Biocomposites and the Circular Economy

Dr. Abbas S. Milani is a tenured full Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia, Canada. His major scholarly and administrative roles to date include: Founding Director of the UBC Materials and Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI); Technical Director of the Composites Research Network (CRN); Lead of Canadian-International Biocomposites Research Network; Lead of UBC-Pacific Economic Development Canada-Advancing Circular Economy (ACE) program; Lead of UBC-NRC IRAP National Circular Economy Contribution to Organizations Program; and Lead of NSERC CREATE in Immersive Technologies (CITech). His primary expertise falls into advanced modeling, simulation, and multi-criteria design optimization of composite/biocomposite materials, structures, and manufacturing processes. His research to date has resulted in over 400 publications, including six books. In 2020, Dr. Milani was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada (RSC)-College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists which is Canada's first national system of multidisciplinary recognition for the emerging generation of Canadian intellectual leadership.

Mahdi Takaffoli is a senior research engineer at the Materials and Manufacturing Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Canada. He has served as the coordinator for several research and training initiatives, including the Cluster of Research Excellence in Biocomposites, the Cluster for Microplastics, Health, and the Environment, and the Circular Economy Seed Funding program. Mahdi holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and is an alumnus of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's From Linear to Circular Programme.