Real-Life Challenges and Opportunities in Sustainable Product Design

Alan Rae
NYS Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics

Many sustainability efforts focus on improving resource efficiency by creating materials and devices that are less energy, water and material intensive; however, to be commercially viable and have a global impact, researchers need to balance adverse short-term impacts with potential long-term gains.

Learn how to incorporate sustainability principles into your research in a more comprehensive way while considering the real-world application of these principles to product design and manufacturing.

This seminar is aimed at materials researchers of all career stages, from students and postdocs to faculty and industry researchers.

About Alan Rae

Alan Rae has worked in the electronics, ceramics, nanotechnology and cleantech industries for over 40 years in the US and UK, managing global businesses and technology development at startup, operating company and corporate levels.

Rae is Director of the NYS Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics at University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, and holds a part-time position as co-executive director of IncubatorWorks (Painted Post, New York).  He recently held the position of interim director at the Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology at Alfred University (Alfred, New York) where he led the successful 2018 center reauthorization. 

He has held board, director and VP positions with six new companies, started his own business, mentored and consulted with startup companies and investors in the nanotechnology, solar and electronics industries throughout the United States. He has been involved in sustainability initiatives in the electronics, solar and polymer recovery industries.