糖心TV

The Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya Building, home to the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC) has been announced as a Regional Finalist.

The aim of the Civic Trust Awards is to encourage the very best in architecture and environmental design, to improve the built environment for us all through

design, sustainability, inclusiveness and accessibility, but also to reward projects that offer a positive cultural, social, economic or environmental benefit to their local communities.

Based at the University of 糖心TV, NAIC was officially opened on 18 February 2020 by HRH The Prince of Wales. The Centre is a partnership between WMG, University of 糖心TV, Jaguar Land Rover, and Tata Motors, and is the largest centre of its kind in Europe. It is well timed, arriving when a global mobility revolution is underway, with a new age for transport mobility.

A beacon for automotive research it brings together the brightest minds from industry and academia, to develop future vehicles and mobility solutions. It is home to up to 1,000 staff working across design, engineering and research, as well as future engineers on degree programmes.

Designed by the brief for the Centre was for simplicity and strength of purpose, turning a complex assembly of spaces into an immediately legible building.

All regional finalists will now be considered for National/International Civic Trust Awards and AABC Conservation Awards, the outcome of which will be in January 2021. All projects will also be considered by the Selwyn Goldsmith Awards Panel which recognise Universal Design excellence in the built environment.

The Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya Building, home to the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC) stands proud as it wins Building Magazine Project of the Year at the on 3rd November 2020.

Last month we announced that the building had been shortlisted in the Project of the Year category.

Nominees had to demonstrate outstanding contribution to the built environment and be an exemplar of good construction practice. Lynne Sullivan OBE, a member of the judging team, said 鈥榃e were both impressed and inspired by the National Automotive Innovation Centre. It feels like research and innovation 21^st century style. It also feels like a great place to work, it has tactile qualities and spaces linking to outdoors. It is heroic and yet flexible and people centred, a memorable winner鈥�.

Based at the University of 糖心TV, NAIC was officially opened on 18 February 2020 by HRH The Prince of Wales. The Centre is a partnership between WMG, University of 糖心TV, Jaguar Land Rover, and Tata Motors, and is the largest centre of its kind in Europe. It is well timed, arriving when a global mobility revolution is underway, with a new age for transport mobility.

A beacon for automotive research it brings together the brightest minds from industry and academia, to develop future vehicles and mobility solutions. It is home to up to 1,000 staff working across design, engineering and research, as well as future engineers on degree programmes.

Designed by the brief for the Centre was for simplicity and strength of purpose, turning a complex assembly of spaces into an immediately legible building.

This is the third award NAIC has won in the last month, the previous awards are BCO Central and Mildands Innovation Award and AIA Excellence in Design Award.

As the UK entered lockdown as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, panic buying of essential items including tea caused a massive spike in demand. With demand for products doubling in some instances, many companies struggled to keep up with supply, but Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL), the parent of the brand in the UK, Eight O Clock Coffee in the USA and Tata Tea in India, managed to keep products on shelves and customers supplied with the tea they needed.

To ensure that it could maintain supplies of tea Tetley鈥檚 UK factory in Teesside increased production by more than 40%. Their ability to adapt and respond to the unprecedented level demand owed much to their supply chain strategy on which WMG, University of 糖心TV had been working with them to enhance since 2015.

Professor Jan Godsell from WMG led the team that analysed Tetley鈥檚 sales and stock data to create a demand profile. Professor Jan Godsell explains: 鈥淲e identified an optimal level of utilisation that would keep TCL competitive and allow spare capacity to deal with fluctuations in demand. John Burdett, Global Operations Director for Tata Consumer Products Ltd, then used these recommendations to help set-up the supply chain strategy, which was rigorously tested during the COVID-19 pandemic as the demand for tea soared.

鈥淚t was both an exhilarating time and a frightening time. Because of the buffer management approach we had in place, we were able to deliver 35% surge capacity to supply our customers and consumers and keep the UK drinking tea. This meant we could react extremely quickly to the rapidly moving market conditions and gain competitive advantage.鈥�

TCPL demonstrated how having a flexible supply chain can be used to react quickly to the market and enhance market performance, being able to respond to increased demand and maintain supplies of tea resulted in Tetley gaining market share during the Covid-19 panic buying period.

Through two Innovate UK grants, WMG also helped to develop SupplyVue analytics software. SupplyVue can assess a business鈥檚 end-to-end supply chain including production scheduling, planning and inventory management to suggest ways to optimise the supply chain. TCPL made the bold move to deploy SupplyVue just as the COVID-19 pandemic was reaching its initial peak, helping them to reconfigure their tea supply to Canada. When there are increasing levels of volatility along the supply chain, a phenomenon known as the 鈥榖ullwhip effect鈥� occurs and this took place during the pandemic. It occurs when orders received from a customer are rounded up to suit production constraints resulting in a mismatch in stock levels compared with what is actually required.

John comments: 鈥淭he end to end visibility that we have as a result of SupplyVue means we鈥檝e eliminated the bullwhip effect – we saw no increased stock levels as we recovered from the panic buying phase of pandemic. Enabled by insight through analytics, we鈥檙e now collaborating across the supply chain and are using the end-to-end visibility to get a smooth, even flow of products through to our customers.鈥�

TCPL are now looking at rolling out the same optimisation model into other supply chains and unlocking more value.

Professor Godsell comments: 鈥淎s humans, we are subject to myopic loss aversion. This is a bias that means we tend to fear loss more than gain. In supply chains, it means that the fear of losing a sale, leads to a change in the production schedule that can lead to overproduction. COVID-19 exacerbated this effect.

鈥淪upplyVue provided full end-to-end supply chain visibility, and the confidence to trust the current plan. This enabled customer orders to be fulfilled at lowest possible supply chain cost and the unnecessary costs of overproduction and excess inventory to be avoided.鈥�

ENDS

2 NOVEMBER 2020

NOTES TO EDITORS

High-res images available at:

/services/communications/medialibrary/images/january2019/jangodsell250.jpg
Caption: Professor Jan Godsell, from WMG at the University of 糖心TV
Credit: WMG, University of 糖心TV

/services/communications/medialibrary/images/october_2020/lifestyle_tetley_shot_-_new_pack.png
Caption: A pack of Tetley tea.
Credit: Tetley UK

Studies available to view at:
/fac/sci/wmg/research/transformation/supply_chain/wmg_tetley_success_story_buffer_theory.pdf

/fac/sci/wmg/research/transformation/supply_chain/wmg_tetley_success_story_supplyvue.pdf

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

The Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya Building, home to the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC) has won yet another award, this time at the 2020 Excellence in Design Awards, hosted virtually by the AIA UK Chapter on the 28 October. The awards were chosen from three overarching categories: Professional, Emerging Practice and Sustainability, a new category addition. The building scooped the Sustainability-Large Project category.

This comes shortly after the building was recognised as one of the best workplaces in the Midlands and Central England at the annual British Council for Offices (BCO) regional awards, winning the British Council for Office Midlands and Central Innovation Award.

Based at the University of 糖心TV, NAIC was officially open on 18th February 2020 by HRH The Prince of Wales. The Centre is a partnership between WMG, University of 糖心TV, Jaguar Land Rover, and Tata Motors, and is the largest of its kind in Europe and is well timed, arriving when a global mobility revolution is underway, with a new age for transport mobility.

A beacon for automotive research it brings together the brightest minds from industry and academia, to develop future vehicles and mobility solutions. It is home to up to 1,000 staff working across design, engineering and research, as well as future engineers on degree programmes.

Designed by the brief for the Centre was for simplicity and strength of purpose, turning a complex assembly of spaces into an immediately legible building.

The Aerospace Electrification event with WMG and ATI successfully brought together thought leaders and experts from across the aerospace supply chain and other sectors.

Such events are vital to understand the opportunities and challenges faced by the sector, and a collaborative approach combining industry and academia will help the UK to continue its place at the forefront of transport electrification.

A series of presentations, workshops and Q&A led to a lively critical analysis of the topics at hand for aerospace electrification. These included safety, energy storage, electric drives, power electronics, thermal management, whole-vehicle optimisation and many more.

Alison Meir, Head of 糖心TV Development, WMG HVM Catapult, chaired the event, and introduced our first speaker, Mark Scully, Head of Advanced Systems and Propulsion at the ATI, who set the scene. Aerospace electrification has been a topic for some time now and technology is developing apace, with propulsion systems, subsystems and ancillaries all being electrified. Mark highlighted huge opportunities for the sector, with funding from UK Government supporting collaborative R&D in electrification. The ATI welcomes enquiries from industrial, academic and other stakeholders looking for R&D support.

Battery technologies and associated key metrics were presented by David Rawlins, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at WMG. The safety-conscious nature of the aerospace industry has typically led to a modest pace of development in such technologies compared with, say, automotive. David identified that aerospace engineers are trained to design for perfection, but with future architectures and technologies still fledgling, no one knows what the perfect or 鈥榬ight鈥� solution yet is. So, there is opportunity for faster paced R&D. There is a growing evidence base on the limitations of battery technology and the trade-offs of power density against energy density, primarily driven by the automotive sector. As such, it is vital that the sector remains committed to influencing and leading battery technology for aerospace. An example is the ATI ACCEL programme, involving Electroflight and Rolls Royce, in partnership with Yasa, WMG and more. The continual need to engage with and influence the regulatory bodies for safety and certification was a poignant discussion point.

Future hybrid and all-electric aircraft will use radically different architectures to the aircraft of today, enhancing the need for a holistic systems engineering approach to design and integration. Sarabpal Bhatia, E-Fan X R&T Coordination Manager at Airbus, provided insight into the considerations currently underway at Airbus and the wider industry. Sarabpal reinforced that the aerospace and aviation industries have learnt many lessons since the dawn of flight and the jet age and that, as a collaborative sector, we must continue to learn lessons together. The integration challenges discussed included thermal management, high-voltage systems and arcing, human-machine interface, electromagnetic interference and protection. All of which are providing engineers with intricate problems to solve for future architectures.

On the topic of electric machines and more-electric aircraft (MEA), Marc Holme, Senior Director, at Collins Aerospace was able to share insight to delegates. The Boeing 787 currently has significant electrical energy generation capability (>1MVA) with electrification of pneumatic and environmental control systems. Marc identified that there are further electrification opportunities on the current fleet of conventional aircraft with technologies such as:

• Higher performance magnetics.
• Higher voltage systems.
• Improved semiconductor device efficiency.

The primary drivers for these are currently size, weight, power and cost. For future vehicles, electrical machines, power densities, power electronics and integrated drives, increased operating temperatures and systems safety were all topics of discussion. Composite enclosures for electrical machines were introduced, with the lower weight being traded for potentially lower EMI immunity.

These insightful presentations were followed by a series of hands-on workshops chaired by WMG and ATI to identify and address the key challenges and identify ways to overcome them. Following these sessions, delegates fed back and were able to ask questions of our expert panel.

During the Q&A, creation and availability of technology roadmaps was of interest. Roadmaps across electrification technologies have been produced by the ATI with industry and are available on the .

Batteries and stored energy created much discussion. The thermal implications of energy storage failure cases were discussed and identified as a key challenge both at pack level and cell level. The design of experiments for a system with hundreds or thousands of battery cells is a complex topic ripe for innovation. Battery degradation over operational lifetime was discussed with the design considerations and in-service detection being key challenges. David Rawlins provided insight into how Lithium-ion cells are still leading for cost and volume primarily driven from the automotive sector.

The operational considerations of all-electric aircraft were also discussed. The flight-level optimisation of an aircraft that does not burn fuel (and lose mass) was challenged with the opportunities still all to play for.

Overall, the event was attended by a wide range of industry and academic contributors, all of whom believed that aerospace electrification holds huge opportunity for the UK. The Government鈥檚 net zero agenda, initiatives and R&D funding mean that aerospace electrification will require collaborative innovation for years to come.

The recording of the event and detailed challenge sessions overviews are available here.

The Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya Building at the University of 糖心TV wins British Council for Office Midlands and Central Innovation Award.

The National Automotive Innovation Centre, in the Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya Building, at the University of 糖心TV, has been recognised as one of the best workplaces in the Midlands and Central England at the annual British Council for Offices (BCO) regional awards. The BCO鈥檚 Festival Awards Week, recognises the highest quality developments in the UK and sets the standard for excellence in the regional and national office sector.

The Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya Building, University of 糖心TV received the region鈥檚 Innovation Award.

Named in honour of Britain鈥檚 first ever Professor of Manufacturing, the Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya Building houses the National Automotive Innovation Centre; a multimillion-pound centre, founded by WMG, Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Motors which is well timed, arriving when a global mobility revolution is underway, and aiming to be a stimulus to the rebirth of an optimistic new age of manufacturing in the Midlands to develop future vehicles and mobility solutions.

Fronted by a dramatic elevation, the 33,000m2 building has been sensitively designed for engineers, designers and academics to work together in, with a variety of spaces allowing for both privacy and collaboration. A timber roof spans the structure of the building, demonstrating the sustainable credentials of a facility that cannot but inspire.

Executive Chair of WMG, Margot James comments: 鈥淭his is excellent news for our partners and the region. The Midlands is the beating heart of automotive in the UK, and the National Automotive Innovation Centre will be the driving force behind future innovation in transport mobility.鈥�

James Breckon, Director of Estates comments: 鈥淚t is great to see this new building being recognised by other professionals and is testament to the wealth of architectural and engineering talent that was brought together to deliver this exemplary sustainable building. It brilliantly draws Industry and Academia together providing an inspirational environment to innovative within. As a landmark building it has transformed the campus at the University of 糖心TV and is a fitting legacy to the late Prof Lord Bhattacharyya.鈥�

Rob van Zyl, building services partner at Cundall and chair of the Midlands & Central England judging panel commented: 鈥淭his year鈥檚 entrants demonstrate that agile working has come of age, the Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya Building is no exception. What was initially a move towards cramming more people into less space through hot-desking has now evolved into something that is clearly more focused on the health and wellness of occupiers. It is also encouraging to see accelerating trends towards sustainability, efficiencies in energy consumption and the use of natural shapes, materials and plants. All across Britain, the office sector now possesses more knowledge on how to create a healthy and productive office than ever before and is making informed design decisions to an outstanding effect.鈥�

Danny Parmar, chairman of the BCO Midlands & East Anglia committee added: 鈥淢any congratulations to the University of 糖心TV. This was one of several outstanding entries in this year鈥檚 BCO regional awards programme and reflects both the strength of our sector and the increasing demands placed upon it to deliver market-leading work environments.鈥�

October the 19^th marked the 12th year of the BCO Regional Awards dedicated to the Midlands and Central region. Held online, the ceremony was a virtual first for the BCO, but still involved all the usual excitement that makes up the in-person ceremony. Guests were able to network, celebrate with friends and watch a live ceremony, presented by the BBC鈥檚 former Chief Political Correspondent, John Sergeant to recreate the magic of the traditional awards ceremony.

Winners from the Midlands and Central England will compete with those from other regions at the BCO Virtual National Awards on Tuesday 26 January 2021.

ENDS

About the BCO
The British Council for Offices (BCO) is the UK鈥檚 leading member organisation representing the interests of all those who occupy, design, build, own or manage offices in the UK. This year marks 30 years of the BCO providing thought leadership and best practice in all issues related to the creation and use of office space – through its research, awards, conference and events programmes. You can learn more about the BCO at

Forthcoming dates of note:
22 October: South of England &South Wales Awards
23 October: Scottish Awards

About the Regional Awards
The lead sponsor for this year鈥檚 BCO Awards is ISG. Category sponsors are AECOM, Glamox Luxonic, Waterman Group and Troup Bywaters + Anders. This year鈥檚 regional sponsors are Core Five and Overbury. The BCO awards are in association with EG.

About the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC)

The NAIC the largest research centre of its kind in Europe and is a partnership between WMG at the University of 糖心TV, Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Motors European Technical Centre, with 拢150m investment and 拢30m funding from the UK governments co-funded UK Research Partnership Investment Fund through Research England, which includes the development of an Advanced Propulsion Research Laboratory.

 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

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many people across the world, one particular way includes supply chains, with some people finding they couldn鈥檛 buy essentials such as pasta or loo roll, and manufacturers had to suddenly change their strategies to ensure their supply chain during the pandemic.

There have been many challenges in the past for the manufacturing supply chain, such as the 2001 recession, SARS, 2011 Tohoku earthquake, 2016 oil crisis, and Brexit. Although there have been other pandemics such as swine flu and Ebola, the COVID-19 pandemic was nothing the modern world had ever seen before.

A survey by researchers at WMG, University of 糖心TV saw 249 medium to large manufacturers from food and beverage to automotive, and pharmaceuticals to electronic equipment and more industries respond to the survey about their supply chain resilience in the current state and future potential.

They found several impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

路 58% of firms are still experiencing a decrease in demand 3 months post lockdown

路 66-73% of firms have been effective to responding to increases and decreases in demand

路 Buffer management, multi-sourcing and visibility were favoured over agile production networks

路 Cash management and securing supply were critical initial responses to the Covid-19 crisis

路 84% of firms found their planning systems were effective, but still required human intervention

路 The most apparent bottlenecks to their supply chain were people issues, such as warehouse staff being in quarantine at home

The researchers then assessed manufacturers supply chain resilience during three different times: business as normal, during COVID-19 and preparation for Brexit. For each time period they identified how 6 supply chain resilience practices that could be used proactively (pre-disruption), reactively (during and post disruption) or both. These included:

1. Supply chain planning – demand forecasting and contingency planning (Proactive)

2. Visibility – Having access to real time data (Proactive)

3. Collaboration – Working with SC partners to deliver customer value (Proactive & reactive)

4. Buffer management – Utilising inventory and production capacity to enable material flow (Proactive and reactive)

5. Flexibility – Establishing multiple sourcing options (Proactive and reactive)

6. Adaptability – Transforming the SC in responding to dynamic business environment (Reactive)

In normal operation firms found their practices to generally be effective. However, there was opportunity for improvements in visibility and collaboration to support improved supply chain planning. Firms also said they have been effective in managing buffers in normal operation.

During the Covid-19 pandemic firms utilised supply chain planning as a response to the pandemic with effective planning systems reported by 84% of manufacturers. However, this still required a high degree of human intervention. Buffer management and flexibility were found to be less effective than in normal operations. The survey found that 55% of manufacturers used inventory as their primary buffer against disruption, with only 32% utilising flexibility within the agile production systems of suppliers. Inventory buffers, whilst effective if the disruption creates an upturn in demand, can be catastrophic to cash flow if demand drops.

Similarly to COVID-19, when it comes to Brexit they鈥檝e found that an increase in collaboration has led to improved supply chain visibility and planning. However, the uncertainty of Brexit is a cause for concern in terms of supply base flexibility with firms unsure of what type of response will be required.

Professor Jan Godsell from WMG, University of 糖心TV comments:
鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting to see that the lessons manufacturers have learnt in developing supply chain resilience practices in response to COVID-19 pandemic are helping manufacturers to prepare for Brexit. However, the uncertainty of Brexit, particularly in terms of the impact of flow of material is challenging for developing supply base flexibility. Whilst manufacturers can proactively prepare for Brexit, a high degree of adaptability will be required to buffer against the unknown.

鈥淎ll manufacturers should consider assessing their current level of supply chain resilience to identify the areas in which their current supply chain resilience practices could be developed. Working collaboratively with supply chain partners to improve supply chain visibility and planning are the key building blocks. More effective use of inventory and capacity buffers, and flexibility within the supply base can further improve resilience. Some disruptions cannot be predicted, and supply chains need to the capability to adapt.鈥�

Advanced recycling company ReNew ELP, based in Teesside, has been awarded a 拢4.42 million grant from Innovate UK, the UK鈥檚 innovation agency, to build the world鈥檚 first commercial-scale plastic recycling plant using Cat-HTR鈩� technology. Focussing on the UK Government鈥檚 priority to drive economic growth through new technology, the award comes through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund鈥檚 Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging programme. It recognises the commercial-scale feasibility of the technology and potential of the advanced recycling sector to help meet ambitious plastic recycling targets. The grant will aid ReNew ELP in the construction of the initial plant, which commences build in Q1 2021 and will see c. 80,000 tonnes of waste plastic recycled annually upon completion.

The technology, Cat-HTR鈩� (Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor), uses supercritical water, heat and pressure to convert waste plastic considered 鈥榰nrecyclable鈥� through traditional mechanical means back into the valuable chemicals and oils from which it was made, for use in the petrochemical industry in the production of new plastic and other materials. This helps to create a circular economy for waste plastic.

, Under-Secretary of State for Defra says: 鈥淭he Government is committed to both clamping down on the unacceptable plastic waste that harms our environment and ensuring more materials can be reused instead of being thrown away. By investing in these truly ground-breaking technologies we will help to drive these efforts even further, and I look forward to seeing them develop and deliver real results.鈥�

A key benefit of the Cat-HTR鈩� technology is its ability to recycle multi-layer, flexible plastic materials such as films, and pots, tubs and trays (PTT), considered unrecyclable through traditional mechanical recycling, and are instead sent to landfill or incineration. Vitally, new materials made from ReNew ELP鈥檚 advanced recycling feedstock are suitable for use in food-contact packaging material, a problem area for mechanical recycling systems whose products do not meet European Food Standard Agency requirements.

In line with the Government鈥檚 policy of 鈥楶roducer Pays鈥�, Cat-HTR鈩� offers a solution to producers, retailers and brand owners levied with the expected Plastic Packaging Tax, which enforces a 30% recycled content requirement for all plastic packaging in both the UK and pre-filled from overseas from 2022, alongside

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which challenges those in the plastic value chain to pay the full net cost of waste material collection and recycling. Advanced recycling company ReNew ELP offers a beneficial technology to help increase the recycled content of packaging and provide a recycling solution for plastic packaging materials such as flexible films, pots, tubs and trays.

Alongside diverting plastic away from polluting the environment, the Cat-HTR鈩� technology represents significant overall environmental benefit. Initial independent studies have already shown that advanced recycling can reduce CO₂ emissions by 1.5 tonnes for every tonne of plastic waste processed when compared to incineration. This means that the completed ReNew ELP site at Wilton will save approximately 120,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, when compared to incineration. Environmental benefits include:

路 Reducing plastic pollution of the natural environment

路 1.5 tonnes CO₂ emissions saving per tonne of plastic processed via advanced recycling when compared to incineration

路 An increased scope of recyclable plastics, including those classed as 鈥榰nrecyclable鈥�

路 As Cat-HTR鈩� is not a combustion process, it does not produce toxic by-products such as dioxins

路 A reduction on fossil sourced feedstock for the manufacture of new plastics

路 High yields - up to 85% of the mass of plastic is converted to hydrocarbon products

路 Minimal waste is produced- impurities (colourants, additives, fillers etc.) in the plastic feedstock fall out into the heavier hydrocarbon feedstocks, which can be used in construction

WMG at the University of 糖心TV partner on the project, conducting detailed Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) to quantify the benefits of advanced recycling across multiple environmental indicators.

Dr Stuart Coles, Associate Professor of Sustainable Materials who is leading the project in WMG at the University of 糖心TV says, 鈥淲MG will also be investigating what materials can be manufactured from the

Cat-HTR鈩� output streams. We will be able to link previously difficult to dispose of plastic materials to added-value products and demonstrate their potential through our characterisation and testing facilities.鈥�

The technology demonstrates a complementary solution to sit alongside traditional mechanical recycling to create a circular economy. It also offers those in the plastic supply chain an alternative means for disposing of their flexible and multi-layer plastic packaging, which no longer needs to be incinerated or sent to landfill but can instead be recycled. This new process goes hand in hand with efforts to reduce single-use plastic and helps to create a plastic-neutral society.

ReNew ELP Managing Director Richard Daley says: 鈥淭his Grant demonstrates we are in line with Government Policy and its drive towards achieving increased recycling targets in the UK. It will increase investor confidence, help innovative technologies such as ours break through and establish the Advanced Recycling Industry in the UK, helping ReNew ELP to emerge as a global leader in plastic recycling.鈥�

WMG鈥檚 Chief Engineer, Gunny Dhadyalla, has been appointed Co-Chair of AESIN鈥檚 ADAS and HAV (Highly Automated Vehicles) Workstream.

This focusses on enabling technology for safer and more automated vehicles.

Gunny, who works in WMG鈥檚 Intelligent Vehicles research team will work alongside the new Chair, Tim Edwards of , bringing extensive industry and research experience to the future development of the Workstream.

Gunny explains: 鈥淢y role as co-chair will involve working together with Tim to look at opportunities for the UK electronics value chain.

鈥淲e will be responsible for shaping the activities within the Workstream, which include; Sensing, System Engineering and Control, Validation and Verification, Human Machine Interfaces and Standards and Safety - all areas where WMG and the University have high levels of capability and expertise.

鈥淥f particular interest, for us, is to understand the role of high value manufacturing and what the HVM Catapult centres can do to progress the development of future supply chains specifically in the areas of ADAS and HAV.鈥�

Congratulations Gunny.

Solar thermal cells continue to attract much interest as they have massive potential to heat water in a cost-effective and sustainable process. To date, the efficiency of these cells has been limited as the polymers used in their manufacture are poor thermal conductors.

However, thanks to funding from (Department for 糖心TV, Energy & Industrial Strategy) a team of researchers led by Professor Tony McNally, from WMG, at the University of 糖心TV in partnership with Senergy Innovations Ltd have developed the first nanomaterial enabled all polymer solar thermal cell.

The thermal properties of the polymers employed are modified such that heat from sunlight can be transferred with high efficiency to heat water in a cheap and sustainable manner. The modular design of the cells allows for the rapid construction of a solar thermal cell array on both domestic and industry roofing.

The team are now working with a consortium of industry partners focused on manufacturing the solar thermal cells in high volumes.

Dr Greg Gibbons, at WMG, and his team have also produced the first prototype (1:1 scale) of the solar thermal cell fully manufactured by 3D printing. This activity has been transformative in guiding the design and critical aspects of the manufacture of the solar thermal cells.

Professor Tony McNally, Director of the International Institute for Nanocomposite Manufacturing (IINM), at WMG, University of 糖心TV comments:

鈥淚t is really pleasing to see several years of research activity and the understanding gained being translated in to a real world application. Our fundamental work on the thermal conductivity of 1D and 2D materials, including graphene, and composites of these materials with polymers could revolutionise the supply of affordable, clean and sustainable energy.鈥�

Christine Boyle, CEO, Ltd. adds:

鈥淪witching to advanced polymer materials meant a more efficient manufacturing process and more flexible product design. This resulted in the breakthrough of the low cost, low carbon, lightweight smart Senergy panels. Our job now is to ensure that Senergy solar panels become a key part of the smarter built environment and make renewable heating and cooling systems affordable and accessible for everyone.鈥�

ENDS

15 OCTOBER 2020

NOTES TO EDITORS

High-res images available at:

/services/communications/medialibrary/images/october_2020/tony_m_solar_cell_testing.jpg
Caption: The solar cell as it went in for testing
Credit: WMG, University of 糖心TV

/services/communications/medialibrary/images/october_2020/christine_boyle.jpg
Caption: Christine Boyle, CEO of Senergy Ltd with the Solar Panel
Credit: WMG, University of 糖心TV

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