliance of four of the most research-intensive and innovative universities in the UK: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter.  Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. We work with other universities, businesses and civic bodies, acting as the anchor institutions to support a knowledge-intensive economy. 

The project ‘GW-SHIFT (Great Western Supercluster of Hydrogen Impact for Future Technologies)’ led by the University of Bath and University of Exeter has secured £2.5 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as part of their Place Based Impact Acceleration Account awards (PBIAA).
Researchers from across the GW4 Alliance of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter universities alongside Swansea, South Wales, and Plymouth will work with 25 civic and industry partners, contributing over £1.5 million in additional funds and in-kind support, to maximise the enormous potential of the South West of England and South Wales hydrogen ecosystem.
Hydrogen technologies will play an important role in decarbonising transport and energy to meet the UK government’s 2050 Net Zero target and large scale aims to drive the growth of low carbon hydrogen. GW-SHIFT will be a key enabler of these priorities, supporting the UK transition to green hydrogen production. 
Over four years (2023-2027), GW-SHIFT will support innovative research and activities to create a thriving low carbon hydrogen supercluster focusing on key themes such as production, storage and distribution, conversion and transport.

EDF Renewables UK and Nature Positive

In an industry first, EDF Renewables UK and Nature Positive announced a long-term academic partnership with the University’s Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) to study the ecological effects of solar farms at Longfield Solar Farm.
This partnership, announced in 2024, will examine the effects large-scale solar farms can have on soil health, fauna, wildlife habitats and carbon flux under and adjacent to arrays.

The outputs of the research will influence ecological initiatives at Longfield Solar Farm – a new solar farm with battery storage in Essex capable of providing enough clean, secure energy to power up to 96,000 homes every year.