Dr. Salani selected for Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

Dr. Giorgio Salani has been selected for Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) starting April 2022.

Giorgio Salani. Research on environmentally-friendly technologies for craft ceramics contributing to the realization of a sustainable society. Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists (22K18139).

Summary

Despite national and international efforts towards sustainability and carbon neutrality, the production of craft ceramics continues to have a negative impact on the environment. Current improvements by practitioners and educational institutions are limited to studio operations and fail to tackle wider systemic issues.

Disciplinary barriers also hinder the development of technical innovation in art and craft ceramics. Through an empirical methodology connecting craft processes with engineering, this research will design and implement an open access platform to develop, test and communicate sustainable innovation in handmade ceramics.

The study aims to deliver (1) the first Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of studio ceramics; (2) a systematic critical review of international best practice; (3) development and testing of sustainable materials; (4) experiments with biofuels to reduce the carbon footprint of atmospheric firings; (5) in-depth interviews with practitioners to
assess feasibility; and (6) public and academic discussions and dissemination of findings through publications, events and online forum.