Enabling rapid research collaboration between industry, government and world-leading experts and supporting the infrastructure industries to transition to decarbonisation, circularity, resistance and digitisation.
Our global network of researchers works in transdisciplinary teams to support the development of sustainable and resilient infrastructure. We seek to facilitate collaboration between industry, government, academia and communities to drive a shared vision for transformational change. We focus on the greatest challenges with the aim of enhancing institutional regulations, processes and capabilities, and developing systems models to inform transition pathways and integration.
Accelerating transitions
Infrastructure is currently involved in rapid transitions towards decarbonisation, circular economy, digitalisation and resilience. Our research focuses on understanding what is required and how we can accelerate progress towards these transitions.
We work in multiple countries with industries including transport, water, energy and buildings to facilitate and support industries to transition to resilience, decarbonisation, circularity and digitalisation.
We bring together actors across sectors and supply chains to develop industry level solutions to systemic challenges, visualise industries in transitions and the system wide implications of new technologies and policies, and guide the transition of the workforce at an individual worker, company and industry level.
How we are creating impact
Together with industry and government partners we are co-designing and delivering projects to create impact now and at the same time retaining the research excellence expected of a University in the Top 50 worldwide.
Transitioning infrastructure requires an understanding of the systems which form the industry, determining how we plan, design, build, operate and re-use or recycle infrastructure. Within these systems are the institutions and people whose decisions every day determine the future of infrastructure. Research in this theme seeks to develop greater knowledge of the systems, institutional capabilities and initiatives required and experience of individuals in industry transitions.
Some examples of these projects are below:
Featured Projects
Infrastructure CoLab
Co-designed by academics at UQ and industry partner Business Models Inc to support Australia’s infrastructure industry to overcome barriers to design and build circular and decarbonised infrastructure.
Hydrogen System Dynamics Modelling Tool
We have used a system dynamics model to create a representation of the hydrogen supply chains. Users can experiment with different supply chain combinations. Input your own data to explore footprints over time.
News and events
UQ SIRH Adjunct Professor Announced – Dr Nick Fleming
In 2023 the SIRH was delighted to announce the addition of Dr Nick Fleming as an Adjunct Professor. Dr Fleming was one of the earliest global leaders in Infrastructure transitions, publishing books and sitting on boards of prominent organisations including National President and Chair of the Board of Engineers Australia.
UQ Welcomes Professor Gordon Wilmsmeier as Visiting Scholar
In 2024 UQ’s SIRH welcomed Professor Gordon Wilmsmeier through our Visiting Scholar Program. Hear about Professor Wilmsmeier presentations (link to events / news articles come) while visiting UQ and collaborative work (link to Transport page under Facilitating Industry Transitions) between the UQ SIRH and Gordon’s teams in KLU, Hamburg, Germany and Universidad los Andes, Bogota, Colombia.
SIRH Research Showcase Event – November 2023
The Inaugural Sustainable Infrastructure Research Hub Research Showcase Event was held in November 2023 sharing the latest news on our research and activities. See a summary of the event and research.
Research leads
Dr Cristyn Meath
Hub Director
Faculty of Business Economics and Law, UQ
Dr Jurij Karlovšek
Hub Co-Director
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and IT, UQ
Key researchers
Dr Sue McAvoy
Senior Research Fellow
System Dynamics Lead
Dr Tracy Martin
Research Fellow
Workforce Transition Lead
Pablo Aranda Valenzuela
Senior Research Assistant
Water Infrastructure
Catalina Espinosa Tovar
Senior Research Assistant
Collaborative Innovation
Gustavo Martinez Tello
Senior Research Assistant
Agnes Toth-Peter
Senior Research AssistantSystem Dynamics
Syvannah Wilson
Senior Research Assistant
Evaluating Transitions
Dr Yumeng Zhang
Postdoctoral research fellow
Abhinav Dewangan
RHD Candidate
UQ-IITD scholarship
Luocheng Liang
Research Assitant
Co-Investigators
Mr Andrew Curthoys
Digital Enablement Advisor and Chair of the Australasian BIM Advisory Board.
Ms Stephanie Wyeth
Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Queensland.
Professor Jonathan Corcoran
Professor, School of Environment, University of Queensland.
Dr Fred Fialho Teixeira
Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Queensland.
Dr Sharlene Leroy-Dyer
Senior Lecturer, School of Business, University of Queensland.
Dr David Lange
Associate Professor, School of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland.
Dr Sam MacAulay
Senior Lecturer, School of Business, University of Queensland.
Dr Ben Seligmann
Research Fellow, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland.
Affiliates
Dr Ida Asadi Someh
Senior Lecturer, School of Business, University of Queensland.
Dr Ivano Bongiovanni
Lect. Infosec, Governance & Leaders, School of Business, University of Queensland.
Professor Peter Halley
Professor, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland.
Professor Mark Hickman
Professor & Chair of Transport Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland.
Associate Professor Tim Kastelle
Professor and Director of the Andrew N. Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership, University of Queensland.
Professor Bronwyn Laycock
Professor, School of Engineering, University of Queensland.
Julia Read
Senior Policy Officer at Queensland Health
Our industry partners
See more of our industry partners in the Infrastructure CoLab
Our research partners
Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Global Research Network
The SIRH has established a global network of researchers working in transdisciplinary teams to support the development of sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Infrastructure transitions cross industry, discipline and country borders so we are building a network of experts to enable inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches to support industry and government partners with complex transition challenges. In addition, by combining our expertise we contribute to the forefront of academic knowledge creation at the intersection of multiple research fields.
Global Co-Investigators
Professor Dipti Ranjan Sahoo
IIT Delhi
Professor Xiaojun Li
Tongji University
Dr Claudia Arcos Gonzalez
Adolfo Ibáñez University
Professor Andrew Davies
University of Sussex
Professor Gordon Wilmsmeier
Kühne Logistics University
Professor Vasco Sanchez Rodrigues
Cardiff University
Our partner institutions
Join our network
If you’re a researcher wanting to join the network please reach out by emailing sirh@uq.edu.au
If you’re interested in finding out more about the network and how the researchers can assist you and your organisation you can register your interest by emailing sirh@uq.edu.au to be notified of updates and events.
Academic articles
“I have to put my citizens hat on”: operational and societal mindsets to provide a new perspective on organisational decision making for sustainability
Meath, Cristyn, Newey, Lance, and Griffiths, Andrew (2024). “I have to put my citizens hat on”: operational and societal mindsets to provide a new perspective on organisational decision making for sustainability. Business Strategy and the Environment. https://doi.org/10.1002/BSE.3836A new conception of port governance under climate change
Monios, J. Wilmsmeier, G. Martinez Tello, G. Pomaska, L. (2024). "A new conception of port governance under climate change. Journal of Transport Geography. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2024.103988Corporate sustainability governance: Insight from the Australian and New Zealand port industry
Schrobback, P., & Meath, C. (2020). Corporate sustainability governance: Insight from the Australian and New Zealand port industry, Journal of Cleaner Production, 255, 120280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120280Implementing circular economy principles in infrastructure procurement to support circular supply chains
Karlovsek, Jurij, Meath, Cristyn, Miles-Mwangangi, Lawrence, MacDonald, Charles and Brockmann, Alfredo (2023). Implementing circular economy principles in infrastructure procurement to support circular supply chains. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1108/ecam-09-2022-0908- Co-designing a multi-level platform for industry level transition to circular economy principles: A case study of the infrastructure CoLab
Meath, C., Karlovšek, J., Navarrete, C., Eales, M., & Hastings, P. (2022). Co-designing a multi-level platform for industry level transition to circular economy principles: A case study of the infrastructure CoLab. Journal of Cleaner Production, 131080 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131080 Capabilities for circularity: Overcoming challenges to turn waste into a resource.
Wade, B., Meath, C., & Griffiths, A. (2022). Capabilities for circularity: Overcoming challenges to turn waste into a resource. Business Strategy and the Environment. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bse.2998
Conference papers
Transparency and the role of reporting in energy consumption and GHG emissions in container terminals. Martinez Tello, G; Wilmsmeier, G; Meath.C.
Industry and event reports
Contact Us
If you’re an academic or researcher wanting to get involved contact the SIRH Team at sirh@uq.edu.au.
Industry Fellow Program
Applications are invited from individuals and organisations wishing to collaborate with the Sustainable Infrastructure Research Hub at The University of Queensland.
Visiting Academic Fellow Program
Applications are invited from researchers wishing to visit and collaborate with the Sustainable Infrastructure Research Hub at The University of Queensland.