Dr Carla de Laurentis

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Carla's research interests converge around the geography of innovation and the role of policy in promoting local and regional development. She is particularly interested in understanding the mechanisms that lead to an effective diffusion of sustainable practices in the public sector and businesses, investigating why regions show different patterns in the emergence of renewable energy systems and in the implementation of Circular Economy principles. She has published on the role of regions in the dynamics of innovation and transformation of the energy sector towards sustainability.

PROJECTS:

Carla is a co-investigator in the project 'Is there an afterlife for wind installations in Italy?'  funded by the RGS-IBG.

Carla held a Vice Chancellor's Early Career Researcher (VC ECR) Development Award to explore waste management opportunities and challenges from decommissioned on‐shore wind infrastructure in the UK.

Carla is the academic lead for the newly funded 3-year Knowledge transfer partnership (Innovate UK) with DistGen, a renewable energy developer, that will develop an automated and data-driven platform for generating and submitting planning applications for new and existing wind sites approaching end-of-life. 

TEACHING:

Carla is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and passionate about teaching in a range of sustainability and energy transition modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. 

Carla contributes to a number of modules, and she is the module leader for:

• Renewable Energy and Carbon Futures (UBGLW7-15-M)  
• Environmental Management in Organisations (UBGMWJ-15-2)
• Sustainable Technologies (UBGMHM-15-1)

SUPERVISORY ROLE :

Carla is currently Director of Study for:

Swati Sood, PhD student: Enhancing end-of-life management for onshore wind turbines in the United Kingdom by adopting circular-economy concepts.