Some of the world’s most forward-thinking minds on sustainability have been invited to speak at a conference at Bradford University.

Record-breaking solo sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur’s charitable foundation has teamed up with the University to stage the international event after being impressed by the University’s ecoversity credentials.

The meeting of minds has been organised to explore the potential for expanding the use of imitating natural eco-systems in modern industry – creating so-called closed loop, sustainable systems.

Explaining the concept, Dr Peter Hopkinson, the University’s director of education for sustainable development, said: “Imagine a rural community that kept cattle and grew crops that would use manure from the cows to fertilise the soil and catch water from the sky ready to use – that’s a closed loop system.

“It’s life in greater equilibrium with the natural surroundings.

“What Ellen has got into is how do we take those ideas and apply them to complex, industrial societies?

“She saw, in the Antarctic, the devastation caused by the whaling industry and how, once whaling stocks are depleted, the people who harvest them have moved on to elsewhere.

“It is a model for what is going on all over the world – people taking what they need, destroying it and moving on.”

Dr Hopkinson will be speaking at the Bradford 10+1 conference which runs from November 29 to December 1.

It is aimed at high-level businessmen and educationalists. Ten leading scientists will talk about aspects of the closed loop system in relation to achieving a sustainable economy.

Dr Hopkinson said the University is a very innovative institution when it comes to sustainability.

“We have got people doing research on natural products and natural design, and we are trying to build our own body of research and transfer of knowledge by working with businesses in the region to create a hub or culture based around the University, making these ideas practical and making Bradford the place to come to study in this field.”

Guest speakers at the conference include: Professor Michael Braungart of Process Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Suderburg, Germany, James Clark of the Green Chemistry Group, Janis Birkeland of Queensland University of Technology, Dr Mae Wan Ho of the Institute of Science in Society, Chris Allen of the USA Biomimicry Institute and Douwe Jan Joustra of the Ministry of Economics and Ministry of Spatial Planning and Environment of the Netherlands Government.