Seminar on Sustainability Perspectives in ICT Industry in December

15.11.2019

Lately, the sustainability impact of the ICT industry, especially its large energy consumption and carbon footprint, have been a topic in public debate. The sustainability perspectives in the ICT industry will be discussed in an open seminar at the University of Turku on 10 December 2019.

In a decade, the energy consumption of the ICT industry is predicted to constitute already about one fifth of the global energy consumption and produce over five percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Mining and refining the rare earth metals required by the industry have remarkable environmental impacts, and the recycling of the devices is not yet efficient.

The University’s Steering Group for Sustainable Development, the Digital Futures thematic collaboration, and the Department of Future Technologies are organising a seminar on sustainability in the ICT industry on Tuesday, 10 December 2019. The opening sessions of the seminar will be held by Kari Hiekkanen and Matti Pärssinen, researchers from Aalto University, and Kimmo Koski, the CEO of CSC –  IT Center for Science Ltd. Representatives of ICT companies will also be discussing the significance of sustainable development and responsibility in business.

The representative of Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland (TEK ) interest group Jussi-Pekka Teini will be highlighting the role of sustainable development in information technology education now and in the future.

– Developing the devices and services to be more energy efficient requires skilled experts. Digitalisation in general can potentially transform our operations so that they are remarkably more sustainable. Considering the sustainability of education is a very topical issue here at the University of Turku at the moment, as we are expanding our technology education, tells Head of Department of Future of Technologies, Professor Ville Leppänen.

In 2020, the University of Turku opens over 270 new study places for the Master of Science in Technology degree. As the technology education is expanded, there will be new specialisation tracks in the MSc Techn education focusing on sustainable development.

– Sustainable bioenergy, material technology of sustainable energy production, and health technology are new, multidisciplinary study modules of the University of Turku, tells the Director of TechCampus Turku, Professor Mika Hannula, who is the chair of the working group in charge of planning the technology education as well as the Steering Group for Sustainable Development.

Registration for the seminar is open until 4 December.

The even is held in English.

More information:
Anne-Marie Tuikka, anne-marie.tuikka@utu.fi, 050-372 2532
Marjaana Suorsa, msuorsa@utu.fi, 050-358 5023

Created 15.11.2019 | Updated 15.11.2019