糖心TV

Researchers from WMG and the School of Engineering, at the University of 糖心TV, attended two bespoke Parliamentary Seminars at the Palace of Westminster in March.

A total of 18 researchers enjoyed a guided tour of the Central Lobby before observing live sessions with MPs and Lords in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The visits were hosted by the (IPT) and facilitated by Parliamentary and Government Training Consultant and former MP.

Huw provided an overview of the work of UK Parliament, the legislative process, and the scope for research in the Government.

Sarah Wilson from WMG Research Office, who organised the visits, explained: 鈥淭he aim of these visits was to empower our researchers to share their knowledge and expertise with key policymakers, influence and inform relevant policy, and support parliamentary scrutiny processes.

鈥淚t was an invaluable experience - they heard about various engagement points, and the means to liaise with key government departments and Parliamentary Select Committees.鈥�

Find out more about 奥惭骋鈥檚 breath of research here: Research (warwick.ac.uk)

奥惭骋鈥檚 Professor Margaret Low was presented with an MBE, for her services to public engagement and widening participation, on Tuesday 15th March by HRH The Princess Royal at a special ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG, and Director of Education explains: 鈥淢argaret joined WMG back in 1988, and for many years she has made it her mission to inspire young people from all backgrounds in STEM subjects and into higher education. We are all so proud of her many achievements.鈥�

Margot James, Executive Chair at WMG adds: 鈥淢argaret鈥檚 MBE is a true testament to her hard work and dedication in connecting the local community with academia and, promoting STEM in an engaging way. I send her my warmest congratulations.鈥�

Professor Margaret Low said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 lovely, if a little overwhelming and totally unexpected, to be recognised in this way. Everything I鈥檝e achieved has been in collaboration with fantastic colleagues and friends at WMG and across the University. None of this would have been possible without their hard work and dedication.

鈥淚鈥檝e also had the good fortune to work with some brilliant students through 糖心TV Volunteers who鈥檝e been instrumental in bringing outreach activities into schools.鈥�

Working with 糖心TV Volunteers, Margaret collaborates with University of 糖心TV students to run Scratch workshops in local primary and secondary schools reaching more than 250 children each year through the Technology Volunteers project. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Margaret and her team also developed invaluable resources to help support home-schooling.

In 2016 Margaret was awarded an HEA National Teaching Fellowship. The Fellowships recognise and celebrate the absolute highest standards of learning and teaching across higher education.

More than a decade ago she pioneered the use of Scratch in the UK, a user-friendly programming tool, for outreach work in schools.

Read more about the WMG Public Engagement and Outreach Programme here: Public engagement and Outreach (warwick.ac.uk)

WMG has partnered with The Blair Project, a social enterprise based in Manchester, to deliver the Emerging Skills Project in the north, a programme funded by the Department for Education (DfE).

The Emerging Skills Project will create a highly skilled workforce that will enable industries including automotive, energy and food and drink, to take advantage of electrification and hydrogen-power to deliver Net Zero.

The course provided by The Blair Project will specifically address technologies related to electric vehicles. This will include the assembly and maintenance of battery modules and packs, recycling and second life, the manufacturing and installation of motors, drives and power electronics and the designing and testing of vehicle and software systems.

Developed in conjunction with businesses who were invited to a series of workshops with DfE, the course will directly respond to the demand for wider adoption and deployment of transport electrification technologies.

The course will be held at the new Manchester Innovation Activities Hub (MIAH) – launching in Spring 2022. Dedicated to the rapid upskilling, reskilling and retraining of more than 5,000 local residents over the next five years, MIAH is set to become a centre of excellence in Greater Manchester and a hub for electrification skills training in the north.

Ben Silverstone, Associate Professor and Head of WMG Skills Centre, said:

鈥淎s important as it is to train up the younger workforce in green tech, there is a significant workforce primed for reskilling now. It鈥檚 the combination of both that will ensure we are well-equipped to meet the UK鈥檚 ambitious Net Zero targets.

鈥淲e are pleased to partner with an organisation like The Blair Project to deliver the Emerging Skills Project, meeting the UK-wide demand for electrification skills and giving people in the region the opportunity to upskill or reskill in this area.鈥�

Nile Henry, Founder and CEO of The Blair Project, said:

鈥淭he UK is facing a huge skills gap in green tech, particularly electrification, and this is only set to increase as we power towards Net Zero and the demand for a highly skilled workforce grows. Partnering with WMG to become a delivery partner for the Emerging Skills Project is a huge milestone for The Blair Project, and it鈥檚 brilliant to see this focus from Government on upskilling adults in green tech.鈥�

奥惭骋鈥檚 Head of Human Factors for Future Mobility, Dr Roger Woodman, has shared his expertise in a whitepaper entitled 鈥楴avigating new technologies and the safety and business risks.鈥�

The whitepaper, produced by , from , the world leader in fleet risk and driver safety management; including driver training, aims to inform businesses about the challenges and risks of micromobility, as well as their corporate obligations.

It also anticipates a wider and likely legalised use of private e-scooters, in the near future, and recommends a serious need to focus on training to keep all users safe.

Dr Roger Woodman explains: 鈥淚t鈥檚 highly likely that rental and private e-scooters will be legalised in the next year or so. Undoubtedly there will be restrictions on these vehicles for both speed and weight. Rental e-scooters will be relatively easy to maintain control of, and from what I have witnessed, the trials have been broadly successful.

鈥淗owever, the legalisation of private e-scooters is where issues will arise and will quickly become a big social and safety problem if certain things aren鈥檛 considered. The most important of which is people will modify e-scooters to make them go faster.

鈥淐onsequently, we need to introduce rules similar to car and motorbike ownership, which makes people more aware that they are responsible for what they do with the vehicle and importantly there is a link between them, the vehicle and law enforcement. Psychologically this is very important and is one of the reasons the e-scooter rental trial has made it a requirement that riders must have at least a provisional driving license.

鈥淚 believe we need several legal rules imposed with the legalisation of private e-scooters. Firstly, all private e-scooters (including rental), should require a registration plate. Secondly, e-scooters should be taxed and insured in the same way as motorbikes. This requirement greatly reduces the number of people who can own and operate an e-scooter, and I expect this will be dropped for both rental and privately owned e-scooters. However, there will be greater emphasis put on training, which will include safe riding and the Highway Code.鈥�

Read the report in full here:

WMG is in the process of creating a Micromobility Roadmap, in consultation with users and industry, which will be made public later this year. Read more about 奥惭骋鈥檚 Intelligent Vehicles research here: Intelligent vehicles (warwick.ac.uk)

WMG researchers based in the International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing (IINM) have been developing a range of polymer-based solutions for application across several critical sectors, including renewable energy, sustainable transport, and replacement of single use plastics, helping to contribute to a sustainable future.

Here鈥檚 a summary of the key projects.

Renewable Energy: Graphene Enabled All Polymer Solar Thermal Cell

Professor Tony McNally working with Dr Sandeep Kumar in partnership with , has submitted patent applications to the UK Intellectual Property Office that describe 2D material filled polymers for use in Solar Thermal Cells. Critically, the materials developed have very high 鈥榠n-plane鈥� and 鈥榯hrough-plane鈥� thermal conductivity and can be processed using conventional polymer processing methods.

The project was supported by 拢11M Energy Entrepreneurs Fund. This scheme is for the development and demonstration of state-of-the art technologies, products, and processes in the areas of energy efficiency, power generation, and heat and electricity storage.

Christine Boyle, CEO of Senergy Innovations Ltd, commented: " Working with the IINM and WMG has allowed Senergy to push the boundaries with innovative technology that has the potential to bring a lot of societal good in sustainability and job creation, also enabling future innovation within the business. Dramatic cost reductions of more than 40% are possible when solar thermal systems are re-engineered with high performance polymers. In 2022 we will work alongside our early customers to showcase how the Senergy solar panels can now reduce the cost of delivering solar hot water and heating to a price point that will finally compete with gas and oil."

Professor McNally said: 鈥淲e are really excited by this exploitation of our research which has far reaching applications in numerous other sectors, including thermal management in electronic devices and electric vehicles.鈥�

The design for manufacture aspects of the development of the solar thermal cell were supported by the and the WMG SME Team.

Sustainable Transport: New Chemistry Enables Conventional Sulphur-vulcanised Tyre Tread Rubbers to Self-heal

Dr Chaoying Wan working with Dr Alan Wemyss in collaboration with Bridgestone EMIA have recently filed a patent application which describes the design and inclusion of dynamic bonds in vulcanised rubbers. This allows the conventional covalent-crosslinked rubber networks to be adaptive to external mechanical damage, self-healable and be reprocessed. The dynamic crosslinking networks also promise excellent mechanical properties and fatigue-resistance that are comparable to conventional rubber vulcanizates.

Dr Raffaele di Ronza, R&D Open Innovation Expert at EMIA commented: 鈥淎t Bridgestone we have a high focus on sustainability and material technologies to extend tyre life, a key element of our strategy in this field. Through this collaboration with WMG we could explore new solutions that support the realisation of our long-terms targets.鈥�

Dr Chaoying Wan said: 鈥淲e are delighted with the progress that has been made in improving the sustainability of vulcanised rubber products during our collaboration with Bridgestone. We are now able to further our understanding of self-healing vulcanised rubbers thanks also to the support from WMG and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult which will take us further towards in-depth understanding of elastomer science and new technology development for sustainable elastomer manufacturing.鈥�

Replacement of single-use plastics: Sustainable Bioplastics for Food Packaging Applications

Dr Chaoying Wan and Professor McNally in partnership with ., have developed fully biodegradable plastics with the gas barrier and mechanical properties required for food packaging applications. Poly(glycolic acid) or PGA has great potential as a substitute for current single-use plastics used in food packaging applications but with a lower carbon footprint. By blending and promoting interfacial interactions between PGA and other bioplastics, such as PBAT, the team have developed sustainable plastics for food packaging.

In collaboration with ., the team have been able to enhance the barrier properties of PGA/PBAT further by crosslinking the outer surface of the films using low energy electron beam treatment.

Dr Bowen Tan, Research Manager (UK), Pujing Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Stated: 鈥淲e collaborated with WMG on a research project on the blending of biodegradable plastics for flexible packaging applications. They have provided specialist and a wealth of expertise on plastic processing and modification. WMG is equipped with a wide range of polymer processing and testing equipment which enable our research to be carried out from small to manufacturing scales. The outcome of the project was beyond our expectation.鈥�

Mr Donal O鈥橲ullivan, Managing Director, Sherkin Technologies UK Ltd. Commented: 鈥淧lastic packaging plays an important role in the reduction of food waste. Biodegradable food packaging usage has great potential to meet local and global targets for the use of sustainable packaging. The recent work undertaken by the IINM, and their industrial partners is an important step in demonstrating the potential for Low Energy Electron Beam as a platform technology which can be deployed to improve and optimise barrier properties in a new generation of biodegradable films.鈥�

Read more about 奥惭骋鈥檚 Nanocomposites research here: Nanocomposites (warwick.ac.uk)

• Patients with diabetes hospitalised with COVID-19 at University Hospitals Coventry and 糖心TVshire (UHCW) NHS Trust used flash glucose monitors as inpatients rather than traditional methods
• This approach was evaluated by researchers from WMG at the University of 糖心TV and University Hospitals Coventry and 糖心TV NHS Trust
• Patients who used the non-invasive skin monitors were adequately cared for and freed up resources making the care and monitoring of the high-risk patients more efficient

People with diabetes are at a higher risk of poor outcomes and severe illness if they develop COVID-19, they need careful glucose monitoring to ensure appropriate glycaemic control during a period of any acute illness, including due to COVID-19.

In order to support the management of these patients at UHCW, digital flash glucose monitoring devices were used as part of a a nationally leading research project. Researchers from WMG at the University of 糖心TV, and UHCW evaluated the benefits of this trailblazing research.

They found that patients were able to be monitored as effectively as using traditional methods, such as finger pricks and time was saved enabling staff to car for more patients.

Professor Theo Arvanitis from WMG, University of 糖心TV comments:
鈥淭raditional ways of measuring glucose levels are time consuming and put pressure on resources especially when under pressure from the pandemic, therefore the use of flash glucose monitoring can help free up resources.

鈥淲e are pleased to have carried out the first pilot inpatient use of digital flash glucose monitors in an NHS hospital. Overall, there are strong arguments for the inpatient use of these devices in the COVID-19 setting, as we have found that this approach if effective in monitoring patients and can help NHS workers when resources are tight.鈥�

Professor Harpal Randeva from UHCW NHS Trust comments:
鈥淭he use of these devices frees nursing time, allows closer monitoring of patients and is popular with them. Building on this evaluation we have now offered devices to over 400 patients with diabetes and COVID-19 and feel this project represents a key step-change in providing care for people with diabetes in hospital. This approach builds on UHCW NHS Trusts Vision of being a National and International leader in healthcare, with a clear focus on world leading digital technology鈥�

Professor Sailesh Sankar from UHCW NHS Trust added:
鈥淚nnovation is at the heart of providing the best quality care for people with diabetes. Whilst these devices have been used in the outpatient context, we have achieved the widespread use of devices in an inpatient benefiting both patients and staff. We hope others nationally can learn from this project鈥� The monitor works by measuring glucose from interstitial space, rather than from the blood. They are applied to the patient鈥檚 skin and measure glucose levels every 15 minutes for up to 14 days. The glucose levels are then easily read by placing an electronic reader or smartphone over the device, which is more convenient and less invasive than finger-prick monitoring.

Data was gathered from patients who were monitored during their stays, the data was then analysed, and potential associations were explored between relevant parameters, including time in hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia, and in range, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), average glucose, body mass index (BMI), and length of stay.

Percentage of time in hyperglycaemia exhibited significant associations with both percentage of time in hypoglycaemia and percentage of time in range.

View the academic article

• NatWest and WMG, a department at the University of 糖心TV, are inviting businesses that are creating the next generation of clean green transport to apply to their new accelerator
• 糖心TVes will receive support to fast-track their innovations, including easy access to clean transport experts and equipment, exclusive 1:1 coaching sessions, and access to growth funding
• The Clean Transport Accelerator is a fully-funded programme and will help the UK be a green leader in carbon-neutral transport for future mobility, helping businesses bring their innovations to the market quicker

With transport being the largest carbon emitting sector in the UK, a partnership between NatWest and WMG at the University of 糖心TV has led to the launch of the Clean Transport Accelerator. It will support businesses which are part of the mobility sector to develop products and services that will play their part in achieving the UK鈥檚 net-zero goals.

The first cohort of the programme will help 10-15 businesses through education, events, networking and coaching. They will also have access to experts and equipment to help them accelerate their innovations to the market and demonstrate an impact in the pursuit of net zero goals.

Applicants can be from anywhere across the UK and cover a broad range of businesses, whether they are based within supply chains, are fuel providers, want to develop new means of transport, or be focused on specific transport such as light rail, cargo delivery or scooters.

The programme will be delivered jointly by NatWest and WMG, University of 糖心TV. NatWest will provide an enterprise acceleration manager with 1:1 coaching, access to their accelerator growth events and access to work space, as well as learning hubs at the University of 糖心TV and Birmingham.

The University of 糖心TV will provide access to clean energy, manufacturing, automotive and connected experts at WMG and their HVMC (High Value Manufacturing Catapult), as well as the tools to validate and test any equipment designed by the businesses and access to co-working spaces on Campus.

NatWest supported over 55,000 entrepreneurs in 2021 and has 13 accelerator hubs across the UK. 糖心TVes with high growth potential benefit from a range of support through the accelerators. This includes coaching, community, access to a wide network and thought leadership content. NatWest accelerators are keen to attract more female and BAME led businesses as well as companies outside London and the South East. Any business keen to take its next step for growth should consider applying to the NatWest accelerator scheme.

The Clean Transport Accelerator news follows the recent launch of NatWest鈥檚 green loans for SMEs and green asset finance through Lombard. Companies can access funds with no arrangement fee to help them transition to more sustainable working practices. The bank has pledged to lend 拢100 billion by 2025 to businesses looking to invest in being greener. report, published in October 2021, found that half the UK鈥檚 carbon reduction ambition can be delivered by the SME sector and the Clean Transport Accelerator is the bank鈥檚 latest offering to help UK SMEs pursue this goal.

Professor David Greenwood, CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC) at WMG, University of 糖心TV comments:

鈥淭he drive to net zero has opened up new and exciting opportunities for innovation in the transport sector. Together with NatWest, we鈥檇 like to ensure that the UK delivers economic benefits as well as environmental benefits as we meet this critical objective. This programme is aimed to support small and innovative companies as they build and scale up their products, services and business models.鈥�

Richard Hill, Head of Automotive and Manufacturing at NatWest, said:

鈥淣atWest has set out a clear ambition to play a leading role in helping to address the climate challenge, and so we are thrilled to be working with the University of 糖心TV to offer clean transport businesses a fast-track to delivering on the UK鈥檚 green goals.

鈥淧acked with experts, access to equipment, networking opportunities and funding advice, the Clean Transport Accelerator is a must for any business keen to scale up their next step. I look forward to seeing the innovative and exciting businesses that we support.鈥�

糖心TVes can apply for the Clean Transport Accelerator here:

Where it says 鈥榁oucher Code鈥� please enter 鈥楥leanTransport01/2022鈥�

The deadline for applications is the 11th April 2022.

ENDS

22 FEBRUARY 2022

NOTES TO EDITORS

High-res image available at:

/services/communications/medialibrary/images/february_2022/electric_vehicles_outside_wmg_.jpg
Caption: Electric Vehicles outside WMG, University of 糖心TV
Credit: WMG, University of 糖心TV

For more information and to apply to the Clean Transport Accelerator visit

For more information on NatWest鈥檚 nationwide accelerators visit  

For more information on NatWest鈥檚 green loans visit

For further information please contact:

Alice Scott
Media Relations Manager – Science
University of 糖心TV
Tel: +44 (0) 7920 531 221
E-mail: alice.j.scott@warwick.ac.uk

Laura Blumenthal
Media Relations Manager – NatWest
Tel: 07947974464
E-mail: laura.blumenthal@natwest.com

About NatWest Group

NatWest Group is a relationship bank for a digital world. We champion potential; breaking down barriers and building financial confidence so the 19 million people, families and businesses we serve in communities throughout the UK and Ireland can rebuild and thrive. If our customers succeed, so will we.

About WMG, University of 糖心TV

WMG is a world leading research and education group, transforming organisations and driving innovation through a unique combination of collaborative research and development, and pioneering education programmes.

As an international role model for successful partnerships between academia and the private and public sectors, WMG develops advancements nationally and globally, in applied science, technology and engineering, to deliver real impact to economic growth, society and the environment.

奥惭骋鈥檚 education programmes focus on lifelong learning of the brightest talent, from the WMG Academies for Young Engineers, degree apprenticeships, undergraduate and postgraduate, through to professional programmes.

An academic department of the University of 糖心TV, and a centre for the HVM Catapult, WMG was founded by the late Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya in 1980 to help reinvigorate UK manufacturing and improve competitiveness through innovation and skills development.

WMG held its annual student careers fair from 14th to 18th February 2022.

FutureFest, organised by the WMG Master鈥檚 Team gave students the chance to hear from prospective employers, explore career opportunities, attend skills workshops, and network with others.

Konstantina Dee, 奥惭骋鈥檚 Careers and Employability Officer, and organiser of the event, said: 鈥�We have held FutureFest annually for the last few years. Last year, due to the Covid restrictions, the event was held fully online. But this year, we were delighted to be able to offer a mix of both online and in-person sessions.

鈥淭here was a great atmosphere, and it was nice for students and employers to be able to meet face-to-face, as well as participating in online events. We would like to say a big thank you to all employers, students and staff who took part in sessions across the five days. We are pleased that FutureFest 2022 was another great success.鈥�

A total of 14 companies attended the event including , Faithful+Gould, , , ABP Food Group UK and .

More than 730 students joined over the course of the week describing it as 鈥榲ery valuable鈥�, 鈥榠nsightful鈥�, and a 鈥榞reat opportunity to speak to employers and find out about opportunities within their organisations.鈥�

Kenta Shibuya from 4C Associates said: 鈥淔utureFest Careers Fair is a fantastic opportunity for exhibitors to connect with students seeking a masters鈥� degree from WMG. As an alumnus, it was a pleasure introducing opportunities at 4C Associates to the students.鈥�

Mandy Thompson from added: 鈥�After two long years of hosting virtual careers fairs it was lovely to get back onto campus and meet so many interesting students in person. 糖心TV didn鈥檛 disappoint in presenting us with engaged students who were more than equipped for a career in the food industry.鈥�

A particular highlight of FutureFest was a session led by Adeel Azam from . Adeel is a former WMG Master鈥檚 student, who is now a Director at the integrated project and programme management consultancy. Adeel gave an account of his career so far, and shared advice with students one-to-one at the end of the session.

Daniel Dowling-Brown, Managing Surveyor at Faithful+Gould, said: 鈥淲hat an amazing two days spent with WMG at the University of 糖心TV. The students were very engaging, and it was a privilege to be able to speak to so many about our business and our industry. We look forward to seeing many of them again as colleagues in the future and look forward to being back again next year.鈥�

If you鈥檙e a company or business looking to attract graduates across a range of roles and sectors, contact us to find out how you can get involved with future WMG Student Careers and Employability events: wmg_employability@warwick.ac.uk

Coventry has taken a bold step to facilitate the development of an independent partnership with local businesses, public and community organisations

To drive forward changes to address Coventry鈥檚 impact on climate change and the environment.鈥�鈥�

Five key themes have been identified by the new Independent Climate Change Board for Coventry, and each is led by influential leaders of key organisations and institutions in the city.

The activities support Coventry by integrating solutions which make an impact on, our people, our neighbourhoods and our environment. They include how we use energy, support wildlife, address inequalities such as fuel poverty, reduce waste and find ways to deal with the effects of climate change like flooding and over-heating.

Chris Lovatt, Chief Operating Officer, UK Solutions for E.ON is the new chair of the Low emission development pathway group. This pathway covers how we reduce pollution and emissions in the city. This could be through promoting renewable energy, more efficient buildings, encouraging sustainable travel as well as reducing and changing the way in which we consume energy overall.鈥�

Chris explained: 鈥淐oventry is E.ON鈥檚 home city so naturally we鈥檙e very happy to use our expertise and experiences to support Coventry in becoming a cleaner, greener city and drive forward plans to take action against the climate crisis and create a more sustainable city.鈥濃��

鈥淎t E.ON we work alongside cities, local authorities and with residents to look at how we can help them reduce their energy use, cut their bills and carbon emissions, whether that is by better insulating properties or giving people a better understanding of their energy consumption.鈥�鈥�

鈥淲e are also applying new technologies; installing heat pumps, solar panels, batteries and getting ready for electric vehicles and finding the best ways to electrify our heating and transportation needs, which now make up the majority of emissions across the country.鈥濃��

Margot鈥疛ames, Executive Chair for鈥疻MG 鈥痑t the University of 糖心TV, and former minister for culture, communications and creative industries, is the chair of the Coventry Climate Change Board.

Margot said: 鈥淐oventry鈥檚 Climate Change Board is bringing together key city stakeholders to draw up a set of actions that will meet the carbon reduction targets set by the Council. I鈥檓 delighted to be joined on the Board by the University of 糖心TV鈥檚 Provost Professor Chris Ennew OBE and Russell Hall, Senior Research Fellow at WMG who will also be leading the Circular Development, pathway group.

鈥淚 appreciate very much the excellent support the board is getting from local industry, utilities, public services and the voluntary sector. Together with the citizens of Coventry, I am optimistic that we can bring about real change for the better.

鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to have E.ON supporting this important agenda for Coventry and I welcome Chris Lovatt, Chief Operating Officer, UK Solutions at E.ON, who is the first expert leading one of our key areas; the Lower emissions development pathway group. We have also identified the following people; Russ Hall, Ed Green and Geraldine Tsakirakis who will be leading the Circular Development, Nature-based and Equitable and Resilience pathway groups. In the coming months, we will identify further leads all of whom will be experts in their fields.鈥�

The new Climate Change Board met for its second meeting recently.鈥疭enior鈥痩eaders鈥痜rom organisations鈥痑cross Coventry鈥痑re鈥痟elping to shape and move forward actions鈥痶o鈥痳educe the impact

of climate change and are meeting鈥痳egularly鈥痶o share鈥痯olicies, plans,鈥痝ood practice and work together鈥痗ollaboratively鈥痠n an effort to鈥痥eep鈥痶he city on track鈥痜or鈥痑鈥痾ero-carbon future.鈥�

Margot added: 鈥淎t WMG we are working with industry to develop solutions that will have a long-term impact on climate change, including electrification of transport from passenger cars to very light rail vehicles, and developing sustainable manufacturing processes.

鈥淚 want鈥痶his鈥疊oard鈥痶o make a difference, cutting through any blockages preventing action within and between the鈥痮rganisations we represent, to develop solutions to complex challenges together.鈥�

Cllr Jim O鈥橞oyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at the Council,鈥痑dded: 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have experts steering the work of the board and I鈥檓 sure that we will be able to share innovative approaches.鈥濃��

Watch the video

WMG, at the University of 糖心TV, has launched a new Future Leaders' Scholarship specifically for prospective postgraduate students in the West Midlands region.

The scholarships will provide tuition fee awards of 拢10,000 for up to 20 UK students to support study on any of the WMG Full-time MSc courses. To be eligible, applicants should be living or working in the region, or have graduated from any West Midlands university. They must also meet the academic entry criteria for the course they are applying for.

Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG, and Director of Education explains: 鈥淲MG has an established reputation for delivering education programmes that develop future talent, and with the announcement of the Government鈥檚 Levelling Up white paper, we are pleased to be supporting the development of talent in the West Midlands through our new Future Leaders' Scholarships.鈥�

鈥湴虏殉意�檚 applied Master鈥檚 courses provide students with the skills and knowledge required to make a positive impact and contribution within their chosen fields, from innovation and technology to engineering and management.鈥�

Margot James, Executive Chair at WMG adds: 鈥淭he West Midlands is a major part of the UK economy, and we are committed to supporting the region鈥檚 development and growth. With 奥惭骋鈥檚 new scholarship, we are delighted to be supporting the next generation of skilled graduates, and help shape the leaders of tomorrow.鈥�

The deadline for applications is 1st June 2022. Further information including how to apply can be found here: WMG West Midlands Future Leaders' Scholarships.