Professor Robin Clark, the Dean of WMG at The University of Warwick, discussed how placing people at the heart of the Government’s missions will be vital at a panel exploring the contribution of innovation and skills to growth, held at the Labour Party Conference.

Professor Clark was joined by the Minister of State for Skills, the Rt Hon Baroness Smith; Richard Parker, Mayor for the West Midlands; Helen Foord, Head of Global Governmental Affairs at McLaren Automotive Ltd; and The Rt Hon Jim Murphy.

The panel discussed how industry, educators and researchers can come together, locally and nationally, to deliver change on the ground using real-life success stories as examples of how progress can be made in equipping the nation.

Professor Clark said, “Supporting skilled, innovative people should be at the heart of delivering the national missions. We know at WMG that whether you’re a major manufacturer, an SME, or a start-up, you need innovative people with quality skills to deliver growth.

“No matter where you sit in the system – HE, FE, policy-maker, or employer - we should all be focussed on improving technical. and lifelong learning access and provision.  

 “With the start of Skills England and the forthcoming Industrial Strategy there’s a real opportunity for industry, education and government - regionally and nationally - to work together to make it easier to access technical education, simpler to progress as a learner and more straightforward to offer the right courses in the right places at the right time.”

Find out more about skills and innovation at WMG here: WMG : University of Warwick

Two Professors at WMG at the University of Warwick have been elected as Fellows of the prestigious Royal Academy of EngineeringLink opens in a new window.

Professor Claire DavisLink opens in a new window, Head of Advanced Steel Research Centre; and Professor Mark WilliamsLink opens in a new window, Head of the Metrology and Visualisation Research Group, at WMG, have been elected as part of a group of 71 leading figures in the field of engineering and technology.

The group consists of 60 Fellows, six International Fellows and five Honorary Fellows, each of whom has made exceptional contributions to their own sector.

Each Fellow has been involved in pioneering new innovations, leading progress in business or academia, providing high level advice to government, or promoting wider understanding of engineering and technology.

The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a special ceremony in London on 27 November, when each Fellow will sign the roll book.

In joining the Fellowship, they will lend their unique capabilities to achieving the Academy’s overarching strategic goal to harness the power of engineering to create a sustainable society and an inclusive economy for all.

Professor Davis said: “I am very honoured to have been elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. It is an exciting and dynamic time for the global steel industry and I look forward to working with the Royal Academy in promoting clean technologies for the future.”

Professor Mark Williams said: “I’m honoured to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and am extremely grateful to colleagues across the country who have seen fit to elect me.

“It’s a long way from my time as an apprentice to the Royal Academy. I’d like to thank my colleagues at Warwick who have supported me over my career here and look forward to working with the other Fellows.”

Dr John Lazar CBE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says: “Our new Fellows represent some of the most talented people in the world of engineering and are taken from the ranks of those who are aiming to address some of our most critical problems.

“We are proud to say that many of our newly elected Fellows have come from underrepresented groups in engineering and related sectors and we hope this helps to tackle some of the issues around a lack of diversity within the profession.

“There is ample evidence that a wider pool of ideas and experiences helps to improve decision-making and develop novel solutions to global challenges.”

See the complete list of Fellows elected here: Royal Academy of Engineering Fellows 2024 (raeng.org.uk)Link opens in a new window 

Dean of WMG, Professor Robin Clark; International Partnerships Manager, Nicole Craddock-Zhang; and International Academic Director – China, Dr Dawei Lu, travelled to China recently for a series of high-profile meetings with key representatives from higher education, industry and government.

The trip was a crucial part of WMG’s strategy to help future collaboration and drive innovation in the country.

Professor Clark and his team met with representatives from Beijing City University (Shanghai Operation) and East China University of Science and Technology, where they discussed further collaboration on both education programmes and research initiatives. They then headed to the Nanjing University of Science and Technology to explore student entrepreneurship programmes.

Meetings also took place with GAO Yingzhong, Director General, at the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) Zhejiang provincial bureau, where industry opportunities in the province were explored.

While in Zhejiang, constructive meetings were also held with Geely Holdings Group, China’s largest privately owned automotive company. Here Professor Clark and representatives from Geely Holdings discussed opportunities to support the company’s Automotive Engineering Institute.

Finally, there was the opportunity to re-connect with WMG alumni and hear more about their careers and business ventures post-graduation.

Commenting on the trip, Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG, said: “It was great to return to Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou after the pandemic. We strengthened WMG’s relationship with higher education partners, industries as well as government agencies that support our strategies.

“I was particularly pleased to be able to meet the alumni communities too, their enthusiasm was infectious. They were glad to see us, and they have proven to be great ambassadors in the industries they now work in, continuing to make an impact as part of the WMG vision.”

The University of Warwick is shedding the light on a distinguished battery researcher this International Day of Women and Girls in Engineering.

Dr Melanie Loveridge, Reader in Battery Materials and Cells at WMG at The University of Warwick, is also committed to improving the inclusivity of women and minority groups in her area of work. Her research focuses on lithium-ion batteries, helping to power net zero and a more sustainable world.

Dr Loveridge said: “The first lithium-ion batteries were used in small Sony cameras, now we are relying on them to power electric vehicles. We need much bigger sources of power to last longer, which has been a significant challenge.

“I conduct forensic analysis of batteries to help understand how they degrade over time, which is really important in knowing how to improve the way we manufacture them. Understanding why batteries fail is crucial, as the world shifts to more sustainable energy sources.

“My team uses specialised equipment such as electron microscopy, Xray based characterisation and mapping chemical elements in materials to look at the components within batteries under high magnification. Battery forensics needs a huge orchestra of highly sophisticated techniques.”

Starting her career in the industry, Dr Loveridge became fascinated with the science of batteries and decided to pursue an academic role to learn more. This has led to her publishing over 40 academic papers.

With over 15 years’ experience in academia, she has also given evidence from for her research specialisms for influential panels such as the House of Lords Science & Technology Committee and The Shadow Cabinet’s Round Table on Energy Storage.

Dr Loveridge added: “My research area is such a multidisciplinary field. I can interact with engineers and scientists from across many academic disciplines and industry partners, which is not commonplace in a lot of academic circles. It’s amazing to collaborate with lots of different people.”

Alongside her academic achievements, Dr Loveridge champions equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in her work. She has recently been appointed as Associate Dean of Research – where she is supporting an enhancing culture project funded by The University of Warwick, on a survey-led initiative with an aim to understand the challenges and barriers faced by minority groups and women in leading STEM-based research.

“Fortunately, lots of the funders I work with, such as the Faraday Institute, really value diversity and inclusion; we now have to show how we have outlined commitments to EDI in all of our grant applications. I think the gender imbalance in senior roles will change, but this will take time.

"As part of my EDI role, I’m also trying to make the working environment more inclusive, particularly for special interest groups. I find this really rewarding.”

By championing sustainable research, such as Dr Loveridge’s vital work on batteries, The University of Warwick is committed to creating a more sustainable world. Its Strategy 2030 sets out five key sustainability pathways to follow, including achieving Net Zero carbon emissions from scopes 1 and 2 by 2030, and scope 3 by 2050.

Find out more about Dr Loveridge’s research here: Battery Materials and Cells Group - WMG (warwick.ac.uk)

Dr Harjinder Lallie, Associate Professor (Cyber Security) at WMG at the University of Warwick explain: “The London cyber attack demonstrates the importance of cyber defences and proper back up plans, especially in organisations where it really can be a matter of life or death, like the NHS. With hospitals now having to resort to paper records in the wake of the attack, we must seriously weigh up the costs of defending ourselves versus the cost of doing nothing and accepting these attacks from hostile actors.

“With these attacks often able to manipulate our data as well as hold it to ransom, our most private data – such as our health records – must be protected more closely. To leave the medical information of patients out there without proper cyber security defence is the equivalent of leaving the files on a park bench or on a train. We must invest more in our own defences if we don’t want to see these types of attacks repeated time and again.”

Expert comment from Professor Alan Chalmers

For Dementia Action Week, WMG at the University of Warwick, together with Superlunary Labs, are doubling their efforts to develop a low-cost, non-intrusive method for the early screening of Alzheimer’s disease using a simple flavour test which can be undertaken as part of a regular health check-up by a nurse, at a pharmacy or community centre.

The test can help diagnose the beginnings of Alzheimer's years before symptoms of memory loss through a loss of taste or smell.

Scientists at WMG are looking to get data from at least 1000 people before aiming to roll the screening out nationwide, potentially as early as next year. If you want to take part in the trial, and can get to the University of Warwick campus, contact Alan.Chalmers@warwick.ac.uk to be part of the future of medicine.

Professor Alan Chalmers commented: “Working with MPs and their constituency offices we will be collecting more data across the country to significantly enlarge our dataset of people’s flavour perception ability. This dataset, together with AI and MRI scans, will enable us to validate our screening method. Once validated we will be able to roll out the method widely, hopefully as early as next year.

"New drugs that slow disease progression down offer real hope to people living with Alzheimer’s Disease, but crucially the disease needs early diagnosis for these drugs to be most effective. One might have the disease many years before failing a memory test, the current means for diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Three members of staff from WMG, at the University of Warwick, have been praised for their ‘excellent’ work to support the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda (CCA) in implementing Manufacturing 4.0 in Mauritius.

The CCA is a major member-state led initiative to grow intra-commonwealth trade and investment and promote expanded investment to support global growth, create employment, and promote knowledge exchange among Commonwealth members.

The WMG team led by Dr Hamid Moradlou together with colleagues Tarek El-Said from the Supply Chain Group, and Onur Eren from the SME Group, responded to a funding call from the Commonwealth Secretariat to support Commonwealth countries with their connectivity agenda.

The trio were praised for delivering a well-received capacity building programme for local policymakers and manufacturing businesses including comprehensive understanding of Manufacturing 4.0; strategic vision and roadmap development; effective technology integration; change management and innovation; policy navigation; and performance measurement and sustainability.

Dr Hamid Moradlou explained: “This project was a great example of collaboration between industry, academia, and policymakers. The initiative was equally supported by both the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Ministry of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives in Mauritius, facilitating the work done by WMG in eight manufacturing companies from various sectors. The success of this project has led to further discussions around scaling this project in other Commonwealth countries.”

WMG supports SME manufacturers with digital technologies across the UK. Find out more here: https://warwick.ac.uk/wmg/for-industry/sme-support/

Expert comment from Professor of Supply Chain Management, Alok Choudhary.

“The ongoing Red Sea crisis might have far-reaching consequences on the global supply chain, trade, and economic dynamics. Serving as the shortest sea route connecting Asia and Europe, the Suez Canal transports 17,000 ships annually, representing 12% of the world's total trade volume and $1 trillion worth of goods.

“The implications of this disruption on trade are significant. Rerouting ships an additional 3500 nautical miles is expected to result in significant delays, causing logistical challenges for major companies. The increased shipping and logistics costs incurred due to longer travel times are likely to be passed on to consumers, leading to a potential spike in prices for a wide array of goods, from everyday consumer items, oil and gas to crucial components for industries such as automotive and manufacturing.

“The ripple effect on production cycles is a cause for concern, as delays in delivering key components may lead to further disruptions. In particular, the automotive and consumer goods industries may face challenges in maintaining production schedules if crucial components do not reach their destinations on time.

“One of the most immediate impacts could be felt in the oil market, with potential consequences for global oil prices. The disruption in the timely transportation of both refined and crude oil through the canal may contribute to an increase in oil prices. This could have a cascading effect on economies, particularly in regions heavily reliant on oil imports, and may be reflected at fuel pumps worldwide.

“Here in the UK, the rise in oil prices could pose a challenge to economic stability and may halt falling inflation. Higher shipping and logistics costs, coupled with potential delays in the delivery of goods, might contribute to inflationary pressures. This could have broader implications for the UK economy, impacting consumer spending and overall economic growth.”

Read more about Supply Chain research at WMG here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/research/research-areas/supply-chain