Technology – Networks and Urban Systems Centre (NUSC)

Energising work on the circular economy: How can electric vehicle batteries be managed more sustainably across their lifecycle?

On 11 March 2026 By Natasha Lawlor-Morrison In CIRCUBATT, Circular Economy, Eco-Innovation, Electric Vehicles, Environmental, Green, Innovation, Research Spotlight, Technology

As transport systems shift towards hybrid and fully electric vehicles, attention is increasingly turning to the batteries that power them. While electric vehicles are central to decarbonised mobility, their batteries also raise important environmental, economic and regulatory challenges. How can these be addressed more sustainably?

Given that it is projected that 250 million electric vehicles will be on the road by 2030, it is more important than ever to ensure that we have in place scalable and sustainable strategies to recover and reuse these batteries. Creating new batteries demands raw materials like cobalt, lithium and nickel, which are difficult to extract and come at a significant resource cost and geopolitical precarity. Improper disposal of batteries also risks ecosystems and public health. Implementing circular economy principles to electric vehicle batteries not only helps recover and creates value, but also supports a more sustainable and healthy future for us all.

Are you up-to-date on your cybersecurity training? Phishing lessons from healthcare.

On 12 February 2026 By Natasha Lawlor-Morrison In Cyber Security, Health care, Research Spotlight, Technology

Picture this. You’re a nurse and your 12 hour shift should have finished 40 minutes ago. You go to log out of the PC and you see an email from the consultant asking to send some patient details. You mentally sigh -thinking they should be able to access this themselves but were probably too lazy- and reply with the file. You finish signing off and rush to get to the bus stop in time.

Compared to 2017, cyber attacks on hospitals increased 72% in 2023. Not only have the increased in number, but also severity. This is one of the findings from an analysis of 18,009 cyber attacks on hospitals by Dr Anna Piazza and Dr Srinidhi Vasudevan.

The Hidden Cost of Returns: Can Blockchain Protect Your Business?

On 12 January 2026 By Natasha Lawlor-Morrison In blockchain, Product Returns, Research Spotlight, Sustainable Development, Technology

Reverse logistics – the process of moving goods from consumers back to manufacturers for reuse, recycling, or disposal – is a critical component of the circular economy. Traditionally, this process has been plagued by inefficiencies, high costs, and lack of transparency. Blockchain is simply a distributed digital ledger technology – that is, a record of transactions. They are designed in such a way that it is secure, transparent, and tamper-proof. Blockchains can contain smart contracts- these are automatically executed processes that do not require an intermediary. For example, when a return is scanned in, a smart contract might automatically refund a consumer – if the associated barcode is the same as what was initially sent – without the need for a person to do this. Blockchains are immutable because data recorded on a blockchain cannot be altered or deleted without obvious detection.

By creating secure, tamper-proof records, blockchain enables logistics firms to track products throughout their lifecycle, ensuring accountability and reducing fraud.