Iain Evans BSc (Hons), MPhil

Ph.D Student

Iain's research focuses on clean energy in the UK, specifically examining regional influences on the evolution of technology and innovation.

Biography

Qualifications

PhD (Candidate) Department of Geography, University of Cambridge
MPhil Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing, University of Cambridge
BSc (Hons) Geography, University of Edinburgh
1. (Exchange Programme at McGill University, Montréal)

Awards and Scholarships

Economic and Social Research Council PhD Quota Award 2007-2010
William Vaughan Lewis Fund 2009
Natural Environment Research Council Masters Training Grant 2006-2007
Phillip Lake Fund 2007
Robert Mondavi Institute, UC Davis Graduate Researcher Travel Award 2007
Queens' College, University of Cambridge Graduate Travel Grant 2007
Lord Stevenson Business Plan Award, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge 2007 (with Terry O'Shea)
The Student Travel Grant, University of Edinburgh 2004-2005

Career

2007 GIS Analyst IUCN Species Program: The Red List Unit
2005 Research Assistant School of Environment, McGill University, Montréal

Research

Clean Energy Evolution

Clean energy (renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy management) is rapidly gaining a reputation for sustainable growth and cumulative value, and several locations are self-proclaimed epicentres. As a result, there is great academic, private and policy interest in identifying locations of future success as they vie to harness the economic and social potential of these industrial locations. Locations, firms and technology are all evolving, but how does one affect the other, where are there bottlenecks in the system and how can policy help influence the development of clean energy in the UK?

Going beyond simply the challenge of identifying locations of renewable energy resources, companies today seek development challeneges. Solar energy, wind energy, tidal and biomass all have the potential to provide alternaitve energy sources, but how firms manage to be in a position to do this is largely unexplored territory. This research examines the evolution of clean energy companies, the challenges they face to bring products to market, the failures that they have built upon, and the changing relevance of place and time as companies grow.

Publications

Contributing author

Library House 2008. Competitive Advantage: Cambridge Cluster Report - 2008

Presentations

2008 Regional Studies Association International Conference, Prague: Presented and Chaired session on Cities and Innovation
2008 University of Cambridge Graduate Forum: Evolution of Knowledge in Emerging Clusters: Clean-tech clusters in the UK
2007 International Conference on World Wine Markets: Terroirism? The transition from mapping to modeling: the potential impact of precision viticulture and technical innovation on the global wine industry

Teaching

Geographical Tripos Part IA, Supervisor, Peoples, Space and Geographies of Difference
Geographical Tripos Part IB, Supervisor, Earth Observation
Demonstrator and Assessor for IA, Geographical Skills and Methods: Numerical Methods, Spatial Data, Qualitative Methods
Demonstrator for IB, Geographical Skills and Methods: Geography and Public Policy
Guest Lecturer: Department of Geography, University of Edinburgh, Undergraduate Honours Course: The Geography of Wine

External activities

Accredited by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory for digitally enhancing Lidar data from Mount Erebus, Antarctica
NMA and Undergraduate Mentor for the Disability Resource Centre, University of Cambridge
Supervisor for MBA Cambridge Venture Project 2008, Judge Business School
Member of Department Graduate-Staff Consultative Committee
Member of Information Resources Committee
Organiser of SES Research Workshop 2008