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IfM Services Contact DetailsJo Riches Tel: +44 (0)7854 210837 |
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IfM News - 2007
New IfM guide warns that 'offshoring' and 'lean thinking' are not sufficient to guarantee futures of major manufacturersDecember 2007 Many of the world's biggest manufacturing firms could be missing out on "breathtaking" benefits because their production networks are not designed to suit 21st century demands, according to a new IfM guide. Making the Right Things in the Right Places, a publication launched today by the Institute for Manufacturing, also warns that many firms are relying too heavily on short-term outsourcing and offshoring to countries such as India and China. Without a more systematically designed global 'footprint' or network, it says, even leading businesses will miss out on savings, fail to gain market share and could disappear within the space of a generation. The new guide is the result of over a decade's work by researchers and practitioners at the IfM, who co-developed a manufacturing network strategy with several leading multinational firms. It provides a set of best-practice guidelines, offering a systematic approach to the development of production networks suitable for 21st century markets. The constantly changing nature of the global environment means that it is essential these issues are continually addressed and adapted to meet evolving circumstances, it maintains. Purchase a copy for £25 plus p&p. IfM's International consultancy services
Material, Energy and Climate ChangeNovember 2007 The industrial sector emits almost 43 percent of the world's man-made carbon dioxide emissions through the production of materials and products. Further energy is used to transport materials and products and to process the waste. Dr Ernst Worrell, a leading expert on energy use in industry, will discuss opportunities to reduce carbon emissions by improving the efficiency with which society uses and processes materials, at a seminar on Wednesday 21 November. Dr Worrell is a lead-author of the 4th IPCC Assessment Report on Emission Scenarios, with experience in a wide number of industries from cement to chemicals. His presentation will discuss opportunities to reduce CO2 emissions by improving the efficiency with which society uses materials through product design, material substitution, product reuse and material recycling. The seminar is the final event in a series organised by the Engineering Department entitled 'Engineering for a low carbon future'.
Venture Navigator goes liveNovember 2007 The IfM is part of a UK consortium behind a new online service to help start-ups and small businesses improve their chance of success. Venture Navigator is a free-to-use website which gives an impartial assessment of a business and provides tailored feedback and information. The IfM is one of a number of academic institutions involved in the project, which has been funded by the Government Higher Education Innovation Fund. Doug Richard, Chairman of Library House, whose company has been responsible for developing the VentureNavigator site, commented "This is an invaluable service because it doesn't focus on a simple or narrow interpretation of what a business needs to succeed. It's able to examine and assist with a broad range of requirements including managerial, financial, cultural and administrative factors, all of which a business needs to develop, grow and ultimately thrive." VentureNavigator is live now at www.venturenavigator.co.uk and sign-up is free.
Daylight Saving in GB; Is there evidence in favour of clock time on GMT?October 2007 Turning the clocks back each autumn has generated millions of tonnes of carbon emissions as well as increasing electricity costs during GMT months. These are the findings of a report co-authored by Dr Elizabeth Garnsey of the IfM. "No evidence in favour of imposing Greenwich Mean Time in winter was found," says the report. Putting the clocks back results in "more traffic accidents and higher, more costly, evening peaks in electricity consumption than would occur on GMT+1." This is because people are relatively more active in the early evening than in the early morning, with adverse effects from early evening darkness in Scotland as well as England and Wales. The only unfavourable impact of ending the return to GMT would be on early morning workers. The report suggests that working hours could be altered for particular groups to counter this. Consumers are paying much more for electricity as a result of ending summer time. Delaying the timing of sunset in winter would give an extra hour of light in the evening and reduce the surge of energy demand, even taking into account the later sunrise. Peaks in demand result in proportionately greater increases in cost because of the need to use reserve generating power which is less efficient and more expensive. Download a copy of the full report here [1.8Mb pdf file].
Sustainability pays - the business case for going greenOctober 2007 Companies who embrace sustainable practices are gaining huge economic rewards and represent real 'drivers for change', a US champion of sustainable development argued in a lecture given at the Institute for Manufacturing. Hunter Lovins, Professor of Sustainable Management at the Presidio School of Management in the US, said that there is a real business case for sustainability which companies ignore at their peril. The successful companies of the future will be those who recognise the need to protect the environment and seize the opportunities this offers their business. Companies are already saving billions of dollars by reducing their energy consumption, improving their productivity and redesigning products along more sustainable lines, she said. Environmentally enlightened companies in a range of sectors, including oil and gas, US electric utilities, and forest and paper products have consistently outperformed 'environmental laggards' in terms of total return and growth in share price. Hunter Lovins is founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions, a non-profit organisation that aims to educate senior decision-makers in business, government and society about the principles of sustainability. She is author of many books on sustainability and has addressed the World Economic Forum, the U.S. Congress and the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Download a copy of her presentation here. [Warning - this is a 6 Mb MS Powerpoint file] View a podcast of her talk here. Find out more at http://www.natcapsolutions.org
Engineering for a low carbon future: a cross-divisional seminar seriesOctober 2007 This Department of Engineering seminar series aims to share ideas between engineering disciplines about potential technological responses to climate change. The first in the series (10th October 2007 - "Engineering for a low carbon future: challenges and opportunities ") is presented by Julian Allwood, who leads the "Sustainable Manufacturing" group in the Institute for Manufacturing. Click here for more information about the series.
Cambridge Service Science, Management and Engineering SymposiumOctober 2007 This symposium brought together a small group of leading academics and senior industrialists in an open and interactive forum to recognise practical challenges, identify theoretical underpinnings, and explore promising avenues for development. The unique value of the meeting has been captured by a discussion paper, which is available from the symposium website together with a feedback form that enables more interested parties to contribute to the discussion. Document launch date: Friday 5 October 2007 Feedback closing date: Friday 30 November 2007
Cambridge University groups join forces to help budding entrepreneursSeptember 2007 Sixteen Cambridge University groups involved in the support of enterprise and innovation are working together to improve support for would-be entrepreneurs. The new initiative - known as the Cambridge University Enterprise Network (CUEN) - aims to increase the flow of information between the growing number of organisations supporting enterprise and innovation in the university. CUEN recently held a meeting at which 30 representatives from 16 organisations came together to learn about each other's activities and spot opportunities for collaboration. The groups involved range from those organising student business plan competitions or providing direct support for inventors trying to bring a product idea to market - to others offering courses in entrepreneurship or providing advice to high-tech start up companies. CUEN plans to:
The launch of CUEN has been coordinated by the Technology Enterprise Group (TEG) - part of the Institute for Manufacturing's Centre for Technology Management (CTM). TEG organised the recent event in partnership with the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning and Cambridge Enterprise. Initial support has been provided by St John's Innovation Centre and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. CTM's Tim Minshall said "There is now a diverse and increasing range of entrepreneurship support activities across the University and throughout the region. Helping forge links between these activities will enable groups to spot opportunities for collaboration, avoid duplication of effort and communicate a clear message to actual and would-be entrepreneurs about these activities." A full list of the groups involved can be found at CUEN's website at: http://tinyurl.com/2fc47u
Successful innovation in an uncertain world: Recognising and exploiting opportunitiesSeptember 2007 The Centre for Technology Management’s (CTM) annual two day Symposium will explore the theme of “Successful innovation in an uncertain world: Recognising and exploiting opportunities”. Macro issues such as climate change, resource constraints, demographic shifts, political instability and disruptive technologies and their impact will be examined. The key questions are where do the opportunities lie and how might companies best take advantage of them in this uncertain environment? The keynote presentations will be given by some of the world’s most influential and successful companies and researchers including:
The event will take place from 20th to 21st September at Downing College, Cambridge. The event, now in its thirteenth year, is a firm fixture for those at the forefront of new ideas and practical application in the field. Aimed principally at an audience of senior technology and innovation managers from companies of all sizes, it draws on leading practice and research to address the key issues in an international For more information on the CTM symposium or to book please see the link below:
IfM lecturer presents report findings at the 8th Cambridge Enterprise ConferenceSeptember 2007 IfM lecturer Dr Tim Minshall presented the findings of a report he co-authored examining the impact of government policy on technology commercialisation since the 1960s at the 8th annual Cambridge Enterprise Conference. The report, “Funding technology: Britain forty years on”, analyses the development of the UK approach to innovation and enterprise since the 1960s. Key conclusions from the report were:
The conference, “Growing Big Gorillas”, focused on tackling the problem of how to turn promising start-ups in the UK into major corporations. A policy day will now be held to inform government strategy on the support that the technology sector requires to really make a difference. For further information about the report or the Cambridge Enterprise Conference please see the links below: Download 'Funding Technology' report Cambridge Enterprise Conference website
IfM students win Best Student Paper Award at POMS ConferenceAugust 2007 Two IfM students, Aiesha Maxwell and Guangjie Ren, received the Best Student Paper Award for their paper “New Technology Adoption in Field Service Operations: An Exploratory Study”. They received the award after presenting the paper at the POMS College of Service Operations and EurOMA Conference. The paper addresses the issue that whilst after-sales service organisations are increasingly applying new technologies, such as ICT, to their operations to improve service quality, there is little knowledge as to how the technology is chosen, implemented and integrated into the organisation. A process model for after-sales service organisations to follow when implementing new technologies has been suggested. The model provides companies with general steps to follow, depending on their circumstances, to ensure the implementation of new technologies runs smoothly. To download the full paper click on the link below: New Technology Adoption in Field Service Operations: An Exploratory Study
IfM researcher presents findings on “Well Dressed?” report at Barcelona conferenceJuly 2007 IfM researcher Cecilia Malvido de Rodríguez was invited to present the findings of the IfM’s “Well Dressed?” report at the Techno Textile Conference in Barcelona on 6th July. The conference explored over 800,000 years of textiles and fashion and examined the human and environmental cost of future fashion innovations and technological applications. Scientists, designers and academics gave presentations on topics such as truly waterproof, non shrinkable materials to nano-wearable non-woven spray-on fibres to create your own t-shirt and ‘Active’ dresses’ that move with electronic devices called mecatronics. The “Well Dressed?” report lays out a set of proposals outlining how consumers could satisfy their needs for clothes and textiles with significantly reduced impact on the environment, while also offering new business opportunities to UK companies. For more information on the conference or the “Well Dressed?” report see links below:
Ian Hutchings awarded the Staudinger-Durrer Prize and MedalJuly 2007 Professor Ian Hutchings, GKN Professor of Manufacturing Engineering at the IfM, gave the Staudinger-Durrer lecture at the ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich) where he was awarded the Staudinger-Durrer Prize and Medal. The lecture was given as part of the Materials Day 2007 – 'Sticking and Sliding, Wearing and Tearing symposium' which addressed cutting edge research in the field of tribology and its significance for Materials Science, Biology, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. Professor Hutchings' lecture was on 'Manufacturing by subtractive and additive processes: wear and inkjet printing'. New experimental techniques involving high-speed photography and digital image analysis are being used in the IfM’s Inkjet Research Centre to study the development of small-scale liquid jets and drops, and recent results from this work were reviewed. For full story see link below
IfM students win £5,000 in Cambridge University Entrepreneurs competition ‘Where Angels Dare 2007’July 2007 Manufacturing Engineering Tripos students recently took part in the final round of the Cambridge University Entrepreneurs (CUE) Business Creation Competition ‘Where Angels Dare 2007’ with their business idea the 'TouchSight Vision Mitt'. The TouchSight team were one of four who pitched their business idea to a panel of six angel investors in the Dragons’ Den-style competition for prizes totalling £30,000. TouchSight were one of three winners each receiving £5,000 with all three teams then getting the chance to secure further investment from the Business Angels. For full press release see link below:
The car that diagnoses its own servicing needsJune 2007 An intelligent system that could before long enable cars to tell mechanics which of their parts need servicing is being unveiled by engineers at the University of Cambridge. The specially-adapted Fiat prototype, which will be presented at a European technology show this week, can tell garage staff about the state of its components in seconds by using electronic tags inside its engine. The system has been designed by academics at Cambridge's Institute for Manufacturing. In conjunction with sophisticated software, it could be used to speed up servicing, and identify which parts can be recycled or reused when the vehicle reaches the end of its life. Combining such information from many vehicles would pinpoint which parts of a car need redesigning. For full press release see link below: For more details on the PROMISE project please see the link below: Cambridge engineering students display their design skills
June 2007 Manufacturing Engineering students at Cambridge University held their 2007 Design Show on Wednesday 6th June, displaying a range of new products that they have developed as part of their course, including a pocket Braille reading tool and a system that holds up speeding motorists. The Design Show is held each year for an invited audience of local industrialists and designers. Students put together displays to explain the technical and business ideas behind the products, together with design details and prototype models of the products themselves. "The students have been working on their projects for most of the past year and the results are fantastic," said Lecturer Dr James Moultrie. "Some ideas have real commercial potential and they will be seeking finance to take them further." Dr Moultrie said: “These designs not only reflect the imagination of our students, but the emphasis we place on turning technology into products that are attractive, user-friendly and above all meet a real customer need. Hopefully some of the ideas will see the light of day in a commercial setting in the not-too-distant future.” For full press release see link below: Helping companies keep track of the latest technological developmentsCompanies need to keep abreast of the latest technical developments in their field if they are to seize
new business opportunities and avoid being overtaken by competitors – but knowing exactly how to go about this is not easy. While some companies have established ‘technology intelligence’ systems, many have few formal processes in place. Now a guide has been produced by the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), to help companies improve the way they gather information about such new developments. The guide, in the form of a workbook entitled “Technology intelligence: identifying threats and opportunities from new technologies,” is aimed at any company in which technology plays a significant role. It is the culmination of a two-year research project at the IfM undertaken in collaboration with a number of companies including Kodak, BT and TWI. For full press release please click on the link below: Aerospace ID Forum
A one day Forum focused on automated identification technologies in the aerospace industry will take place in Cambridge on Wednesday 20 June. The forum will explore current and future trends in automated identification technologies and is open to any interested members of the industry and its supply base. The Forum is the result of a major research programme, the Aerospace ID Technologies Programme, led by the Cambridge Auto-ID Centre. This independent research initiative has been undertaken in collaboration with a range of international companies including Boeing, Airbus and Embraer. The Forum will help companies discover the impact of RFID and other identification technologies on:
Funding technology: Britain forty years on
The findings of the recently published report 'Funding Technology - Britain Forty Years On' was the focus of a dinner seminar co-hosted by the Centre for Technology Management's (CTM) Technology Enterprise Group (TEG). The report presents a review of the past four decades of support for innovation and entrepreneurship in the UK and highlights challenges now facing the UK as it seeks to respond to emerging competitive challenges presented by the growth of China and India. Key issues presented included:
The key findings of the report were presented at the dinner on 3rd May by three of the report's authors, David Gill, Tim Minshall and Martin Rigby. A lively discussion of issues emerging from the presentation was then chaired at the end of the dinner by David Halstead of Deloitte. Copies of this report, plus all others in the 'Funding Technology' series can be downloaded from www.fundingtechnology.org. For further information please contact Tim Minshall at thwm100@cam.ac.uk.
Announcement of new project - Asset Information Management StrategiesThe Distributed Information and Automation Laboratory (DIAL) has announced it is to begin a new two-year research project to develop asset information management strategies for complex engineering systems that deploys key emerging technologies. The aim of the project is to develop practical tools for use by asset managers for designing information management strategies to significantly improve their ability to manage their assets throughout their lifecycle in a cost-effective manner. In particular, the project will examine and demonstrate the impact of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) on the effectiveness with which these assets are managed throughout their lifecycle, especially during the usage and retirement phases. The project is in collaboration with several universities worldwide including the Engineering Design Centre, Cambridge University; Keio University, Japan; Erasmus University, Rotterdam; EPFL, Lausanne and Cranfield University. For further information please contact cdac-enquiries@eng.cam.ac.uk Launch of Innovation and Design Management Club a success
The IfM's newly formed Innovation and Design Management (IDM) club was successfully launched in March. There are around 25 members, representing a range of local businesses from heavy machinery to consumer goods. The IDM Club follows on from its predecessor, the New Product Introduction (NPI) Club. The NPI Club ran from around 1992 through to 2004, with roughly 4 meetings per year. The club seeks to provide a non-competitive forum for sharing of experiences (good and bad), for informal benchmarking and for insight into new ideas. The club has historically had a close link with innovation and NPI research activities going on at the Institute for Manufacturing. This first meeting included discussions over dinner on the key issues and challenges facing SMEs in the management of design and innovation. This will inform the selection of future topics and include:
These topics will be covered in future meetings, with a full schedule planned for 2007. For more information please see the link below or contact James Moultrie (jm329@eng.cam.ac.uk). IfM lecturer helps China to develop bamboo wind turbine blades
Dr Jim Platts, Lecturer in the Production Processes Group, has been assisting China to develop wind turbine blades made out of bamboo to exploit its wind energy capacity. China currently has a wind energy capacity comparable to the whole of Europe. The majority of wind turbine manufacturers use glass and carbon fibres in polymer matrices as the primary structural material for blades. Dr Platts and his Chinese partners have shown that bamboo can be used as an alternative to energy-intensive fibres and polymers for this high technology application. Since bamboo is also a sustainable resource this makes wind energy a very attractive proposition for the sustainable electricity generation. Dr Platts has spent over twenty years developing the design and manufacture of blades for wind turbines. For the full story please see the link below:
April's IfM briefing explores the importance of Technology Intelligence systems in keeping track of the latest technological developmentsApril's IfM briefing explores the importance of Technology Intelligence (TI) systems in keeping ahead of competitors. Companies need to be aware of the latest technological innovations if they are to exploit new business opportunities and avoid potential threats. Creating an effective TI system can be challenging as large amounts of data need to be recorded and analysed in relation to the company's needs. A recent research programme conducted by members of the Centre for Technology Management (CTM) has looked at the TI systems in 14 UK technology-based companies in various sectors. The researchers have tried to establish the underlying principles of an effective TI system, identified the strengths and weaknesses of the systems and also identified practical ways to address common problems. For the full briefing please click on the link below: Technology Intelligence systems briefing IfM course investigates technology & innovation management
The Centre for Technology Management (CTM) held its second executive training course in March on Technology and Innovation Management. The three-day course was held at Jesus College, Cambridge and was attended by 19 participants from companies such as Dyson, Unilever and Pepsico. Dr Rob Phaal, Senior Research Associate for CTM said, "The experience and enthusiasm of the participants made for an engaging and interactive three days for all." The course is designed to help managers understand and use the key tools and techniques needed to fully exploit technological investments and opportunities. The course encompasses the main areas of CTM activity and research and uniquely combines a range of group activities, discussion and case studies. For further information on the course please see the link below: Executive training course on Technology and Innovation Management IfM students triumph at international entrepreneur competition
MET students have won an international competition for young entrepreneurs with their business idea the 'TouchSight Vision Mitt'. The TouchSight team beat off five other teams from leading institutions around the world to take first prize at the Next Generation Entrepreneur Forum (NGEF) competition in Monaco worth 10,000 Euros. The team recently won both the Cambridge University Entrepreneurs £1k Business Idea Competition and the Varsity Pitch with their idea. The 'TouchSight Vision Mitt' is an innovative low-cost mobility aid for the blind and partially sighted which enables the user to 'sense' their surroundings using ultrasonic sensors and vibration feedback actuators, whilst keeping the palm of the hand free for other tasks. Pete Davies, Karan Keswani, Samaan Rahman and Jessi Baker, all in their final year, had to pitch their 'Vision Mitt' idea to an audience of 200 people, including many successful venture capitalists, and were then quizzed by a panel on stage. Pete Davies said: "We have learnt a huge amount about entrepreneurship and have met amazing people from around the world with similar interests and great connections. We have come across several opportunities to help us take our business to the next stage. We are now taking steps to build more prototypes and bring the product to market." TouchSight won particular praise for their social entrepreneurship from Candace Johnson, the co-initiator of the Astra satellite system and SES global, one of the world's largest satellite systems. The NGEF event is a three-day networking competition attracting many venture capitalists and business angels, and offering students a chance to win international exposure. For more information on the NGEF competition please see the link below: IfM students win Oxbridge "Varsity Pitch" competition
MET students from the IfM have beaten off Oxford rivals to win the 'Varsity Pitch' competition. The TouchSight team were one of three from Cambridge to take part in what has been labelled as "The Oxbridge Business Boatrace." The overall winner's prize consisted of £5, 000 and a place in the next round in Monaco for the international 'Next Generation Entrepreneurship Forum' where they have the chance to access further funding. Pete Davies of TouchSight commented: "We're absolutely delighted to win the Varsity Pitch 2007. It's brilliant that competitions like this are organised by student societies to enable entrepreneurship and let all these amazing ideas that would not otherwise see the light of day have exposure and involvement with business and investors in the real world. TouchSight will now take the next steps to bring the product to market - we will build more prototypes, protect our intellectual property and work closer with distribution channels to make this happen. TouchSight will bring real change to the lives of the blind and visually impaired across the world." The Varsity Pitch is a new Oxbridge business idea competition, with three winners from the CUE £1k competition competing against three winners from the Oxford Idea Idol competition. The competition took place on Monday 19th February at the Said Business School , Oxford University . Judges for the competition included; Peter Jones , Serial Entrepreneur & Dragon Den panellist; Martha Lane Fox , Co-founder, Lastminute.com; Ian Lobley , Senior Partner, 3i Venture Capital; Michael Birch , Co-founder and CEO, Bebo.com and Jim Lawn , Head of Innovation Strategy, Microsoft UK For more information please see the Cambridge University Entrepreneurs and Oxford Entrepreneurs press release: IfM students win Cambridge University Entrepreneurs £1k Business Idea Competition
MET students from the IfM have won the Cambridge University Entrepreneurs £1k Business Idea Competition with their idea the 'TouchSight Vision Mitt'. The TouchSight Vision Mitt is an innovative mobility aid which enables the user to 'sense' their surroundings using ultrasonic sensors and vibration feedback actuators, whilst keeping the palm of the hand free for other tasks. The competition this year had 86 entrants. The team, who consisted of MET students Karan Keswani, Samaan Rahman, Pete Davies and Jessie Baker, were one of ten winners who go through to the second round in which they have to present a full business plan for their idea. "Touchsight have done very well to get to the final ten of the £1k Business Ideas Competition," said Rahul Vohra, President of Cambridge University Entrepreneurs. "We received 33% more entries than in any previous year and as a result the competition was extremely tough. We hope that Touchsight and other MET students will follow in the footsteps of James Hay. In 2001, James won the CUE Business Creation Competition with Splashpower whilst he was an MET student. Splashpower has since gone on to become the first venture backed company to come through CUE and has raised more than $15 million of further funding." Cambridge University Entrepreneurs organise the most successful student run business planning and creation competitions in Europe . Since 1999, CUE has had over 450 entries and has awarded over £280,000 in grants to 31 business ideas. These companies have raised more than £15m further funding and are currently valued at more than £30m. For more information on the £1k Business Plan Competition or Cambridge University Entrepreneurs please see the link below: Cambridge University Entrepreneurs For further information on the Touchsight Vision Mitt please email ifm-enquiries@eng.cam.ac.uk Unilever and IfM announce new research project
Unilever and the IfM today announced the launch of a new research project to explore how companies can successfully implement a radical approach to collaboration in the research and development process, known as 'open innovation'. Commissioned by Unilever, the research will explore how large, established companies can collaborate with early stage firms, scientists and academia in order to deliver innovations to market more quickly and improve marketplace competitiveness. Led by Dr Tim Minshall, Lecturer at the IfM, the 12-month study will examine the potential models, benefits, challenges and skillsets required for companies participating in open innovation. Working in partnership with the University's Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, the IfM team will also explore how collaboration can be managed among a variety of different types of organisations, from academia and large companies to early stage and entrepreneurial firms. Dr Sally Ann Forsyth, Business Development Director, Unilever Colworth Park commented: "This partnership with the University of Cambridge is an exciting new development for Unilever. It builds on our excellent relationship with the University and progress we have already made in this area. We look forward to working with Dr Minshall and his team to better understand how companies can make open innovation flourish and deliver differentiated products to improve marketplace competitiveness." For the full press release please see the link below Professor Mike Gregory to give lecture at ee-net event
The East of England Development Agency and European Social Fund are funding an afternoon dedicated to cutting-edge engineering and manufacturing in the East of England, on the 15th February in Cambridge. The event will feature a lecture by Professor Mike Gregory, Head of IfM. Professor Gregory will talk about how engineering and manufacturing companies can best develop and retain a competitive advantage in the global economy. For further details on this event please see the link below:
Funding technology: Britain forty years on
With increasing competition from emerging economies, such as India and China, the UK is being urged to address the issue of commercialising new technologies to support sustainable economic growth. A new report co-authored by IfM lecturer Dr Tim Minshall entitled Funding Technology: Britain forty years on examines the UK 's economic weaknesses in the exploitation of new ideas. The report identifies specific structural weaknesses that hinder the UK 's ability to capitalise on turning research outputs into products and services. The report was co-authored by David Gill, Managing Director of ETCapital Limited; Craig Pickering, ex-HM Treasury official, now an independent consultant specialising in economic and financial policies, and Martin Rigby, founder and Managing Director of ETCapital Limited. For the full report please see the link below: Centre for Technology Management paper investigates environmental effects of abandoning Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Centre for Technology Management researcher, Dr Garnsey , has lead a position paper investigating the environmental effects of discarding GMT and bringing the UK inline with central Europe. The paper shows a cumulative figure of around 1.7 million MWhrs of electricity is wasted by current arrangements, resulting in 1.7 million tons of additional emissions, counting only the weeks of clock change. For the more information please email ifm-enquiries@eng.cam.ac.uk
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