The 2021 MIT Paris Symposium is jointly hosted by the MIT Industrial Liaison Program and Groupe Bouygues, bringing together MIT academics, industry leaders, and startups to explore the impact of technology and non-linear changes on organizations, urban environments and innovation ecosystems.
When the future is uncertain, how can organizations feel confident in adapting to the changes to come? How can your organization expect and plan for the unexpected? Disruptive innovation is always possible across industry and consumer life, but with resilience through design, both through physically adaptive structures and flexible business frameworks, you can indeed be broadly prepared for change. From the invention of new technologies to the application of old ones in the physical world, the systems of today are responsive to the needs of our evolving environments.
Global climate change presents us with unprecedented challenges. There is overwhelming scientific evidence that increasing greenhouse gas concentrations have caused the majority of the planet’s rapid warming over the past century. Scientists agree that there are significant risks to humans and all life on Earth if this warming continues; however, there is currently no singular remedy to replace the widespread use of fossil fuels. No one energy technology alone can provide a cheap and reliable alternative capable of supporting the world’s growing energy needs.
MIT Professors Sergey Paltsev and Dennis Whyte will share their perspectives on the world’s technology options, the economic and climate impacts of energy decisions, and the future of fusion, fusion technologies, economic viability, and a path to commercialization.
Additionally, MIT Researchers Howard Herzog and Peter Godard will address the potential of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS). They’ll explore how CCS can help the world reach net-zero emissions, as well as how we can turn energy-dense scrap aluminum into a water-reactive fuel for clean hydrogen generation.