Ten questions

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Sean is Chair of Future Construction (School of Engineering) and Director of the Centre for Future Infrastructure (Edinburgh Futures Institute) at the University of Edinburgh.

Ten questions with Professor Sean Smith

1. What does innovation mean to you?

A new method, approach or product which creates a positive change resulting in impacts and outcomes across diverse areas.

2. What is your greatest failure?

Probably taking on too much other work in my early career and not progressing and prioritising my initial work in medical acoustics. It is such a fascinating area I regret not having spent more time in developing this further. It taught me a lot about focusing priorities and workload.

3. What is your greatest success?

Being awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes in 2009 and 2015. The cumulative effort involving so many research colleagues, industry and public sector partners in two distinct areas of applied research and impacts towards new innovative housing, improving quality of life and low carbon sustainable development. These were ‘touchstone’ significant projects with multiple impacts for the economy, society and the environment.  

4. What is your greatest fear?

Climate change. The environment is changing all around us, whilst it is not moving at the pace of a Hollywood movie we are all living through a ‘live and critical cycle of change’ for the planet.

5. What is your favourite book?

Book: Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown – and other books which link to the Knight Templars.

Film: Contact – as Jodie Foster encapsulates the excitement of discovery and the roller coaster journey researchers can go through.

6. What would your friends say your greatest strengths and weaknesses are?

For strengths probably always wanting to help and support people with their plans and ambitions. For weaknesses probably taking on too much and never saying ‘no’.

7. What is the most important thing to you?

My two children.

8. Is there any advice you wish someone had given you?

To make more time for non-work activities. It is probably the same for many academics and researchers as our minds are often thinking of our research, results and pathways and I realised much later that there are more benefits for the mind and wellbeing by fully switching off sometimes.

9. What future innovation would you like to see happen in your lifetime?

A new low carbon heating system for homes, which interlinks with all our existing homes infrastructure, rapid to install and delivers lower energy costs and reduces fuel poverty… watch this space.

10. What is your greatest hope?

There are several but one, in particular, would be for net-zero outcomes in all countries to be accelerated or supported where we collectively and internationally move into a carbon-negative approach. Perhaps through the formation of multiple Net Zero Acceleration Centres around the world funded by philanthropic partners in countries, all exchanging knowledge, data and to solve and deliver major impactful solutions.