WMG News - Latest news from WMG

Researchers at WMG, University of Warwick have formed a new research partnership with battery technology innovators Faradion, and smart energy storage specialists Moixa Technology, to develop sodium-ion cells as a significantly lower cost alternative to lithium-ion batteries for solar energy storage. This collaboration is being part funded by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency.

A significant proportion of the cost of current solar energy storage systems comes from the commonly used lithium-ion battery. However by using highly abundant sodium salts rather than lithium, Sodium-ion cells are anticipated to be 30% cheaper to produce. This makes solar storage more accessible and opening up the possibility of domestic renewable energy storage to a greater number of households and businesses worldwide. Developments in this area could lead to a CO₂ reduction of 500,000 tonnes each year.

WMG’s Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy, Jan Godsell, will be speaking at the 2016 NFU conference, on Wednesday 24th February.

The two-day Backing the Future of British Farming conference takes place from 23-24 February at the ICC in Birmingham. Professor Godsell is joining speakers including George Eustice MP on the Wednesday, to take part in a special workshop entitled: “Working together; where next for farming businesses?”

Shaheen Charlwood, Senior Teaching Fellow, was thrilled to represent WMG at the official opening of the new WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) HQ at the Leeds College of Building by HRH The Princess Royal.

Shaheen joined leading figures in industry and education, to hear a series of inspirational speeches from WISE Chief Executive Helen Wollaston, Commercial Director HS2 Beth West. The guest of honour, HRH the Princess Royal, unveiled a commemorative plaque. Each speech focused on girls and women studying and building careers in science, technology, engineering and manufacturing (STEM), and the need to improve links between schools and employers.

Inspired by the materials that helped astronauts survive Apollo 11’s mission to the moon, Professor Tony McNally has focused his career on developing new composites based on nano materials. WMG’s Professor McNally, who is based at the International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing (IINM), was recently interviewed for Reinforced Plastics (www.reinforcedplastics.com), below is a snapshot of his thoughts on the challenges facing his research field.

While my research is rooted in fundamental engineering science, the target is functional composite materials that can be readily manufactured into products in high volumes.

 A multi-disciplinary digital economy research project by WMG at the University of Warwick has developed a multi-sided market for personal data known as the HAT.

This will now be taken forward by a new HAT Foundation which aims to roll it out globally to revolutionise how we all handle the vast amounts of personal information we are simply pouring online using research developed at WMG at the University of Warwick.

WMG Professor Irene NG said:

“We hand over vast reams of personal data to online shopping and search engines, and the growing internet of things is about to create vast new databases of personal data which our own household possessions will hold and share with external suppliers and agencies.”

“Now is the time to wake people up to just how much personal data they pour online and empower them to use that data to benefit them as much as it’s benefiting the businesses that are harvesting it.”

“With the internet of things growing as a concept people need to get as much utility out of their own data as the product providers and utilities that will increasingly be taking that data.”

A group of researchers from WMG at the University of Warwick are using poetry, story-telling and music to draw attention to the important role supply chains play in everyday life.

When putting butter and marmalade on toast, checking mobile phone messages, or choosing clothes for the day – how many of us ever consider how things get made and how they reach us? Supply chains ensure manufacturers receive the raw materials and ingredients they need and move the end products to those who want them.

WMG is delighted to welcome Professor Zhang, who will be working alongside Professor Sridhar Seetharaman’s world-class Steels Processing Research Team, as part of a special month-long stay.

Professor Zhang, is an admired expert in the field of iron and steel manufacturing, especially for clean steel and modelling for process metallurgy, and is normally based at the School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, at the University of Science and Technology in Beijing.

WMG at the University of Warwick is to use a laser scan of 30 miles of Coventry roads to test driverless pods as part of a research programme launched this week.

WMG will work with RDM Group - the UK’s only designer and manufacturer of driverless Pods - in a project called INnovative Testing of Autonomous Control Techniques (INTACT).

The project, funded by Innovate UK, will enable Coventry based automotive innovation experts RDM to test its vehicles on one of the world’s most adaptable and advanced driving simulators at WMG.

Today’s publication of a new report by the Groceries Code Adjudicator has found that Tesco ‘seriously breached’ a legally-binding code to protect grocery producers. Tesco opted to prioritise their own finances over the equitable treatment of their suppliers.  

Tesco’s over-focus on operating margin is the potential root cause of many of the issues highlighted in the report. It demonstrates the danger of pursuing a financial metric in isolation. With UK boards (both Executive and Non-executive) dominated by leaders with financial and commercial backgrounds, it is not surprising that FTSE listed companies are biased towards financial measures and fail to understand the longer term impact on the broader supply chain. Of greater concern is the impact that such commercially biased leadership has on the culture of the whole organisation, and the broader industry. Suppliers in the broader retail sector express concern that the ‘Tesco-buyer’ phenomena is becoming increasingly prevalent and potentially undermining the supply chain.

WMG is proud to announce the arrival of Professor Richard McMahon who joins from Cambridge University.

As WMG’s first Professor of Power Electronics, Professor McMahon will set up and lead a power electronics research group widening WMG’s Energy and Electrical Systems research. He will bring with him his team from Cambridge, and a wealth of knowledge in power electronics, especially using wide band-gap devices, and their application in the automotive sector, energy use and storage, power distribution and renewable generation from both wind and wave power.

Professor McMahon comments: “Power electronics is a relatively new area of research for WMG, and I’m looking forward to using my expertise to help to grow and expand the existing Energy and Electrical Systems research.”