WMG News - Latest news from WMG
PhD researcher sought to help test huge car electrical system that will stretch from Newcastle to London
Car battery researchers at WMG at the University of Warwick have just bought specialist “Hardware-in-the-Loop” high power computing equipment. This will connect real time high tech battery research testing at the University of Warwick with simultaneous tests on real advanced hybrid electric vehicle components at five other universities. Now WMG are looking to recruit a PhD research student to run the battery test while connecting it to an England wide simultaneous test of a vehicle’s electrical systems.
Ministers announce £4.25 Million funding for battery and autonomous vehicle research at WMG
Today, Tuesday 11 April 2017, Business Secretary Greg Clark and Transport Minister John Hayes have announced a range of research funding which included a total of £4.25 million, split between a battery research project and an autonomous vehicle research project, both with input from WMG at the University of Warwick.
WMG PhD student wins Young Professional of the Year award
PhD Candidate Siddartha Khastgir has received the prestigious ITS UK national award for Young Professional of the Year in the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).
ITS UK is a membership association for the promotion of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). It is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to promote the benefits of ITS and expand the ITS market in the UK.
Coventry’s Teen Race Team Crowned UK Champions
Four talented teenagers from a Coventry academy have taken the chequered flag after being crowned national champions in a Formula One competition.
Elias Khimasia (15), Eddie Hodierne (17), Abi Hirons (16) and Callum Kennedy (16) – otherwise known as Academy Racing - won the UK championships of the annual F1 in Schools competition at Silverstone.
The four team members, who are all students at WMG Academy for Young Engineers, are now heading to the world championships in Malaysia to compete against teams from 44 countries.
Callum said: “The competition was amazing - a real life changing experience. We have never worked so hard in our lives but it all came good in the end.”
UK Government’s National Cyber Security Centre declares Warwick an official Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research
Cyber Security research across the University of Warwick has been recognised as an “Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research” (ACE-CSR) by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The recognition was announced today by Ben Gummer MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office.
The Warwick Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research brings together researchers from a number of University of Warwick departments in particular WMG, Politics and International Studies (PAIS), Computer Science, Warwick Business School, and several others.
Chris Ensor, Deputy Director for Cyber Security Skills and Growth at the NCSC, said:
“It’s fantastic to see so many leading universities committed to trailblazing improvements to the UK’s cyber security research, and it is particularly good to see Scotland represented for the first time.
“At the NCSC, we are absolutely committed to maintaining and improving our already strong reputation as a global leader in cutting edge research, and look forward to collaborating with these establishments to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.
“These universities conduct world class cyber security research and this initiative will improve the way academics, government and business work together – benefiting the whole of the country.”
Opportunity to work with cyber secrets, lasers, exotic materials, intelligent vehicles - as WMG announces 30% expansion in workforce
The continued success and growth of WMG, at the University of Warwick, now means that it is seeking to hire at least 170 new recruits - a 30% expansion on its current workforce. The search is on to find: engineers, researchers, project managers, data analysts, software developers, and technicians. They will play key roles in a significant number of high tech research projects that have been developed in partnership with a range of companies and research, technology and manufacturing initiatives. The areas of work will include:
- Energy Storage
- Intelligent and Autonomous Vehicles
- Sustainable Materials
- Remote Laser Welding
- Cyber Security
- Automation Systems
- Powertrain
- Experiential Engineering and Design
A recruitment Open Day will be held on Saturday 8 April for anyone who is interested in finding out more about the opportunities.
For details on the roles and how to apply see here, or call WMG HR on 02476522829
WMG at the heart of innovation
On Wednesday (22 March), our SME Group presented ‘Why Innovation Matters’ to SMEs across the Black Country.
The exclusive invite-only event took place at the NatWest Manufacturing Hub in Wolverhampton with speeches from Alison Rose, CEO of Commercial and Private Banking, and Richard Hill Head of Sector Automotive and Manufacturing at NatWest. Archie MacPherson CEO, WMG centre High Value Manufacturing Catapult and Paul Milne, Innovation Manager in our SME team, represented WMG.
Attendees were given a chance to hear first-hand about our SME Group’s specialist Product Innovation Accelerator Project. The Project is part-funded by the 
European Regional Development Fund. It was developed to help manufacturing SMEs, based in Coventry and Warwickshire and the Black Country, develop new products, processes and access new technology through collaboration.
WMG PhD student receives international acclaim
Kateryna Hechu, the lead author of a research paper entitled ‘Real-Time Measurement of Contraction Behaviour of Peritectic Steels During Solidification,’ has, along with her co-authors been awarded the prestigious 2017 Jerry Silver Award by The Association of Iron and Steel Technology (AIST).
AIST represents an international network of steel industry knowledge and expertise. It is a non-profit organisation with 17,500 members from more than 70 countries.
The Jerry Silver award is presented to the author of a process metallurgy or product applications technical paper judged to be the ‘best of class’ by the AIST Metallurgy – Processing, Products and Applications Technology Committee. One of the authors must be a student.
Addressing the cyber skills shortage
We are excited to announce that we will be working with Cyber SchemeLink opens in a new window, by helping to run assessments for its newly accredited CSTL examination for the Team Leader qualification.
The Cyber Scheme is run by an independent board of directors drawn from a range of backgrounds but with significant experience in business and cyber security. The not-for-profit Cyber Scheme has been set up with the approval of NCSC (formerly GCHQ) as the national authority on cyber security.
Florence Hopper - Young Women's Trust 'Exceptional Apprentice' award winner 2017
A profile of Florence Hopper, the Young Women’s Trust ‘Exceptional Apprentice’ 2017 award winner (sponsored by WMG).
1. What advice would you offer to other young women starting out in their careers?
Network. Talk to, and get to know, as many people in the organisation as you can. It always helps to have friendly faces around the office, that way when you have a query you know people who can point you in the right direction. Take every opportunity that arises to grow your network, get involved in projects, or help with the company’s charity team.
Be proactive. Don’t wait for someone to tell you what to do. Instead ask them to show you how to do something, or ask if there’s anything you can help with. Often people are busy and perhaps don’t realise you have the time or capacity to help. By getting involved you learn more about the business and increase your knowledge, as well as demonstrating that you are willing to help.
Be persistent. Success can rarely be achieved without a great deal of hard work, and if it feels like you’re struggling it doesn’t mean that you are failing. Every set back is an opportunity to learn. It’s important to stay positive and keep working hard, even if it’s tough. The hard work will pay off.
And finally, be the best version of yourself that you can. Make the most of every opportunity that comes your way – you never know where it could take you.