Regeneration news
The Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability celebrates a year of progress and promise
The Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability (RDCS) recently played host to east London’s sustainability community, bringing together partners to reflect on a year of remarkable achievements and to begin work on setting ambitious goals for the future.
Launched in December 2023 at UEL's Docklands campus, the centre is supported by the Royal Docks' Good Growth Fund and features affordable workspaces, specialist facilities, and access to academic expertise.
Over the past 12 months, significant strides have been made in advancing green and digital skills, with 119 people trained through innovative net zero carbon and digital programmes, and a further 249 people having participated in career-focused programmes, gaining valuable work experience and insights that will help unlock future career opportunities.
RDCS has been at the heart of much of this work, serving as a hub for collaboration and global engagement. This year, the centre welcomed international visitors from Greece, Egypt, Germany, and China, as well as key stakeholders from across higher education, industry, and government, highlighting the growing importance of east London and our work on the global stage.
Over the past year, RDCS hosted more than 50 events, in partnership with schools across the University of East London (UEL) as well as with industry and community groups. Highlights included the Sustainable Cities Festival in April, the 20th anniversary of Rix Inclusive Research in May, and September’s inaugural Creative Industries Festival.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, at the launch of the RDCS last year
RDCS continues to expand with the launch of new facilities, including TerraDock a cutting-edge SME incubator and accelerator centre, a community hub, and a new café – Dialogue Hub. This year, the centre also played an integral role in the launch of the Royal Docks Sustainability Network, which brings together major anchor organisations in the area to share knowledge and create joint programmes to accelerate sustainability progress.
Additionally, this year, the Royal Docks School of Business and Law’s (RDSBL) practice-based centres have continued their important work, providing free advice to local communities, and award-winning bio-based building material Sugarcrete® has gone from strength to strength, recently winning a prestigious Times Higher Education Award for Knowledge Exchange/Transfer Initiative of the Year.
Sugarcrete® provides a low-carbon alternative to bricks and concrete blockwork developed by the University of East London (UEL).
The celebratory year-end event also marked the anniversary of the Newham Just Transition Plan, an initiative aimed at protecting all residents from the impacts of climate change. UEL, RDCS, and major stakeholders in the Royal Docks have partnered with Newham to support the delivery of this plan, which underpins the work of the Royal Docks Sustainability Network.
Those gathered to celebrate also took the opportunity to think ahead and begin work on co-creating programmes for the future. Strengthened by partnerships with Newham Council, the Royal Docks Team, Greater London Authority, One Newham, Grow London Local, and the Newham Chamber of Commerce, RDCS and its partners are well-placed to create a sustainable ecosystem that will benefit the Royal Docks, Newham, and beyond.
Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be another exciting year of progress, innovation, and impact, with the launch of a new VR / AR Lab, STEAM Community Service Centre, and London Renewable Energy Lab, all of which will drive forward progress in sustainability. Also on the agenda, is a jam-packed calendar of events, including National Apprenticeship Week in February, the Sustainable Cities Festival in March, the Rix Inclusive Hackathon in June, and the next edition of the Creative Industries Festival in September.
