Faculty of Engineering and Design

Sustainable Water Management

This is a major interdisciplinary programme which is co-funded by Wessex Water. It focuses on reedbeds and algae as sustainable water treatment processes, enhanced biogas generation from anaerobic digestion, asset reliability and security of supply, advanced analytical chemistry, and the development of innovative models to engage communities. Find out more about the project streams within the SWM programme.

Real World

Dr Sam Akehurst, Dr Chris Bannister and Professor Chris Brace from the Powertrain and Vehicle Research Centre, Department of Mechanical Engineering, were awarded funding with Jaguar Land Rover, the UK’s largest automotive manufacturing business. The project aimed to respond to changes in vehicle type approval legislation which includes many aspects of real world performance.

Development of a Film Riding Pressure Actuated Leaf Seal

Dr James Scobie and Dr Carl Sangan, early career researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, received support for an impact acceleration project. This was part of a three-year studentship funded by Cross Manufacturing Ltd. The company is a world leading supplier of engine sealing technologies for Aviation, Power Generation and Automotive industries, based in the South West. The project supported the design and use of a new high speed test rig. This helped Cross explore the operability of a new type of seal before developing it commercially.

Development and Implementation of Novel Transmission Modelling and Control Tools

Dr Sam Akehurst and Dr Simon Pickering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, were funded by the IAA for a project with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) to develop and implement novel transmission modelling and control tools. This provided JLR with a new library of new powertrain component models, to speed up the process of computer modelling of future technologies. The company benefits include reduced research costs and a faster technology development and adoption process.

Single Crystal 1-3 Composite Programme

IAA funds were awarded to Professor Chris Bowen and Dr Alan Hunter, Department of Mechanical Engineering, for a collaborative project with Thales. This was to design and select materials for more effective transducers.

Application of Novel Imprinting Methods for Augmented Reality Technology

Dr Philip Shields, Department of Electronic and Electrical Enginnering, collaborated with WaveOptics to apply novel imprinting methods for augmented reality technology. The company engineers and builds lightweight, see-through augmented reality display that are making wearable smart glasses practical. The project reproduced and optimized the fabrication of the company’s nanostructured waveguides prior to pilot production using nanoimprint technology. It will also evaluate different coatings.

Durable Coatings for Photonic Intergrated Devices and Circuits

Effect Photonics will be working with Dr Duncan Allsopp and Dr Robert Watson, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, to develop durable synthetic coatings on guided lightwave components. The project had the potential to make a big impact on accessible ultrafast broadband. This is by establishing a lower cost alternative and thereby reducing manufacturing costs without compromising performance.

Dynamic Power Hub for Autonomous Systems

Professor Peter Wilson and Dr Simon Le Blond, Department of Electronic and Electrical Enginnering, collaborated with ASV Global. The company is a leading manufacturer of Unmanned Marine Systems that are used by the commercial, scientific and defence sectors around the world. The project aimed to solve the problem of how to maintain consistent levels of energy supply from solar panels. This is given the varying conditions of shade, and salt and algae deposits experienced by unmanned systems out on the Atlantic for months at a time.

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Mapping Amputee Residuum Change and Manufacturing Personalised, Adaptable Prosthetic Inserts

Professor James Bilzon, Department for Health, and Dr Vimal Dhokia, Department of Mechanical Engineering, were supported by IAA funds for a project with the MOD Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre. That was aligned to the University’s £11 million Centre for the Analysis of Motion, Entertainment Research and Applications (CAMERA). The multi-disciplinary project combined Dhokia’s research on innovative manufacturing processes and Bilzon’s work on changes to the residuum, to tackle the challenge of developing low cost personalised prosthetic liners for lower limb amputees.

School of Management

Supply Chain Risk Alerts (SCRiA)

Professor Brian Squire, School of Management, secured IAA funding to further develop his Supply Chain Risk Alerts (SCRiA) software. This software automatically scans the World Wide Web for potential indicators of risk within an organisation’s supply chain. The information is then used to create risk alerts, determine trends and compare supplier risk profiles for a given company’s supply chain. The tool is being developed to include scanning in different languages and within social media.

Faculty of Science

Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies (CSCT)

In 2019, the Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies (CSCT) and its business hub, the Sustainable Technologies Business Acceleration Hub (STBAH), were granted £150,000 from the University's EPSRC IAA to support nine pump-priming projects in sustainable technologies.

Iron Catalysis for the Synthesis of Ligands: a Ligand Knowledge Database with Industrial Applications

IAA funds were awarded to Dr Ruth Webster, Department of Chemistry, for a project with CatSci Ltd. This was to develop a new ligand knowledge database.