Leading researchers and designers came together at a pioneering exhibition in March 2010 to explore the potential impact of engineering and physical sciences in all aspects of our lives, including the economy, public policy, culture, and our everyday lives. View images from the day in the gallery.
EPSRC-funded research groups collaborated with British design talent to explore and visualise the implications and possibilities of scientific developments and examine the effect they might have on how we live in future Britain.
Attended by over 1,200 people including stakeholders, academics, students, tourists and the general public, the event was a unique collaboration between EPSRC, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and the Royal College of Art.
Impact Exhibition Royal College of Art
Through the eyes of design, this project offers a fresh and creative insight into how the ideas that scientists and engineers are working on today might transform our quality of life and tackle the challenges we face in the 21st century in areas like engineering, healthcare, transport, digital communications and the creative industries.
Lord Robert Winston, Professor of Science and Society,
Imperial College London
The sixteen original design installations offered an alternative view of how science and engineering could influence our future. They aimed not to offer prediction, but to ask questions and inspire debate into how today’s research might transform our world. The research included in the exhibition ranged from renewable energy devices and security technologies to emerging fields of synthetic biology and quantum computing.
The exhibition has had significant media coverage including the Guardian, Metro, Wired, Guardian podcast, Compute Scotland and a 15-minute slot on BBC Radio Wales.
The original exhibition was open from 16-21 March 2010, at the Royal College of Art in Kensington. The exhibits also featured at the Cheltenham Science Festival and is currently installed in the Wellcome Windows on Euston Road. More events will follow!
As part of the preparation for the exhibit, a workshop was held for all designers and researchers involved in the project.
Impact Exhibition NESTA Meeting