Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Sat, Jul 18, 2026 03:46 AM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Alan Brent

Professor and Chair in Sustainable Energy Systems, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Alan Brent has bachelor degrees in engineering (chemical) and philosophy (sustainable development); master’s degrees in science (environmental engineering), engineering (technology management), and philosophy (sustainable development); and a doctorate in engineering management. Since 1995 he consulted to a variety of private and public sectors in the fields of environmental engineering and management, and as a project manager, in the Material Science and Manufacturing unit of the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). In 2002 he was tasked with the establishment of the AIDC Chair of Life Cycle Engineering in the Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) of the University of Pretoria. The Chair mobilised the GSTM to conduct research on sustainable life cycle management practices in the private and public sectors. In 2006 he returned to the CSIR to initiate and lead research in the Natural Resources and the Environment unit, which promotes sustainable development in management and planning practices, with an emphasis on the energy sector. In 2009 he was appointed as a professor in the Sustainable Development programme of the School of Public Leadership (SPL) in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, and as the associate director of the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES) in the Faculty of Engineering, at Stellenbosch University. In 2014 his academic position at Stellenbosch University changed from the SPL to the Department of Industrial Engineering (IE), as a professor of Engineering Management and Sustainable Systems, where is currently an extraordinary professor. From 2017 he is the professor and chair in Sustainable Energy Systems in the School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Solar farms can eat up farmland – but ‘agrivoltaics’ could mean the best of both worlds for NZ farmers

Jun 06, 2024 11:30 am UTC| Business

New Zealand plans to commission about eight gigawatts of solar photovoltaic projects more than the maximum power demand of the whole country on a typical winters day by 2028, according to the governments latest...

Economy

Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Selloff, Iran Tensions Weigh on Tech Stocks

Wall Street closed sharply lower on Friday, ending a two-week winning streak as investors sold technology shares amid a continued pullback in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector and renewed concerns over inflation...

Brent Oil Jumps 16% for Best Week Since April as US-Iran Conflict Fuels Supply Fears

Global oil prices posted their strongest weekly gains in months on Friday as the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran heightened concerns over global crude supply and shipping disruptions through the...

Trump Threatens Higher Canada Tariffs as Wildfire Smoke Sparks U.S. Air Quality Crisis

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose higher tariffs on Canada, blaming the country for worsening air pollution across the United States as smoke from hundreds of active Canadian wildfires spreads south of the...

AI Chip Stocks Face Valuation Pressure as Investors Shift Toward Big Tech and Software

The explosive rally in AI semiconductor stocks is showing signs of cooling as investors question lofty valuations and whether the massive spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure can continue at its current pace....

Malaysia Q2 Economy Grows 5.8%, Beating Forecasts on Strong Tech Exports and Domestic Demand

Malaysias economy expanded by 5.8% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, outperforming market expectations and highlighting the countrys resilience despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainties. According to advance...

Politics

Brazil Supreme Court Tightens Jair Bolsonaro House Arrest Ahead of Election

Brazils Supreme Court has imposed stricter restrictions on former President Jair Bolsonaro, suspending all non-essential visits to his residence for 30 days as the country moves closer to its October presidential election....

US Expands Iran Strikes as Strait of Hormuz Shipping Drops, Oil Prices Climb

The United States carried out a seventh straight night of military strikes on Iran, extending operations beyond the countrys southern coast and deeper into its interior, while Tehran launched retaliatory attacks on...

DOJ Subpoenas Major Law Firms in Trump Executive Order Dispute

The U.S. Justice Department has issued subpoenas to 14 major law firms seeking records and sworn testimony related to executive orders signed by President Donald Trump that targeted several prominent legal firms or...

Trump Criticizes ABC, NBC and CNN for Limiting Coverage of Election Speech

President Donald Trump criticized ABC, NBC and CNN after the three major U.S. news organizations declined to air his prime-time address on their main television platforms, intensifying his long-running dispute with the...

Iran Launches Fresh Attacks on U.S. Bases as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Escalate

Iran launched new attacks on U.S. military facilities in the Gulf on Friday after the United States carried out a sixth straight night of strikes on Iranian military targets, deepening a conflict that has unraveled last...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

SpaceX Eyes Pentagon AI Deal as Cloud Pricing Strategy Pressures CoreWeave

SpaceX briefly recovered some of its losses on Friday after a Wall Street Journal report said the aerospace company is negotiating a multi-billion-dollar agreement with the Pentagon to provide artificial intelligence...

Mikron H1 2026 Sales Fall 5.9% as Automation Weakness Weighs on Profit

Swiss automation and machining systems manufacturer Mikron Group AG reported lower first-half 2026 results as weaker demand in its Automation and Machining businesses offset strong growth in its Tool division. Despite the...

KAIST, Stanford Develop Self-Dressing Robot for Cleanrooms and Emergency Gear

Researchers from South Koreas Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Stanford University have developed an innovative self-dressing robotic technology that allows people to put on clothing without...

SpaceX Aborts Starship Test Flight as Engine Issue Delays Launch

SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) called off the 13th test flight of its Starship rocket just minutes before its scheduled liftoff from its Texas launch site on Thursday after an engine-related issue triggered an automatic abort. CEO...

Sam Altman Admits OpenAI Missteps, Promises Major AI Comeback Focused on User Freedom

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly acknowledged that the company fell short of expectations over the past year, taking personal responsibility for its performance while outlining an ambitious vision for the future. In a...