WMG News - Latest news from WMG

WMG at the University of Warwick has used its unique position between academia and industry to launch a new MSc in Service Management and Design. Delivery of world class customer service and generating a slice of the vast business revenues that can be achieved by getting this right remains the goal of all companies wishing to survive and grow in today’s tough and uncertain economic climate.

WMG at the University of Warwick are to recruit ten new Professors and Associate/Assistant Professors including two new research posts in nanocomposite technologies.

Those new two new nanocomposite researchers will help engineers create new engineering products and materials using nanotechnology -the science of the very small manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale – but researching the very small will also create a huge size milestone for WMG as they will in fact be the 499th and 500th persons to be employed in WMG’s research buildings.

A group of schoolchildren from Coventry’s Westwood Academy have become the first members of the public to see a specially commissioned 3D Virtual Reality model of Warwickshire’s Lunt Fort.

They were invited to WMG to see how the fort would have looked during the height of use by Roman soldiers between 60 and 80AD.

WMG are pleased to be leading on a pioneering new education programme, announced today by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which is aimed at boosting the skills of engineers working within the automotive supply chain and other hi-tech industries.

The Advanced Skills Accreditation Scheme (ASAS) was formally launched, June 21, at JLR by Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business.

Businesses to benefit from advanced digital, materials and user focussed design expertise

Over 70 SMEs from across the West Midlands attended WMG’s International Digital Lab, last week, to find out about WMG’s latest SME focussed centre – The International Institute for Product and Service Innovation. The event showcased the broad range of product and service technology and expertise that will feature in the new building when it opens in September 2012. The event was opened by Dr Mark Swift, Head of SME Programmes at WMG and featured a key note address from Professor Tim Jones, Pro Vice Chancellor for Knowledge Transfer, Business Engagement and Research at the University of Warwick. Three West Midlands based SME directors also talked about their experiences of working with the WMG SME team, including Maurice Cassidy of Barkley Plastics Ltd, Tom Parnell, of SigLead Europe Ltd and Geoff Henderson of Digital Native Academy Ltd.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, today, welcomed a delegation from DRB-HICOM to WMG.

The delegation were here to discuss industry collaborations, with DRB-HICOM being the largest automotive manufacturer in Malaysia, they are keen to explore the potential for collaborative partnerships. Included in the delegation was Lt Jen Dato’ Wira Allatif bin Mohd Noor the Vice Chancellor of Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM).

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya has been pleased to welcome the Science and Technology Committee to WMG.

WMG were hosting the committee, which is chaired by Andrew Miller, MP and as part of their visit they took part in a round table discussion on the commercialisation of research with Professor Lord Bhattacharyya and senior members of WMG. They were also interested to understand the diverse research undertaken by WMG. Through the discussions they had the opportunity to discuss the quality and impact of research and the approach WMG takes to collaboration with industry.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya was pleased to welcome the Associate Parliamentary Group on Manufacturing to WMG today.

The Group, which is co-chaired by Chris White, MP for Warwick and Leamington, exists to encourage the exchange of knowledge and understanding between Parliament and the manufacturing industries, helping to raise the profile of manufacturing both inside and outside of Parliament.

WMG is looking to make a number of key academic appointments across its full range of research activities in Digital Technologies, Materials and Manufacturing and Operations and Business Management, in order to enhance and expand its capabilities in these developing areas.

The new posts cover a range of research, teaching and knowledge transfer activities, working with partners in diverse business sectors such as automotive, aerospace and defence, digital, healthcare, finance, energy and pharmaceuticals.

The Group are currently looking for world class individuals who want to make a real impact in their field. The following roles are available:

• Jaguar Land Rover Chair in Simulation of Complex Hybrid and Electric Powertrain Systems 
• Royal Academy of Engineering / TATA Steel Research Chair in Low Carbon Materials Technologies
• Professor of Innovative Manufacturing
• Professor of Cyber Security
• Associate Professor in Service Systems
• Associate / Assistant Professor in Tropical Diagnostics (in collaboration with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine)

Other key academic positions in Cyber Security, Digital Product Lifecycle Management, Hybrid and Electric Vehicles and Nanocomposites will also be announced shortly.

A team of Engineering Doctorate students from WMG have taken first place in the West Midlands heat of the Engineering Young Entrepreneurs Scheme (Engineering YES) and are through to the final in Birmingham on 20 June.

The competition is for UK-based postgraduate students and post-doctoral researchers to present a business plan for an imaginary startup company to a group of shrewd investors and industry experts. Participants learn the techniques of how to go about planning a new business venture and meet local entrepreneurs and business leaders who have done it for real before presenting their business plans to the panel.