Dozens of researchers and experts convened on the University of Tennessee’s Knoxville campus this September for the second workshop of the US-Japan Exchange Program for Green Growth Collaboration through Clean Energy Technologies, or EXCET.
EXCET unites engineering and social science experts from academia, government, and industry to develop actionable strategies and policy recommendations for modern infrastructure systems that will drive sustainable economic growth and facilitate decarbonization in both the US and Japan.
This year’s workshop, co-hosted by Clemson University, Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan), and Osaka University (Osaka, Japan), attracted attendees and speakers from three US national laboratories, 10 universities across the US and Japan, and multiple agencies and industry groups.
With experts from so many different fields and backgrounds, the EXCET Workshop allowed participants to delve into infrastructure issues holistically. Discussions of electric vehicle infrastructure included not just developments in charging station access and technology, but issues of urban mobility and the electrification of the heavy-duty freight sector. Panels regarding the built environment incorporated recent improvements in low-carbon building materials as well as methods for improving the atmosphere of indoor settings like schools.
Visitors were also invited to take part in all Knoxville has to offer—hiking in the Smokies, dining in the Sunsphere, touring Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and even attending a football game in Neyland Stadium.
Contact
Izzie Gall (865-974-7203, egall4@utk.edu)