Edinburgh Napier unveils inspiring new exhibition to showcase its green research and teaching

Discover the exciting future that sustainable engineering, renewable energy and our buildings offer at an upcoming event in the city.

The School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University will be hosting a three-day exhibition dedicated to all things sustainable in May, highlighting its green credentials and showcasing the very best teaching and research underway.

Keen to learn how mushrooms can capture energy, or how we can make the buildings of the future more energy-efficient?

Members of the public are welcome to attend on Wednesday, 14 May, between 10am and 6pm to see what the future holds for our planet.

Prospective students will have the chance to engage with lecturers and researchers about their ground-breaking activities at the on-campus event at Merchiston.

Green Horizons: Towards Sustainable Futures Tuesday 13th and Thursday 15th will see local schoolchildren invited to explore the world of renewables and innovative technologies being developed, and how they can affect their future careers, while industrial partners will be inspiring current undergraduates with their environmentally friendly approaches.

Get inspired to learn more

“We want to showcase the activity that takes place within the school at this upcoming exhibition. It's not exclusively about teaching, it's not exclusively about research, but both of those activities will be included. We’re keen for people to see the leading-edge activities that we have, based around our funded research and how that blends into the classroom too,” says Dr John McDougall, Reader in Geotechnical Engineering at the school and curator of the exhibition. “This is the fourth exhibition we've done, and they've proved increasingly popular with audiences so far, so this year we’ve extended the opening hours.”

Last year’s event, which focused on artificial intelligence (AI), sparked a huge amount of interest – particularly when the robotic dogs on display met some of their real-life canine counterparts! They will be back this year, this time offering a means to remotely monitor endangered species.

One of the exhibition’s goals is to show the breadth of ways sustainability underpins the school’s work and research outputs, adds Dr McDougall.

“If you ask 10 people what they understand by the term sustainability, you're probably going to get 10 different answers, so this exhibition is wide-ranging in its content. Visitors can expect a range of hands-on activities and stands that represent the work that's taking place here within the school.”

Topics will include the future of energy-efficient buildings, transport, and timber as a resource for construction in Scotland and beyond; renewable energy, from wind to waves, as well as hydrogen production and storage; and district heat networks.

Microplastics will be under the microscope, and you can also learn more about biocomposites made with seaweed cellulose or discover how mushrooms are being used to create dyes to improve the performance of solar cells.

“Our theme of Green Horizons also meshes well with the Edinburgh Science Festival, which this year is based around the idea of Spaceship Earth,” Dr McDougall continues. “The Science Festival are helping to train our staff in how best to talk to younger people and share their research in the most inspiring way possible.

“It won’t be a poster exhibition; it will be about things you can do or see. I want people to come into the exhibition space and either get hands-on or see something taking place. It’s served us well over the years for our visitors to see things moving and get involved in that way.”

Offering students green skills for the future

Named among the top five UK modern universities for career prospects in the 2025 Guardian University Guide, Edinburgh Napier University prides itself on the employability outcomes for its graduates – and this exhibition helps to reveal to students the vital role sustainability is playing in shaping the future world of work, according to Dr McDougall.

“My son graduated recently and his interest is in environmental sustainability and governance, a topic which didn't exist when I was his age. These changes are being driven by developments in the economy and society today.

“It’s a characteristic of this university that we have students who can go out and do the job. When I reflect on the workplace that he's facing now, environmental issues are very much part and parcel of that workplace so it’s about preparing all our graduates for that workplace.

“What you will see at the exhibition are topics that our staff have a genuine personal interest in, and the imaginative ways of presenting these interests to students. But it also reflects the appetite from students to learn about these topics, and that’s why it’s in the fibre of what we offer at the School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment.”

Sustainability at its core

Respect for the planet and its resources is at the heart of Edinburgh Napier University’s offering, from encouraging sustainable and active travel to investing in solar panels, electric vehicles, and installing energy-efficient lighting. A pledge to achieve net zero carbon in its operations by 2030 at the latest is enshrined in the university strategy, and there are projects on the campus to help boost biodiversity, including a permaculture plot.

In fact, this week marks Sustainability Week with a number of events for students taking place on 11-13 March across the Sighthill, Merchiston and Craiglockhart campuses from swap shops to a pedal-powered Scalextric set.

Students are also able to get free bike checks and minors repairs during two drop-in sessions from Lothian Cycle Training.

To find out more about the Green Horizons: Towards Sustainable Futures event from 13-15 May, visit here.

If you would like to arrange a visit for your school on Tuesday, 13 May, or Thursday, 15 May, please email [email protected]