WMG News - Latest news from WMG
Consortium Awarded £1m R&D funding from TSB call on Fuel Cell Manufacturing
WMG centre HVM Catapult is pleased to announce that a consortium led by London-based fuel cell company, Arcola Energy, has been awarded £1m R&D funding from the recent TSB call on Fuel Cell Manufacturing. Arcola Energy, the lead partner on the bid, is working within the UK to build up a strong fuel cell supply chain and manufacturing base. They are focussed on portable and small scale automotive applications. Other partners in the consortium are Imperial College and Lohmann Tapes.
Professor Robert Harrison’s team at WMG will focus on the application of manufacturing process modelling to fuel cells. The work will leverage WMG’s extensive in-house battery manufacturing and automation systems knowledge. It is anticipated that current fuel cell lifetime limitations and high unit costs that result from immature manufacturing processes will be addressed through this research by the application of automated processes and improved quality control.
The project will also work on developing a UK supply chain to support UK manufacturing of fuel cells. Professor Jan Godsell’s team at WMG will be involved in this activity.
Interest in fuel cell technology is increasing steadily from sectors such as automotive and stationary power. It is expected that growing demand will drive up production volumes by two orders of magnitude over the next five years, further reducing costs.
Your Life: WMG Pledges
WMG has committed to a new government initiative, Your Life, working in partnership with educators, industry and government to boost female participation in technology and engineering.
Our pledge announced today, 7 May, aims to support a change in how women and girls are encouraged to consider technology and engineering careers and the subject choices or vocational pathways that lead to them, by pledging commitment to take action in some or all of the following areas:
- Engaging with young people
- Contributing to a national campaign
- Increasing the numbers of women in these fields within their own organisations
We will be contributing to the national aspirations to double the number of women studying engineering and technology degrees at undergraduate level by 2030; boost the number of women pursuing careers in engineering and technology; and increase the number of young people studying maths and physics at 18.
WMG alumnus appointed as Associate Fellow
WMG is pleased to announce the appointment of alumnus Daren Maynard as an Associate Fellow at WMG in recognition of his continued contribution to WMG and the student community.
Daren studied MSc in at WMG in 2010-11 and was awarded an MSc with Distinction. Whilst studying with us, Daren was elected as the Postgraduate Faculty Representative for the Faculty of Science and was a key member of the student community within WMG.
Since graduation, Daren has returned to his home country of Trinidad and Tobago. However, his commitment to the student community remains as he continues to assist online with student engagement through WMG’s Facebook groups. He has provided advice on diverse matters, including accommodation, catering, SSLC and sport at Warwick. He has supported current students with advice on projects and has presented sessions to groups of students via video link. Nearer to home, he has provided detailed support to students in his home country who are considering coming to Warwick.
Professor Lord Bhattacharyya elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society
It has been announced today that has been elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society.
Professor Lord Bhattacharyya has been recognised and made a Fellow for his contribution to engineering research and education. As Chairman and founder of WMG his mission, for the last 34 years, has been to improve the competitiveness of industry through innovative collaborative research, educational and knowledge transfer programmes. It has a global reputation in automotive research, the built environment, digital technology and healthcare systems. He was the primary architect of the Integrated Graduate Development Scheme, now considered best practice in CPD by many Universities, and was the first to run the Eng Doc programme on similar principles. In 30 years, the Education programmes have involved over 25,000 individuals and over 500 UK companies. Professor Lord Bhattacharyya has received many international honours, awards and honorary doctorates.
WMG hosts a visit from Lord Younger
WMG was pleased to host a visit from Lord Younger, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Intellectual Property at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Meeting with Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, Lord Younger was keen to hear about how WMG develops partnerships with industry and the significant economic benefits of such partnerships. He was also interested to understand the breadth of research undertaken by WMG which leads to the development of innovative products, processes and services.
WMG is a significant partner in the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult. Lord Younger met with , CEO of the who gave an overview of the research that is undertaken through the WMG centre in light technologies and energy innovation. Lord Younger also met with Dick Elsy, Chief Executive, HVM Catapult and Bob Gilbert, Chairman of the HVM Catapult supervisory board, who gave an overview of the HVM Catapult as a whole.
HARRIETs high tech HAT to help make Birmingham a Smart City
Birmingham households will be first to pilot new technology being developed by WMG at the 神马福利影片 that aims to create the next generation of 'Smart' homes with “smart” things working together in a “smart city”.
WMG has secured funding from the Research Councils UK (RCUK) Digital Economy Theme to partner with Birmingham City Council to create the HARRIET (HAT Resource Integration and Enabling Tool) project. This will equip homes with technology and software to create a HAT (Hub-of-all-Things), which aims to assist individuals to better understand their household behaviour and make “smarter” money saving and time saving decisions based on the data they then share on how they act as consumers within their homes see
The 18-month £485,000 project will work with volunteer households and individuals in Birmingham to collect, analyse and transform the “big data” about product and service consumption produced by modern households on a daily basis that will be stored in individuals’ personal HAT database.
WMG hosts a visit from the Indonesian Ambassador
WMG was pleased to welcome a delegation from the Indonesian Embassy. The delegation was led by the Indonesian Ambassador to the UK, H.E.T.M Hamzah Thayeb, supported by the Education and Trade Attachés, Minister Counsellor and the Chairman of the Indonesia Investment Promotion Centre.
Meeting with Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, The Ambassador and the delegation were interested to understand the breadth of research undertaken by WMG and how WMG develops partnerships with industry and the significant economic benefits of such partnerships. WMG has recently signed an MOU with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, a key element in which is research collaboration around hybrid and electric systems.
WMG hosts Malaysian Investment Development Authority delegation
WMG was pleased to welcome a delegation from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) on Friday. The delegation was led by The Honorable Dato’ Seri Paduka Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir, Chief Minister of Kedah state in Malaysia, and H.E. Dato’ Ahmad Rasidi Hazizi, the Malaysian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Meeting with , the delegation were interested to understand how WMG develops partnerships with industry and the significant economic benefits of such partnerships. They were also interested to understand the breadth of research undertaken by WMG.
WMG Comments: End of BOGOFs?
A recent report by the House of Lords European Union Committee has called for the development of a policy framework, within the EU, aimed at tackling the issue of food waste. One of the key recommendations picked up in the media, was the issue of incentives and promotions such as ‘Buy One, Get One Free’ (known as BOGOF) deals. The report suggested that actions such as BOGOFs can pass food waste on to the consumer and encourage them to buy in larger volumes than required, and has proposed that such tactics should end.
This recommendation has been supported by , Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy at WMG, who has told the that BOGOF offers ultimately don’t benefit customers, even though they appear to be good value at the time.
Students inspire the next generation with rollercoaster excitement
Students from the Engineering Society at the 神马福利影片 took part in The Market Bosworth School’s Science Fair earlier this month, to run a series of workshops with children to teach them about the forces involved in rollercoasters.
The workshops saw the children designing and building an array of impressive small-scale rollercoasters using pipe insulation, complete with stomach churning twists and turns. The creations were then tested using marbles to demonstrate the laws of motion.