Sustainable, Reliable, and Resilient Critical Infrastructure Systems

Critical infrastructure systems-such as water supply, transportation networks, energy grids, food production and distribution, and public safety services-are
essential to societal well-being, economic development, and national security. However, these systems are increasingly at risk due to aging assets, growing urban populations,
climate change, natural disasters, and complex interdependencies across sectors. The consequences of infrastructure failures can be severe, leading to widespread
health, social, and economic disruptions, and diminished public trust.

To address these challenges, this research area focuses on condition assessment and failure prediction, risk, vulnerability, and consequence assessment, reliability
and resilience modelling, life cycle costing (LCC) and life cycle assessment (LCA), capacity and revenue optimization, integrated risk and project management,
development of modelling and simulation platforms, and interdependency and cascading failure analysis.

Circular Economy and Net-Zero Strategies

Industrial systems, infrastructure networks, and organizational operations are major contributors to resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, posing
significant challenges to environmental sustainability and climate targets. As global pressures mount to reduce carbon footprints and manage finite resources responsibly,
there is an urgent need for innovative strategies that decouple economic growth from environmental degradation.

To address these challenges, this research area focuses on Waste minimization and resource optimization, Carbon emission reduction and decarbonization pathways, Life cycle
thinking and environmental performance assessment, Circular business models and innovation, Policy and investment strategies, Systems modelling and scenario analysis, and
Integration with infrastructure planning and urban systems.

Sustainable and Resilient Supply Chain Management

Global supply chains-encompassing the production, transportation, distribution, and delivery of goods and services-are vital to economic stability, industrial productivity, and
societal well-being. However, these complex and often geographically dispersed networks face growing threats from climate change, geopolitical instability, pandemics, cyberattacks,
resource scarcity, and rapidly shifting consumer demands.

To address these vulnerabilities, this research area focuses on supply chain risk and vulnerability assessment, Supply chain resilience modelling, Sustainable procurement and
logistics, Environmental impact and life cycle assessment (LCA), Circular supply chain strategies, and Digital supply chain technologies.

Data Driven Decision-Making

In an increasingly digital world, the ability to harness large volumes of data for informed decision-making is transforming industries and services across all sectors.
Manufacturing systems, service industries, and infrastructure networks generate vast amounts of structured and unstructured data, yet extracting actionable insights remains a
significant challenge. Gaps in data quality, integration, and interpretation often limit the effectiveness of operational and strategic decisions.

This research area focuses on the development and application of data-driven methodologies like Data mining and pattern recognition, Missing data handling and data imputation,
Data fusion and integration, Big data analytics and visualization, Value of information analysis, and Decision support systems for manufacturing and service industries.