Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG at the University of Warwick, was pleased to welcome Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove and West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street on Monday (20 March).

The Levelling Up Secretary and West Midlands Mayor signed a landmark deeper devolution deal for the region, marking a seismic shift in power, funding and responsibility from Whitehall to the region, at a ceremonial event that took place at WMG at the University of Warwick.

The deal announced in the Spring Budget puts more cash and power in the hands of local leaders to invest in the priorities that local communities truly care about, such as better bus and train services, skills and housing.

A new long-term funding settlement will enable the Mayor and local councils to plan for the long term, with certainty, and unlock tangible benefits for almost three million people living in the area.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: “Visionary local leaders like Andy Street understand the needs of their areas better than decision-makers in Whitehall - that is why it is vital that we put more power and control in their hands.

“This deal goes further than we’ve ever gone before. It will give the Mayor unprecedented power to spend on local priorities and more control over transport, skills and housing – the things people truly care about.

“Today marks a bold new frontier in devolution in this country, and it’s fantastic to see the West Midlands right at the forefront.”

Stuart Croft, Vice Chancellor of the University of Warwick, which hosted the Levelling Up Secretary's visit, said: “It is good to be able to support the hard work across our region that has led to this agreement. We’re proud to play an active role in driving business growth and innovation in the West Midlands, whether that’s through our apprenticeship programmes, support for start-ups, or our close partnerships with industry across the region.

"Our world leading research into new green energy and technology is an example of where we’re not only developing new businesses, skills, and jobs, but also helping the UK to reach its net zero goals.”

Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG at the University of Warwick, added: “It was a pleasure to welcome the Levelling Up Secretary and the West Midlands Mayor, and we were proud to provide the location for the signing of this landmark devolution agreement.

“Before the official signing, I had the opportunity to show Mr Gove our 3xD driving simulator for autonomous vehicle research, and to explain more about WMG’s commitment to developing new engineering and manufacturing skills to help bridge the gap between academia and industry.”

Read more about the Deeper Devolution Deal.

The EV-elocity project, involving engineers and researchers from WMG at the University of Warwick, has won a Collaborate to Innovate Award, from The Engineer magazine, in the Energy & Environment category.

The Awards celebrate the very best engineering collaborations and innovations across the UK.

EV-elocity is a research and development project looking at increasing the uptake of electric vehicles by helping consumers to monetise their investment using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) innovation.

With vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, electric vehicle (EV) batteries could store electricity - when there is an abundant supply - to power homes and businesses and to discharge it back to the national grid when it is most needed.

Researchers at WMG developed a new model that quantified the degradation in the vehicle’s battery because of different EV charging strategies. The model highlighted that it was possible to manage the battery to mitigate much of the degradation and it was possible to even extend battery life through proper control and battery conditioning.

This enables better use of renewable energy, lower carbon footprint, less pressure on the grid and financial savings, which can help electric vehicle owners pay back their investment.

The EV-elocity project has deployed V2G chargers in a range of locations across England as part of large-scale trials to gain technical, customer and commercial insights on the emerging technology. It is also investigating if, and how, additional use from V2G charging may affect EV battery life.

Professor of Systems Modelling, James Marco, explains: “One of the unique aspects of EV-elocity, was the integration of EV technology with future energy infrastructure, such as vehicle-to-grid, to demonstrate at scale how novel methods of EV charging can provide multiple benefits for both the consumer and the environment.”

The project, led by Cenex, a not-for-profit consultancy specialising in delivery of low carbon vehicles and energy infrastructure projects also involves the Universities of Nottingham and Warwick; Leeds and Nottingham City Councils; and CrowdCharge, a platform that integrates and optimises smart electric vehicle charges.

EV-elocity is funded by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), in partnership with Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation.

Read more about the award-wining EV-elocity project here: EV-elocity Project | vehicle-to-grid (V2G) innovation with electric vehicles

Historic agreement sees the university and Bolivia collaborate on lithium battery project and provide scholarships for Bolivian students  

The University of Warwick is set to help Bolivia become a world leader in renewable energies and electric vehicles, thanks to a historic partnership on lithium battery research with the Bolivian Government.

The partnership, funded by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), will help develop lithium’s application as a power source in everything from electric cars to mobile phones.

Bolivia’s vast salt flats harbour an estimated 39 million tonnes of lithium reserve, positioning the country to be one of the world’s most important suppliers in the coming decades. The projects supports Bolivia’s ambition to provide 40% of the world’s supply of lithium by 2030. It will see Bolivia be at the forefront of lithium value chain, lead to higher paying employment and industry and a transition away from simple extraction and exploitation of raw materials.

Several master’s degree scholarships will also be offered to Bolivian students and the University’s WMG will link up with Yacimentos de Lito Bolivianos, Bolivia’s lithium mining institution in a multi-year research project to improve the understanding and possibilities for lithium battery technology.

David Rutley, Minister for the Americas and Caribbean at FCDO was present at the signing of the agreement and said: “This is a landmark partnership between Bolivia and Warwick – one of our great UK universities. This collaboration will help unlock the possibilities of battery technology in a new era of clean energy. The partnership will also address the drawbacks associated with using fresh water in the extraction process – making the industry more sustainable and less environmentally damaging.”

“This agreement demonstrates the potential for scientific and technological cooperation of our two great nations. It could help see Bolivia become the energy cell of the world.”

Professor Mike Shipman, University of Warwick’s Pro-Vice- Chancellor (International), said: “We are excited to be partnering with the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energies and Yacimentos de Litio Bolivanos. This collaboration will draw on the University’s extensive expertise in battery technologies and build new capabilities in Bolivia and help the global transition to sustainable power solutions through innovative research and training”.

Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG at the University of Warwick said: “This opportunity is one that will help ensure WMG stays at the forefront of global battery research and education. It has been a pleasure to share our work with our Bolivian partners and we hope that this is the start of a long and productive relationship.”

Notes to editors:

For more information contact Tania Corbett, Media Relations Manager at Warwick University: tania.corbett@warwick.ac.ukLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window | Mob: +44 (0) 7824 540 727. General and out of hours press office number 02476 151 512

Interviews available in Spanish and English.

The research project between Warwick/WMG and Bolivia’s Yacimentos de Lito Bolivianos YLB will focus of synthesis and characterization of battery cathode materials derived from lithium extracted from the Salar de Uyuni. The partnerships will combine expertise on battery manufacturing and characterization between the two groups. Access to the sources of lithium supplies is critical for the development of active materials within Li-ion battery and requires the UK to develop strategic partnerships internationally.

Two WMG apprentices at the University of Warwick have been recognised at the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards. Parris Small was crowned overall Apprentice of the Year 2022, while Beverley Ngo was highly commended in the Engineering and Manufacturing Category.

Parris Small and Beverley Ngo are both in the fourth year of their BSc Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship, employed by Jaguar Land Rover.

The Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards, in partnership with Pearson, aim to showcase talent and diversity within multicultural communities through the celebration of those working hard to overcome adversity to achieve their goals through apprenticeships. These awards celebrate the achievements of apprentices, and the contribution of employers and learning providers who have assisted them along their journey.

The awards evening was hosted in Birmingham on Friday (4 November 2022), with 650 attendees celebrating the success of over 150 finalist apprentices, employers, and learning providers. The event culminated in a standing ovation for Apprentice of the Year 2022, Parris Small.

Parris says: “Winning this award was surreal, I wasn’t expecting it! As a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, I am very grateful for awards like these, it was so nice to be in a room full of people that you can relate to and can understand you as a person. I am very proud of this achievement and it has put me in a position to be able to make a difference; I want to be an ambassador for STEM, technology and apprenticeships. I can now say that doing an apprenticeship is an opportunity to succeed, to win awards, and to go to new places. I can’t thank the awards team and judges enough for this recognition that I will appreciate forever.”

Parris’ passion for diversity and inclusion extends to her involvement in the REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage) Network at Jaguar Land Rover, where she is one of the Events Leads with Beverley Ngo, helping to ensure everyone within the company is recognised, represented, and celebrated.

This year has been full of success for Parris and Beverley, as they were also recognised in the Autocar Great Women 2022 Awards in the Apprentice Category, Parris received Highly Commended Regional Winner of the National Apprenticeships Awards 2022, and also won the Apprentice Category of the Midlands Women In Tech Awards 2022.

WMG Associate Professor and Course Lead for the BSc Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship programme, Dr Alaa Al Sebae adds: “We are delighted that two of our apprentices have been recognised at the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards. They are great role models for others, highlighting the talent and diversity in apprenticeships. We are looking forward to hearing more about their achievements as they look towards the end of their Degree Apprenticeships and the rest of their careers in STEM.”

Find out more about WMG’s Degree Apprenticeships here: Degree Apprenticeships : WMG, University of Warwick

The WMG Outreach team made some special STEM Christmas deliveries to children across the West Midlands and Warwickshire, in collaboration with the High Value Manufacturing Catapult’s Inspiring Young Engineers project.

This year a total of 100 festive STEM parcels were delivered to young engineers at primary schools, local special educational needs centres and the Hospital Education Service.

Two different resource boxes were produced. The first focused on ‘flat-pack manufacturing’ with the children tasked to make 3D Christmas decorations. The second introduced the young engineers to ‘paper engineering’, challenging them to produce pop-up Christmas cards.

Dr Phil Jemmett, Widening Participation Co-ordinator, at WMG University of Warwick, explains: 

“We started off in 2019 with just 30 boxes, and have gradually increased numbers - even throughout lockdown. We prioritise schools who meet our widening participation categories and strategies, so this project has a positive societal impact.

“These resource boxes have been a lot of fun to produce. It’s become a bit of a festive occasion for our Outreach Team putting the boxes together. We pop the Christmas music on and enjoy a mince pie or two. It’s lovely to see the photos and hear from the teachers and families who use the resources. I hope the boxes have as much impact on the students using the resources as they have on the staff making them.” 

Jacqui Pote, Year 6 Teacher at Welford-on-Avon Primary School said: “The children loved being part of a project from the University of Warwick; some of them said they would like to study there. As science lead at the school, I loved showing the children different jobs that scientists/engineers were doing. They loved the pre-printed resources to have a go at. Thank you so much! Look forward to doing it again next year!” 

Professor Margaret Low, Director of Outreach and Widening Participation, at WMG University of Warwick, added: “It’s great that we are again able to share these activities with our local schools and community groups. These resource boxes help to raise awareness of the range of activities that can be described as engineering, and engage young people in creative engineering activities."

All of the resources are also available online for free here: WMG outreach - primary schools - flat pack resource box (warwick.ac.uk) and here: WMG Outreach - Primary School Resource Box - Paper Engineering (warwick.ac.uk)

The MSc in International Trade, Strategy, Operations (ITSO) course, at WMG, the University of Warwick, is collaborating with a series of key industrial partners to launch a new company-based dissertation for its students.

The new dissertation option was presented to students, at a special launch event, by WMG’s ITSO Course Director, Dr Di Li. At the event, Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy at WMG, Alok Choudhary spoke about the company-based dissertation projects with Supply Chain in Practice (SCiP) members. The students also heard from Assistant CEO at Rexville Solutions, Ms Shu Jia, on behalf of the industrial collaborative companies, who shared more details about current projects available this year.

The company-based projects are collaborative dissertations which allow students to work on real-life challenges facing industry. It provides another option for students when selecting their dissertation, and in turn helps to develop key skills and employment capabilities, whilst helping organisations to resolve their challenges via systematic research.

Ms Shu Jia, the CEO Assistant of Rexville Solutions, explains: “The company-based project is a great opportunity for our company to cooperate with WMG, and the talented students there, to employ the innovative methodologies for solving our practical problems. We are also very happy, and proud to provide opportunities and real data to the students to support their successes in academic studies and further careers.”

ITSO Master’s student Yawen Zheng comments: “I think the company-based project is a great opportunity for me as it enables me to engage in practical problem solutions in a real company, which must be a competitive experience when finding a job.”

ITSO student course representative, Danara Aldabergenova, says: “The launch event was very useful for postgraduates to clarify their dissertation projects. The company-based MSc project is an additional option for writing a dissertation, which differs from the conventional project. With the company-based MSc project, we will be able to understand the workflow and try ourselves in the real work area.”

Find out more about WMG’s International Trade, Strategy and Operations Master’s Programme here: MSc International Trade, Strategy and Operations | University of Warwick

If you represent a company who is interested in finding out more on company-based MSc projects, please email WMG’s Assistant Professor and ITSO Course Director, Dr Di Li, here: d.li@warwick.ac.uk.

· Nine bursaries awarded through Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme to increase number of engineers from underrepresented groups

· Awardees formally announced at a celebration event on Thursday 8 December at the University of Warwick.

- Nine bursaries awarded through the Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme to increase the number of engineers from under represented groups.

Nine outstanding engineering students from the West Midlands have each been awarded a prestigious £15,000 bursary by the Royal Academy of Engineering to support their studies.

The bursaries, each worth £5000 a year for three years, have been awarded to students from underrepresented groups across the region who are progressing from A Levels or technical engineering qualifications to degree-level engineering courses in the 2022/23 academic year.

This year saw the highest number of applications submitted for the programme since its launch in March 2020. Following a competitive application process consisting of a written application and a panel interview, the nine awardees are:

· Aboulashif Riyaj Ahamed, studying aeronautical engineering at De Montfort University

· Casey Kuda Burke, studying civil engineering at the University of Salford

· Gurmandar Singh Loha, studying aerospace engineering at Coventry University

· Faith-Brian Mbahwum, studying mechanical engineering at Aston University

· Louie O’Sullivan, studying mechanical engineering at Birmingham City University

· Poya Sahak, studying aircraft maintenance engineering at Solihull College & University Centre

· Gopikrishna Santhuruban, studying aerospace engineering at Brunel University

· Dylendra Sooryamuyah, studying Meng Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bath

· Rahul Verma, studying electrical/electronic engineering at the University of Leeds

These substantial bursaries form part of the wider Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering in close partnership with WMG founded at the University of Warwick in 1980 by the late Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya Kt CBE FREng FRS. The programme is funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The awardees were announced at a celebration event for the Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme on Thursday 8 December at the University of Warwick.

The programme provides a comprehensive support package to a network of secondary schools and FE colleges across the West Midlands, with the aim of upskilling teachers and inspiring young people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), before supporting their progression into further and higher education and into engineering careers. The event on 8 December will be the first time since the programme’s launch that schools and colleges participating in the programme have been able to meet together in person to showcase their achievements over the past two academic years. The new cohort of bursary students will be able to meet previous awardees, as well as share their success with former teachers and inspire newer students attending on the day. They will also have a valuable chance to meet representatives from locally based engineering companies that are supporting the programme and learn more about future employment opportunities.

Dr Rhys Morgan, Director of Engineering and Education at the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “I am so impressed with these latest bursary winners. The engineering profession needs the creativity and innovation of a more diverse workforce and engineering businesses in the West Midlands know this as well as any in the UK. I am delighted that the Royal Academy of Engineering is helping to forge vital links between local companies and the talent they need now and in the future in order to thrive and to contribute to a vibrant regional economy and national prosperity.”

Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG, University of Warwick, said: “Engineering is such an exciting sector and very much in need of talented individuals. Now in its third year, the bursary scheme continues Professor Lord Bhattacharyya’s legacy in education, expanding the commitment to making engineering accessible for all. I would like to extend my congratulations to the winners of this year’s bursary and wish them well in their studies.”

Applications for the fourth round of Lord Bhattacharyya Higher Education Bursaries will open in March 2023, for students enrolling at university in September 2023.

Notes for editors

1. More information about the nine awardees can be found here.

2. The Lord Bhattacharyya HE Bursary Scheme helps students at sixth forms, colleges and academies across the West Midlands prepare for degree-level engineering education. The funding available provides students from low-income households or under-represented communities with a pathway to higher education and therefore encourages the pursuit of careers in the sector. The Scheme not only drives diversity and inclusion throughout the engineering sector, but also ensures that talented students are equipped with the resources needed to develop the latest engineering skills required to access degree-level programmes and ultimately thrive in a fast-paced sector with lots of opportunities.

3. WMG, University of Warwick, is a world leading research and education group, transforming organisations and driving innovation through a unique combination of collaborative research and development, and pioneering education programmes.
As an international role model for successful partnerships between academia and the private and public sectors, WMG develops advancements nationally and globally, in applied science, technology and engineering, to deliver real impact to economic growth, society and the environment.
WMG’s education programmes focus on lifelong learning of the brightest talent, from the WMG Academies for Young Engineers, degree apprenticeships, undergraduate and postgraduate, through to professional programmes.
An academic department of the University of Warwick, and a centre for the HVM Catapult, WMG was founded by the late Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya in 1980 to help reinvigorate UK manufacturing and improve competitiveness through innovation and skills development.

• Time-consuming and resource-intensive charging processes could be replaced by wireless charging for e-scooter rental fleets

• The ease of use for consumers and a reduction in operating costs through wider adoption of this technology would be a big advantage for the UK’s biggest rental scheme operator, Voi
• Trial in partnership with Bumblebee Power and WMG on the University of Warwick campus allows real-world testing in a ‘mini-city’ environment
• A successful trial will pave the way for seamless and convenient charging of e-scooters

Voi Technology, the UK’s largest e-scooter rental operator, has partnered with Bumblebee Power and WMG to trial the use of Bumblebee’s wireless e-scooter charging at the University of Warwick campus over a 6-month period potentially changing the future of the micromobility industry.

As with the charging of electric cars, the charging of e-scooters is a challenge for the operators of extensive rental schemes. The batteries powering their zero-emissions e-scooters are currently charged safely at their warehouse; however, they are replaced when vehicles are either receiving their regular in-house inspections or by the company’s in-field team who visit each e-scooter to perform fresh battery swaps.

These processes can lead to high operating costs for their business as the processes can be both time-consuming and often resource-intensive by requiring additional warehouse infrastructure for safe battery charging as well as transportation costs. Therefore, Voi began exploring new charging methodologies as a result that could provide the same excellent user experience whilst also delivering a similar vehicle efficient and effective battery performance. The potential solution: wireless charging.

In partnership with Bumblebee Power, the wireless charging pads make it possible to charge e-scooters where they are parked, reducing not only operational costs but make their integration into the street and transport infrastructure more streamlined, making the modal shift to a convenient and flexible mode of transport easier for new and existing riders.

The University of Warwick campus ‘mini-city’ environment has been selected for this trial and provides an excellent, safe test bed for testing transport innovations. Available to estate staff only, a busy environment with a large population of students, staff, and industrial partners means the University of Warwick is an ideal ‘living lab’ environment to enable sustainable research and development of this technology.

The trial will provide data on the wireless system performance as well as user behaviour and interaction with the technology, which is crucial to any future large-scale deployment. If the trial proves successful it could be expanded to cover more of the Voi fleet across the UK.

David Yates, CTO of Bumblebee Power explains:
“The Bumblebee patented technology, which originated from Imperial College London, provides automatic connection via a very efficient wireless charging system, saving operational expenditure for the fleet operator by eliminating battery swaps. In addition, it makes possible the ability to extend the battery’s life, by controlling the charging regime whilst maximising vehicle availability.”

Sam Pooke, Senior Policy Manager at Voi UK and Ireland, said:
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Bumblebee Power to develop wireless charging for our e-scooters, an innovation that could change the whole micromobility industry.

“Applying this technology has the potential to not only reduce the operational impact of how we charge batteries for our vehicles but also in making an already convenient and flexible service even more accessible for new and existing riders. Over the coming months, we’ll look forward to working with our partners to maximise the innovative potential of this technology.”

David Evans, Lead Engineer at WMG, University of Warwick, said:
“Wireless charging technology for micromobility has the potential to reduce operational costs for fleet operators and provide a convenient charging solution for users. The University of Warwick campus is an ideal location to trial transport innovations such as these, providing a real world, mini city environment with world class teaching and research facilities.”

As part of the AutopleX (Autonomous Cars Negotiating Complex Environments Using V2X) project consortium, researchers at WMG, University of Warwick, have used a connected smart roadside infrastructure and onboard vehicle systems to demonstrate how to enhance the vision and perception of future autonomous vehicles to achieve safer and more comfortable manoeuvres along high-speed junctions, such as motorway merges.

The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and Innovate UK have jointly funded £2.6m for the collaborative R&D project AutopleX between March 2019 and September 2022.

AutopleX brought together WMG and leading automotive and mobility management partners Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Yunex Traffic, as well as public bodies such as Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and National Highways.

Supported by the WMG Centre High Value Manufacturing Catapult, engineers and researchers at WMG have built a proof-of-concept demonstrator, where technology within a test vehicle (also known as “the EGO vehicle”) including Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), LiDAR and cameras, was fused with infrastructure-based sensing received over a Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication system. This created a more comprehensive understanding of the environment in which the vehicle was travelling.

Colin Teed, AutopleX Project Manager at Jaguar Land Rover, stressed that: “Merging at high-speed junctions will be a standard action autonomous vehicles must perform and constitutes an important step in realising the vision of connected and automated mobility.”

Professor Mehrdad Dianati, Head of Intelligent Vehicles Research at WMG, added: “Onboard sensors may suffer from several limitations such as occlusions, limited range, and other forms of impairments. Especially at motorway junctions, where the speed of vehicles is usually high, undetected traffic objects by the onboard sensor suite can impose severe threats on safety. Onboard perception can, therefore, become insufficient as a standalone solution for level 4 autonomy. In this regard, the AutopleX project has developed a proof-of-concept solution that combines, in real-time, the onboard perception of a connected vehicle approaching a motorway with infrastructure-based sensing for supporting a safe merge.”

The AutopleX showcase demonstration took place via a live road traffic environment at Junction 15 of the M40 in March 2022. Yunex Traffic developed the roadside perception system, including three radars and V2X communication technology, while National Highways ensured its safe installation and effective operation.

Jet Feng, Project Engineer at WMG, explained: “The roadside perception including the locations, speed and steering angle of motorway vehicles was continuously broadcast (in the form of collective perception messages (CPMs)) and received by the vehicle’s onboard communication unit (OBU) on the Open Innovation Vehicle Platform whilst approaching the merging point of the junction. The received information was then combined with the onboard perception to improve the overall understanding of the environment and was visualised in real-time via a bird’s eye view map of the junction, allowing the passengers to observe road traffic objects along the M40, which were not otherwise visible due to occlusions.”

Furthermore, WMG and Jaguar Land Rover researchers jointly developed intelligent trajectory-planning algorithms, which utilised the combined perception to design a high-speed merging manoeuvre that is efficient, smooth, and safe.

Dr Konstantinos Koufos, Senior Research Fellow at WMG, commented: “While the Open Innovation Vehicle Platform was driven by a human driver, the calculated trajectory, including speed and steering, of a hypothetical vehicle using the combined perception was visualised in real-time on the in-vehicle monitors. This allowed the passengers to compare the trajectory of the hypothetical (or ghost) vehicle with the actual trajectory of the human-driven vehicle. Key performance indicators (KPIs) associated with road safety and passenger comfort were also calculated and compared during the merging manoeuvre. The next major step would be to engage the calculated trajectory of the ghost vehicle with the drive-by-wire system of the Open Innovation Vehicle Platform.”

The project successfully implemented and demonstrated the developed technology, collecting, annotating and processing vast datasets including over eight months of road traffic data using 10 infrastructure cameras and three RADARs. These datasets could be made available to selected organisations outside of the AutopleX consortium for user trials and feedback. In addition, it constitutes valuable R&D data that can be used in WMG’s Doctoral Training Centre in Future Mobility Technologies, as well as WMG’s MSc programme in Smart Connected and Automated Vehicles (SCAV).

Learn more about the vehicle used in the demonstration: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/research/cav/ivfac/catapult-open-innovation-vehicle/

Explore research in WMG’s Intelligent Vehicles Group: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/research/cav/

Innovate UK: https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/

Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/centre-for-connected-and-autonomous-vehicles

WMG High Value Manufacturing Catapult:

https://hvm.catapult.org.uk/centre/wmg/

A substantial gift of £1.5 million from TVS Motor Company will help create a crucial new Professorial post in WMG, University of Warwick - the Lord Bhattacharyya Chair in Engineering Education.

The gift celebrates TVS Motor Company’s close relationship with WMG and will continue the legacy of the late Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, enhancing WMG’s academic expertise in the understanding, development and teaching of engineering and manufacturing internationally.

The news was announced in Mumbai yesterday (Monday, 7 November) at a reception for University of Warwick graduates hosted by Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University.

Warwick has a close network of more than 5,500 alumni in India and is the most successful Russell Group university for recruiting students from India. This is Professor Croft’s first visit to the country for the purposes of encouraging support from alumni and friends for the University’s vision.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya sadly passed away on the 1 March, 2019. To celebrate his legacy in global manufacturing and innovation, the new Chair will drive forward innovations in research-led teaching and scholarship. Just as Professor Lord Bhattacharyya played a significant role in building relationships between India and the UK, the appointee will be responsible for establishing connections for UK higher education and WMG in Asia, particularly in India and Hong Kong.

This will include new ways to inspire young people from different backgrounds to pursue engineering careers through the WMG Academies for Young Engineers, degree apprenticeships, and professional skills programmes delivered by the WMG Skills Centre, along with an opportunity to explore innovation in the higher education space more widely.

Sir Ratan Tata, former Chairman of Tata Sons, said he was delighted to hear about the gift.

“I deeply valued my friendship with Kumar and know the philanthropy of TVS Motor Company will continue his vison of creating innovative, engaging, and authentic learning opportunities for a diverse range of students. Strong industry links were so important for Kumar and it’s exciting that WMG is working closely in partnership with this prestigious motorcycle company.”

Mr Venu Srinivasan, Chairman Emeritus of TVS Motor Company and Director of Tata Sons, said: “WMG excels because it has the momentum created by Kumar. It wouldn’t have happened without him, but it continues after him. Kumar always said a true legacy was an institution that does better after your time. We are delighted to make a gift that continues this ambition.”

Mr N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, said: “Lord Bhattacharyya created a world class, leading-edge capability at WMG. The new Chair in Engineering Education will be a crucial addition to their academic leadership, ensuring the next generation of engineering leaders are inspired through the highest levels of teaching. I’m thrilled the Chair will also work to enhance international connections for both WMG and the University of Warwick.”

Warwick alumnus Professor Sir Ralf Speth (EngD Engineering, 2004-08), Chairman of TVS Motor Company, Director of Tata Sons, and former CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, said:

“Kumar was very keen on creating top talents and innovative break-throughs. He liked curious, younger people. He believed in the powerful momentum resulting out of a special atmosphere of new technologies and curious, passionate talents.”

Mr Sudarshan Venu (MSc International Technology Management, 2010-12), Managing Director of TVS Motor Company, said: “I am grateful for having been mentored by Lord Bhattacharyya, who had a tremendous impact on me and taught me a lot about the global automotive industry. TVS has had a strong partnership with WMG covering the areas of education, research, and joint projects. We look forward to building on this in the future as well.”

In 2016, WMG was awarded a Regius Professorship in Manufacturing, which was bestowed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in recognition of the transformational contributions that Professor Lord Bhattacharyya made to UK manufacturing. The new role will complement the Regius Professorship and celebrate Lord Bhattacharyya’s impact on engineering and manufacturing internationally.

The Chair in Education role was initially established in 2021 thanks to a private philanthropic donation of £1.5 million, gifted by a Warwick alumnus. The additional gift from TVS Motor Company will help future-proof the post for generations to come and help the University achieve its goals for the Chair. The University intends to recruit for the role in 2023.

Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Warwick, said: “We are extremely grateful to TVS for making this generous gift to support WMG in enhancing and exceeding educational standards. The new role of Lord Bhattacharyya Chair in Engineering Education will continue Professor Lord Bhattacharyya’s legacy, and help us thrive in connecting education, research and industry, setting up our graduates for successful futures.

“Warwick has a fantastic network of alumni in India, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to meet many of our graduates this week to explore how they can support the University’s vision for the future in the world’s largest democracy.”

Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG, University of Warwick, who is visiting India this week alongside Professor Croft, said: “We would like to thank TVS Motor Company for their generous gift. Their support will enable the new Lord Bhattacharyya Chair in Engineering Education role to preserve and expand Professor Lord Bhattacharyya’s pursuit of excellence in education, whilst further developing the relationships between our teaching and research.

“We anticipate that the successful appointee will further extend WMG’s teaching partnerships with industry and our international partners in Asia, enabling us to facilitate high quality and meaningful professional, international and intercultural learning opportunities that broaden the global perspectives of our students and provide the skills needed for current and future industry requirements.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

WMG, University of Warwick

WMG is a world leading research and education group, transforming organisations and driving innovation through a unique combination of collaborative research and development, and pioneering education programmes.

As an international role model for successful partnerships between academia and the private and public sectors, WMG develops advancements nationally and globally, in applied science, technology and engineering, to deliver real impact to economic growth, society and the environment.

WMG’s education programmes focus on lifelong learning of the brightest talent, from the WMG Academies for Young Engineers, degree apprenticeships, undergraduate and postgraduate, through to professional programmes.

An academic department of the University of Warwick, and a centre for the HVM Catapult, WMG was founded by the late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya in 1980 to help reinvigorate UK manufacturing and improve competitiveness through innovation and skills development. Taking a partnership approach with Indian collaborators, aiming to understand their requirements from both technical and skills-based perspectives, means WMG provides a holistic approach to truly benefit industry and academia. This has led to long-term, valued relationships.

WMG engages with Indian industry and academic partners across the breadth of its research, including advanced materials and sustainable manufacturing, electrification, visualisation, and metrology. Routes to collaboration include tailored industry-facing skills courses, training industry-based Master’s students, collaborative PhD studentships, and joint research projects.

Highlights from TVS relationship:

- Two-year MSc by research programme delivered to TVS staff

- Joint EngD programme

- On-site delivery of short courses on electric vehicle technology

- Research and testing programme for automotive batteries and electrification

- Over 10 years of active partnership

Highlights from TATA relationship:

- WMG hosts the Tata Steel Professor of thermo-mechanical processing, Professor Claire David, who leads our engagement with TATA Steel

- WMG Catapult has a two-year programme with TATA Steel UK around advanced forming, welding, and coatings for steels

- WMG with TATA Steel UK and Swansea University form the EPSRC-funded SUSTAIN Future Manufacturing Hub, developing advanced route to greener, more sustainable, high-performing steels

- An EPSRC Prosperity Partnership project in which fundamental research is deployed to answer business-led challenges. The partnership is developing new routes for rapid alloy processing

- The European branch of TATA Steel is a co-partner in the National Automotive Innovation Centre with WMG and JLR – the centre, based at WMG, co-locates industry and academic partners to develop the research and skills base for pioneering future mobility solutions

Wider University of Warwick collaborations in India include a partnership with IIT Kharagpur designed to meet challenges of importance to the UK and India.