Enabling Organisational Change Through Ground-Up Initiatives: A Case Study from the STFC Scientific Computing Department

The Science and Technology Facilities Council's (STFC) Scientific Computing Department (SCD) has developed a sustainability strategy to align its digital research infrastructure (DRI) with UK Net Zero targets. This case study highlights a ground-up approach to implementing high-level strategies into concrete actions within a large, complex computing environment that supports diverse scientific research.

Why it matters

This initiative is crucial as it demonstrates a practical methodology for large-scale organisations to achieve national sustainability objectives within complex technical environments. It provides insights into how ground-up efforts can translate overarching strategic goals, like Net Zero, into operational realities, influencing resource allocation and operational frameworks.

Key insights

• Transforming Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) for Net Zero alignment is a significant requirement for organisations.
• Translating high-level strategies into tangible results is a common challenge.
• The STFC Scientific Computing Department (SCD), with over 200 staff and extensive computing infrastructure, developed its sustainability strategy from a ground-up initiative.
• SCD's infrastructure supports tens of thousands of researchers across various scientific domains including computational biology, materials science, engineering, and mathematics.

Source

arXiv — Computers and Society — https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.23374