Creating a digital

dance archive
Supporting
product
development for
an ageing society
Involving the
Applied research at Coventry University Issue 8 Autumn 2010
public to improve
public spaces
Advising on a
growth plan for a
leading business
Using algae to

Grand
develop biofuels

The

Challenge How Coventry University is addressing global

issues through a targeted applied research agenda
 Applied research at Coventry University

GRAND
THE
Issue 8 Autumn 2010
Creating a digital
dance archive
Supporting
product
development for
an ageing society
Involving the
public to improve
public spaces
Advising on a
growth plan for a
leading business
Using algae to
develop biofuels
Welcome
Universities are in a unique position
CHALLENGE How Coventry University is addressing global
issues through a targeted applied research agenda

16 to be able to influence change and in

this issue of Innovate we have outlined
Coventry University’s commitment to
doing just that.

10
Managing Editor We all have a responsibility
Karen Smith,
for protecting our
Deputy Director
world and making it a

18
of Marketing for
better place for future
Coventry University
generations but tackling
Edited and designed by some of the larger issues
requires specialist expertise, experience

inside
Elliott House
Communications and research.
Coventry has always been focused on
Printed by research that has real tangible gains, that
Emmersons “Coventry has makes an impact on society and improves
always focused the way we live. Our dedicated institutes,
our applied research centres and groups and
on research the knowledge of our expert academics have
that has real charged this University with an energy and
Innovate / AUTUMN 2010
tangible gains enthusiasm to help tackle some of the global
– that makes issues we face.
For more an impact on As you will have hopefully seen in previous
information 4 in the know society” issues of this magazine, we are already
If you would like to find The latest research news from across the campus focused on delivering research with impact
out more about any of the but we have now identified six key issues
articles within this issue, that we believe need our attention. We have
if you have a general Features called these our Grand Challenge Initiatives and we will be actively
enquiry about applied
seeking research projects in these areas in an effort to tackle

20
research or to subscribe
8 six challenges to change worldwide problems.
to a future issue of
Innovate, contact us on
the world 20 long haul Sustainable agriculture, an ageing society, low carbon vehicles,
How the University is focusing its applied research Driving sustainability and efficiency in the transport integrated transport and logistics, low impact buildings and digital
Telephone efforts on addressing global issues and logistics sector with a central database media are six areas where we can focus our research efforts to
+44 (0) 24 7623 6364 make real changes and improve lives. We have also highlighted
10 sensitive housing 22 power down metrology and environmental technologies as two other challenges
Email Using a Wireless Sensor Network to create healthy Helping companies to collaborate to collectively that run alongside and throughout the other six.
innovate@coventry.ac.uk and more carbon efficient homes reduce their energy consumption We are already conducting applied research projects in all of

Website 14 Motor mutiny 24 street talk 14 these areas and in this issue of Innovate you can read about each
of them in more detail.
www.coventry.ac.uk/ How the University is playing its part in a £19m Using a range of feedback devices to improve the While we will still be working on a complete range of research
researchnet project to create a template for low carbon vehicles use of public spaces projects, these Grand Challenge Initiatives will ensure Coventry
Regulars University is focused on helping to shape a brighter future for us all.
This publication is available 16 strictly collaborative 26 business brains If you would like to be a part of our exciting plans or
in other formats on Creating a dance archive that will benefit How the University has helped with a strategic 29 Case notes: algal biofuels have any comments on the projects or the magazine,
request. Please researchers, dancers and the public analysis of one of Unipart's businesses Finding a world-beating fomula for algal biofuels please get in touch. I look forward to hearing from you.
contact Marketing and
Communications on 18 i-DEAL solution 28 corporate identity 30 Q&A Professor Ian Marshall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
+44 (0) 24 7688 8352 Helping companies develop assistive technologies Bringing people together in the workplace and How skills in metrology are helping to improve
to support an ageing society building stronger communities business for one local company Contact: innovate@coventry.ac.uk

2 Innovate / autumn 2010 Innovate / Autumn 2009 5

 intheknow
» Leading the way in applied research inbrief
OBE for University
professor
Coventry University’s
Professor of Patient Safety
was awarded an OBE for
services to healthcare in the
Queen’s Birthday honours.


Professor Brian Toft said
that he was “thrilled and
delighted” to have been
given the award. 

“It is an
honour for me to have my
work recognised in such a
public way and it means a
great deal for patient safely
in general.


“I am also delighted that
Coventry University will

City to SURGE ahead benefit from this as well

green city /
SURGE is advising
Coventry on how
because they appointed
to make the city me to this role. I am very

on regeneration proud to be associated with

greener
Coventry and will accept

University is at the
this honour in the name of
patient safety.”
» City Council enlists University to identify opportunities

STEPPING OUT / At the special
London Graduate Fashion Show
height of fashion
» Showing off in style with award nominations
The Fashion team at the University has
two projects in the finals of the annual Lord
Stafford Awards.
Alvin mentored third-year Design students
in the build up to the Degree show’s Fashion
show in June where he announced which
SURGE, the University’s Applied Research Centre for Sustainable Regeneration, is
examining economic opportunities in green and new technologies for Coventry City Council.
The centre has published three reports for the Council on low carbon vehicles, virtual 3D
technologies and environmental technologies.
University stars in
CBI DVD
Business lobby group the CBI
The report on low carbon vehicles said that there were important medium-to-long- has featured the University
term opportunities as the sector grows with government at both UK and EU level keen on a DVD it has sent out
to encourage consumers to move away from traditional cars which use fossil fuels. In on partnerships between
addition, Coventry is well-placed in the UK to provide universities and businesses.
the supply-chain and technology expertise due to its The CBI approached

1500
One is for a research project with students would showcase their designs at historical position in the car market. the University to take part

"The graduates used

Rackety’s, a clothing provider for people with The London Graduate Fashion Show. The In environmental technologies, SURGE found that in the project, which also
disabilities, and the other is for a project that annual event raises thousands of pounds for low-carbon technologies could potentially contribute featured other businesses

the University’s
has research potential for homeless charity The Princess Royal Trust for Carers. more than £2bn to Coventry’s economy and said and universities involved
Coventry Cyrenians and Trading Standards. Five Fashion graduates also spent the that the Council should show strong leadership in in manufacturing and

state-of-the-art
The winners will be announced at a black- summer with another award-winning fashion developing and exploiting low-carbon technologies. knowledge transfer.
tie Awards ceremony at Stoneleigh Park in designer. The graduates used the University’s SURGE also said that Coventry should build on Project Manager Pam

studios to help
Warwickshire this November.
The Lord Stafford Awards were developed
with research,
in 1997 to recognise and encourage the
development of collaborative relationships
development and
between businesses and universities.
The black-tie ceremony will be the second
production on new
prestigious event for the Fashion team in a
couple of months.
designs for Gavin
September saw a Graduate Fashion
Show at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel in
state-of-the-art studios to help with research,
development and production on new designs
for Gavin Douglas.
As part of the new collaboration with
Coventry University, Gavin is providing
graduates with exclusive industry experience
and offering a series of workshops on
campus for fashion undergraduates over the
next academic year.



 pound spent on intervention could generate £6-7.
The paid internships are being supported
The number of people aged
over 55, living in Coventry,
who were surveyed about
their health, well-being and
aspirations. The University’s
findings will be used by local
organisations, including
its existing initiatives in digital technology and that a Shoker-Texeira arranged for
strong and vibrant 3D digital media sector will form Vice-Chancellor Professor
the basis for direct inward investment from overseas. Madeleine Atkins, among
It suggested five areas to fill the gaps in its existing other representatives, to
provision, including establishing a Digital Coventry be filmed talking about the
Partnership to create a framework of cooperation University’s commitment
across all of its digital activity, and identifying sources to being business-facing,
of funding from other partners, highlighting that every its Knowledge Transfer
Partnerships, and its projects
with small and medium-sized

Douglas"
collaboration with couture designer Alvin Loy by the Higher Education Funding Council for businesses (SMEs).
and the Princess Royal Trust for Carers. England (HEFCE).
NHS Coventry, to plan for
older people in the city over
4 Innovate / autumn 2010 the next few years. Innovate / autumn 2010 5
intheknow Leading the way in applied research
Dual diagnosis
A new online resource developed
through a collaboration between
the University and consultant nurse
group PROGRESS is aiming to raise
awareness of issues related to
people with both psychiatric illness
and substance abuse problems –
also known as dual diagnosis.




The dual diagnosis e-learning
package, which is commissioned
by the National Mental Health
Development Unit’s Dual Diagnosis
Programme, will be free to access
and is aimed at clinical staff, care
workers and other interested parties
such as the police, ambulance
crews and prison officers, as well as
service users and the public.



 can set up a trading space to showcase
The e-learning course has four
modules including an introduction
to dual diagnosis, a study of how
mental health awareness impacts
substance abuse, and, in turn, how
awareness of substance abuse
affects mental health.



 and Marie Hardie from the Faculty who heads up the Internship programme, arranged
Dr Liz Hughes, Reader in
Mental Health and Substance
Misuse Research, developed the
course content alongside her
colleagues at PROGRESS and in
collaboration with the University's
Centre for Excellence in Learning
Enhancement (CELE).

 The Economic Challenge Investment
She said: “The e-learning is meant
to be an awareness-raising resource,
and it is anticipated that people who
complete this will be able to move
on to further training and learning
opportunities in their local area.”
For more information: Visit
www.coventry.ac.uk/dualdiagnosis
6 Innovate / autumn 2010
V-Trade gets Serious
about virtual world
» Forum set up to discuss future of virtual business
The Serious Games Institute (SGI)
is giving West Midlands-based SMEs the
opportunity to expand into international
markets and develop their businesses.
The V-Trade project will build a virtual
demonstrator platform where companies
their products and services to a global
audience. V-Trade will remove the
logistical and financial barriers to building
relationships across the globe.
The SGI held its first V-Trade forum
Funding helps local businesses
A funding package aimed at helping
businesses survive the recession has
helped over 100 companies.
Fund (ECIF) enabled Coventry to give £1m
worth of support in five work packages.
A business sustainability voucher
scheme gave 40 companies up to £3k
each to improve marketing collateral, get
specialist training and expert support.
Over 200 employees and 10 companies
were helped in niche manufacturing and
automotive technology through a mixture
of training courses, knowledge transfers,
events and seminars.
savethedate
Make a note of events
happening in the next
few months and keep
up to date online at
www.coventry.ac.uk/
researchnet
18 Nov
Keith Popplewell –
Jaguar Cars Professor of
Engineering Manufacture
and Management
Popplewell gives a
Professiorial Lecture
Location: George Eliot
Building, Room GEG31
(Humber Lecture Theatre)
Time: 18:00
9 Dec
in June to ensure that the new platform Harris Beider – Professor in
meets the requirements of West Midlands Community Cohesion
Interns create a buzz
SMEs, providing businesses with the Beider gives a Professorial
chance to discuss their – and their clients’ Lecture on The Politics of
– needs. Community Cohesion
Technical Developer Simon Scarle said: Location: George Eliot
“This is an ongoing project to find out how » University provides business boost with Building, Room GEG31
people want to sell in a virtual world.” postgraduate placements (Humber Lecture Theatre)
Time: 18:00
For more information: To be a part
Businesses and students have benefited from an internship scheme that was
of the V-Trade forum, or to register for the
network, e-mail jstew@cad.coventry.ac.uk or call organised by the University this summer.
The postgraduates from the Faculty of Business, Environment and Society impressed so
07974 984299 for more information.
much that two have been offered full-time positions. Project Manager Pam Shoker-Texeira 16 Dec
Emerge Networking
Ferrari /
Felipe Massa and for three students – James Edwards, Ramon Manak and Gemma Burke – to go on a The Institute for Creative
Fernando Alonso 12-week internship with luxury publishing company Opus Media Group, which produces Enterprise (ICE) is holding
with the Ferrari limited-edition hand-crafted memorabilia for some of the biggest brand names in the world, a monthly networking
Opus (photo
courtesy of www. including Vivienne Westwood, Saatchi, Manchester United and Sachin Tendulkar. meeting for creatives
Thirty companies were supported by krakenopus.com) Dipesh Davadra, Marketing Manager at Opus Media Group, said: “We’ve got a couple called Emerge Networking.
the Institute of Applied Entrepreneurship of products coming out for Formula 1 and Ferrari, and we didn’t have the resources to plan Meet with local artists and
to develop their entrepreneurialism, and marketing and sales. These guys helped creative businesses.
specialist consultancy was given to 14 to give us some really good plans, do Location: ICE, Coventry
companies within the serious games research and get a feel for working in a Technology Park
sector. The Serious Games Institute fast-paced environment.” Time: 17:30
also engaged with 20 graduates through James has now started a full-time
placement opportunities and mentoring. position with Opus Media Group where
A graduate mentoring scheme also he’ll develop relationships with partners
helped 40 graduates in the creative of Ferrari and Formula 1 as the new 20 Jan
industries, with 24 securing placements. Opuses are launched. Ramon is also in Matthew Wallace
Programme Director Derek Griffiths discussions to start a full-time role. Wallace gives a Professorial
said: "ECIF has been a success. We Dipesh recommends internships. “We Lecture
have been able to help businesses and needed their assistance and it was very Location: George Eliot
individuals affected by the downturn." much appreciated,” he said. Building, Room GEG31
(Humber Lecture Theatre)
Time: 18:00
Innovate / Autumn 2009 7
 Grand Challenge Initiatives
6 challenges to
change the world
A radical new strategy for the University’s research
agenda is helping address some of the biggest
challenges facing the modern world
R
esearch is fundamental
to the development of
humanity. Higher education
has a critical role to play
in helping to overcome the
major challenges society
continues to encounter now and in the future.
Coventry University has now outlined its
own contribution to tackling these global
issues in a new strategy. The plan reveals the
University's commitment to applied research
that focuses on Grand Challenge Initiatives.
Six key global issues – the Grand Challenges
– have been identified where applied research
is needed and where the University’s expertise
can have a significant impact. There are also
two further strands that run throughout the six
key areas.
These research areas offer massive
opportunities for staff, students and
partners of the University to collaborate on
projects. Interdisciplinary activity across the
University's departments and faculties will
be encouraged to involve a broad range of
expertise and strengthen results.
These initiatives will enable the University
to work more closely with external partners,
enhance the student experience, build its
reputation for high quality research and, most
08 Innovate / autumn 2010
The Grand Challenge Initiatives are now driving
5. Sustainable
the research agenda at Coventry University and Agriculture and Food
this word mark will be used on all materials
The University has long-standing expertise
that refer to any of the initiatives.
in this area. This challenge will be focused
3. Ageing Society on areas of policy, social science and insupport
management associated with development
This challenge is focused on the of sustainable domestic and international
societal issues of supporting a growing agriculture and food systems. See the Case Metrology
population of older people from the Notes article on page 29.
provision of healthcare and design of Focused on promoting
equipment to the positive aspects of the use of accurate
wellbeing and social inclusion. measurement methods,
See the i-DEAL Solution feature on metrology offers
page 18 for more on this. 6. Low Carbon Vehicles supporting services
to all of the research
Testing, evaluating and designing teams to turn data into
the vehicles and associated systems information. Read how
needed to establish low carbon vehicles
4. Low Impact Buildings as viable alternatives to traditional
metrology is helping a
business to develop on
This challenge will focus on the delivery modes of transport. See page 14 to read page 30.
of practical solutions, knowledge and about the work already being done on
innovation to industry and the public sector. this challenge.
It will cover a wide range of aspects from Environmental
3
construction materials and methods to
Technologies
intelligent monitoring and user experience
of new technologies. See the Sensitive Aimed at involvement
Housing feature on page 10 for more on this. in all the challenges to
develop large scale
5
demonstrator/
4
proof of concept
studies of new
environmental
technologies. Read
importantly, address grand challenges on a
the Power Down
global scale. article on page
The six challenges, and the two supporting 22 to see how the
strands, are outlined here and while not all of University is working
the University's research activity will fit under with business to help
2
these headings, it will all follow the same them collaborate
better to reduce energy
principles that drive the initiatives.
consumption.
Future issues of Innovate will show how
the Grand Challenge Initiatives are taking the
University’s teaching and research agenda to
a higher level in its mission to tackle some of
society’s most pressing concerns.
1 6
It’s a powerful commitment from Coventry
to help shape the future of our world.
1. Integrated
Transport and
Logistics
The core objective of the challenge
is to support the provision of
better-informed, efficient and
safe integrated public transport
and logistics services. The aim
is for increased business and
Government understanding of
the design, provision and use
of transport/logistics networks
with emphasis on linking to
environmental and information 2. Digital Media
technologies. See the feature on This challenge is focused on both technological
page 20 for a project in action. innovation and novel, creative content to find
new ways to exploit digital environments. See
the feature Strictly Collaborative on page 16 to
read about a digital project that is underway.
Innovate / autumn 2010 09
 Grand Challenge Initiatives low impact buildings
Sensitive
housing Well-designed buildings have health benefits and
can reduce carbon emissions, but accurate data and
instrumentation is key, explains Professor Elena Gaura,
Director of Cogent Computing Applied Research Centre
H
uman beings’ need for shelter has
given us a capacity for building
remarkable structures.
But our reliance on it – we spend
95% of our time indoors – has
significant effects on our health and on
the wider environment. Poor housing and indoor working
conditions can bring about a range of health problems.
And, with 45% of the UK’s carbon emissions coming
from the built environment, it is a prime target for
making cuts as the Government works towards its goal
of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% of
1990 levels by 2050.
Accurate data on energy consumption in the home is
proving an essential tool in tackling the impact our living
conditions have on a social and environmental scale. It is
an area where the Cogent Computing Applied Research
Centre is heavily involved as it is at the forefront of
British research in the field of pervasive sensing.
One such project is a commission from Orbit Heart
of England, the Midlands-based organisation within the
Orbit Group, one of the largest Registered Social Landlords
research
owning and managing more than 32,000 homes across
partner:
the country. Orbit Heart of England is dealing with the
challenge of retrofitting the large numbers of existing
properties so as to reduce their carbon emissions whilst
"The Government is working towards its goal of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% of 1990 levels by 2050"
10 Innovate / autumn 2010
LIVE HOUSE/
Cogent has set up a
Live House to support
the project, which is
Elena Guara's home.
It is a normal family
home that has been
connected with a
Wireless Sensor
System to monitor the
fluctuation in the use of
the house. Pictured (l-r)
James Gaura, Sascha,
Ezra, Elena and Lyra.
indetail
Efficiency advice
The Technology Strategy Board and Orbit Heart of England have funded
a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), which involves two associates
monitoring 150 of Orbit Heart of England’s properties.
The KTP associates are employed by Coventry University and
supervised by staff through visits at the workplace.
One associate will look at the efficiency of mechanical fixtures for
homes – including heating and ventilation systems, lighting, appliances
etc – and the other is looking at a means of quantifying the occupant
energy behaviour and developing educational packages to enable people
to lower their carbon footprint and maximise the efficiency of their home.
providing better comfort for the residents and substantially
reducing their energy costs. Cogent’s role in this process
involves monitoring and assessing a large number of
Orbit’s properties with the aim of enabling decisions to be
made about the nature of refurbishments and helping to
identify the causes of problems.
Using a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), devices
are placed in the homes and gather data on the way
the buildings are used – such as temperature, relative
humidity, CO2 levels and light levels (Photosynthetically
Active Radiation and Total Solar Radiation). This is
Innovate / autumn 2010 13

indetail
Live House
Monitoring of Orbit Heart of England's properties
is limited to a period of two weeks in each house.
Battery changes, intrusion to the resident
and the sheer number of homes – it is an
expensive system – limit Cogent’s time with
each property.
To help support the research Cogent
decided to set up The Live House to act as
an appendix to the Orbit project. It deploys
the same sensor system that is used in Orbit
properties but in just one home – Elena
Guara’s, pictured right – on a permanent basis.
This gives Cogent a baseline against which to
measure the Orbit properties.
“It is not by chance that it’s my house; we
understand the home, we understand the
patterns of usage in it and we can annotate
the data in a manner which enables us to
understand it better,” says Elena. “We can’t do
that for the homes where we deploy and leave
the equipment. For example, knowing when
you open a window allows you to extract that
portion of data and see the effect it had on the
climate in the home. It means we can develop
an automated means of detecting windows
opening and their effects.”
Elena recently installed double-glazing in
the Live House and Cogent can now analyse
the impact. Nothing else changed in terms of
the behaviour or structure of the home so any
changes can be attributed to the installation.
The Live House is not only a benefit to the
research centre, but it also benefits the wider
research community – whether in wireless
instrumentation or the built environment – by
providing comprehensive, long-term data.
Researchers can use the data to come up with
adequate metrics and information extraction
techniques for the built environment. The
images (right) show the Live House in action.
14 Innovate / Autumn 2009
low impact buildings Grand Challenge Initiatives
"Several homes have been found where people
have been living for a considerable period of time
at temperatures and humidities that could have a
detrimental impact on their health"
the first time that systems like this have been deployed GREENER
in residential homes to enable refurbishment decisions. HOUSING /
Education will
The properties are all assessed against UK and reduce the
Midlands benchmarks in terms of energy consumption frequency of
and the CO2 footprint, and identify any potential refurbishments
Orbit need to do
concerns for the environmental effects on a resident's
health. For example, several homes have been found
where people have been living for a considerable period
of time at temperatures and humidities that could have a
detrimental impact on their health.
While the work is focused on Orbit Heart Of England's
houses, Cogent has also placed sensors in my home – a Live
House – to monitor the data alongside the Orbit properties.
This acts as a baseline so that any changes in the Orbit data NEW BUILD/
can be more accurately attributed to actions the occupants Orbit is building a
new development
make in the houses (see box left for more information). called Sampson
But while the WSN produces masses of data, it is for Close, which
the housing association, with Cogent’s help, to determine is the first
Midlands-based
what information is of most value. There is in excess of
social housing
200,000 data points from each deployment and Cogent scheme to follow
has developed an automated system that consumes the the PassivHaus
data and applies algorithms to generate the results. certification route
While Cogent does not offer advice on how the
housing association should action the data, it does supply
an assessment of the results in a format that is easily
interpreted by non-computer scientists. Orbit is then able
FAMILY to use the information to determine issues such as the efficiently. Educating tenants will potentially reduce
ACTIONS/ In efficiency of the heating system and whether residents are the number of refurbishments and Cogent is helping
the Live House
using it properly. Orbit to do this through a funded Knowledge Transfer
(clockwise from
top): James For example, ground-source heating is often regarded Partnership (see box on first page).
opens a window as being energy efficient but it needs to be permanently Some properties will have a combination of issues that
which the sensors switched on. People more familar with controlling the put them at risk of being below the threshold for healthy
would detect;
heat of a central heating system often switch the ground- living but the information Cogent provides is allowing
Elena pours a
bath which would source system off, which leads to a cold house with Orbit to prioritise those that need refurbishments urgently.
create steam; increased humidity and the potential for mould to form, The data also enables the housing association to make
riding an exercise
bike would resulting in unnecessary repair costs. the most efficient use of its resources and, by highlighting
increase CO2 In this instance, the data collated has enabled Cogent potential problems before they happen, can also save vast
levels; and kitchen to research the prediction of mould formation, which is amounts of money. And, more importantly, the data will
activities have an
affect on data too. essential information for Orbit. Mould is much easier to also improve the living conditions and health of tenants,
combat if it is caught in its early stages as it can be fixed many of whom are from the more deprived areas of society.
using simple cosmetic measures and longer term damage After witnessing the benefits of the sensor system first
can be avoided by ensuring tenants are better informed hand, the University is deploying a similar system in its
about how to use the heating system. new high-tech Engineering and Computing building to
Having access to this type of information means that ensure it is running at maximum efficiency levels.
building managers and tenancy engineers can decide That way the system will ensure that as a Higher
whether a refurbishment is needed or whether the tenant Education Institution, the University is truly practising
just needs more advice on how to manage the home more what it teaches.
Innovate / autumn 2010 13
 Grand Challenge Initiatives low carbon vehicles
Motor
mutiny
Coventry University is at the heart of the
low carbon vehicle revolution, explains
Mike Dickison, Senior Research Fellow
in Automotive Engineering, due to its
involvement in a project that is driving
the future of passenger transport
P
etrol-heads are being forced off the road.
Whether we like it or not, the pressure is on
to accelerate new solutions for alternative
forms of transport that don’t cost the earth.
Although it’s not currently economically
viable to buy an electric or hybrid vehicle
as opposed to a more cost-effective diesel, the choice will
soon be gone. Low carbon vehicles will be the norm and
the driving public will be expected to use them due to the
restriction and cost of fossil fuels. The reality is that cars
will be even more expensive than they are today.
Biography
Mike Dickison is a Senior Research Fellow in
Automotive Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering
& Computing. Mike is responsible for coordinating and
managing automotive R&D consultancy projects. He
has extensive experience in the automotive industry
including roles as a Technical Director for C2P
Automotive and Group Leader, Body & Safety, at MIRA.
14 Innovate / autumn 2010
Of course, some people have already chosen to drive
electric or hybrid vehicles and are taking advantage of
the current incentives on offer. The cost of running an
electric vehicle is a lot lower, for example, than an internal
combustion engine. One of the major barriers to take-up
though is the initial price of the vehicle – an issue that
manufacturers are struggling to rectify due to the high costs
involved in actually making the vehicles.
This is just one of the areas that The Low Carbon Vehicle
Technology Project (LCVTP) is hoping to solve. The new
£19m project, funded by Advantage West Midlands,
the European Regional Development Fund Programme
(ERDF) and industry partners, aims to make the West
Midlands the centre of excellence for low carbon vehicle
technology and the University is helping to make it happen.
LCVTP is a collaboration between leading companies
and research partners to revolutionise the way vehicles
are powered and manufactured. Project partners include
Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors, Zytek, Ricardo, MIRA,
WMG (formerly Warwick Manufacturing Group) at the
University of Warwick and Coventry University. The
group will develop tangible, market-ready technologies
MOTION CAPTURE / The new
Large Volume Airflow Visualisation
(LVAV) technique that MIRA is
developing as part of the project. It
uses motion capture technology from
VICON Ltd (more usually used in the
film, computer game and bio-medical
industries) to track thousands of
bubbles in the wind tunnel. This
development will hopefully allow the
team to generate the same kind of
images that engineers are used to
seeing from Computational Fluid
Dynamics (CFD) simulations, in the
wind tunnel.
infocus
"The University is
taking a major lead
on the Aerodynamic
Performance side of
the project"
by concentrating its efforts into 13 technical research and
development workstreams and two vehicle workstreams
(see box). A partner will lead each one, working closely with
selected SMEs to develop solutions. No one technology will
deliver a low carbon future so it requires a fundamental
reassessment of how vehicle engineering is approached;
from advanced battery and motor technology for efficient
propulsion, light weight materials and aerodynamics to
minimise lost energy, through to intelligent control systems
for efficient operation in urban environments.
While Coventry is applying its expertise to nine of the
The Work-
streams
The Low Carbon Vehicle
Technology Project
comprises 15 separate
technical R&D workstreams.
Coventry is involved in
numbers five to 15:
» Battery Cells & Packs
» Drive Motors
» Power Electronics
» High Voltage Electrical
Distribution
» Auxiliary Power Units
» Vehicle Supervisory Control
» Lightweight Structures
» Vehicle Dynamics &
Traction Control
» High Efficiency Heating
Ventilation & Air
Conditioning (HVAC) and
System Cooling, Reduction
of Parasitic Losses
» Parasitic losses
» Waste Energy & Energy
Storage
» Aerodynamic Performance
» Human Machine Interface
(HMI) Engineering
» Large Range Extended
Saloon Vehicle
» Electric Vehicle to a new,
optimised architecture
with a Range Extended
Electric Vehicle variant.
research sponsor:
TESTING / A wooden 'buck' is being used to test out the space
inside a proposed low carbon people carrier
13 technical workstreams, the University is leading on the
Aerodynamic Performance side of the project, alongside
technical specialists on aerodynamics at MIRA, Jaguar
Land Rover, Tata and Ricardo. The partners have identified
the potential impact on aerodynamic drag from various
external surfaces and components for different types of
vehicles. They have considered the application of a range of
both active and passive aerodynamic devices.
Work is now focused on conducting research, using both
wind tunnel testing and Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD), into the items that have the biggest impact on
aerodynamic efficiency. This includes the wheels and
wheelarches and also the base of the car, as these make
a large contribution to drag. The programme is also
investing in a benchmark vehicle which can be modified
with new devices to assess their effectiveness in different
wind tunnels. MIRA is also investigating different
methodologies to enhance current testing techniques and
simulation procedures.
When the workstream activities are complete the project
partners will produce a guide for manufacturers that
will advise which areas are best adapted to get the most
effective aerodynamic performance. This will be about
new devices and the shape of the vehicle, which affects
not only aerodynamic drag but also high speed stability.
At this point, the work will benefit from the findings of
the 12 other technical workstreams because, for example,
the stability is dependent on other factors that will be
addressed in research into lightweight structures and
vehicle architecture, among with many of the others.
Together, the workstreams will create a comprehensive
guide for the industry on low carbon vehicle technology.
The local area will benefit massively from the project and
it is estimated that it will create between 3,000 and 11,500
jobs in the UK by 2020, the majority of those being in the
West Midlands. It will also safeguard jobs in the supply
chain as businesses switch to low carbon opportunities.
When the project concludes in 2011, the findings will be
disseminated widely and will be significant in shaping the
driving experience of the future.
Innovate / autumn 2010 15
 Grand Challenge Initiatives digital media

T
PROJECT PARTNERS: he popularity of dance has increased
Coventry University massively in the last few years. Recent
Sarah Whatley (Professor statistics from the Arts Council of England
of Dance), David Bennett showed that audience numbers for
(Research Assistant) dance have risen by more than 100%
University of Surrey
and participation rates have also grown,
Rachel Fensham, John
Collomosse, Reede Ren including applications to study dance in higher education.
National Resource Despite this, access to high quality dance materials
Centre for Dance remains limited, due in no small part to the specialist skills
Helen Roberts, Sharon needed to acquire, catalogue and archive dance artefacts.
Maxwell, Adam Reynolds A joint project between the University’s School of Art
and Design and researchers at the University of Surrey is
research sponsor: going to help teach dance to students and the public with
a highly-interactive website of dance archive materials.
The Digital Dance Archives (DDA), funded by the Arts
and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), will provide
users with access to dance archive collections including
videos of performance, photographs, visual materials and
a wide range of text-based documents.
The aim of DDA is to increase public access to dance
materials which are very rare in order to promote and
encourage dialogue and exchange between artists,
researchers, students and the wider public.
The project partners have 12 months to create the
platform, to develop a suite of interactive tools for the
user to search (using visual similarity as well as text
instructions) and to create virtual scrapbooks for users to
be able to collate and share their research.
Several archival collections will form the backbone
of the DDA project during this stage of development,
although the intention is to create a portal that will be
able to accommodate other digital dance archives. One of
the archives that will be included is Coventry University’s
Siobhan Davies Replay (www.siobhandaviesreplay.com),
which was also AHRC-funded, and which since its launch
With the numbers of people interested in 2009 has generated widespread interest within and
beyond the arts community.
in dance on the rise, Sarah Whatley, The DDA project brings together experts in digital
archiving and dance studies within both universities, as well
Professor of Dance and Director of as multimedia signal processing computer applications and
Research at ICELAB, explains how a content-based information retrieval (CBIR) systems from
Surrey’s Centre for Vision Speech and Signal Processing.
new archive is making the right moves This will be the first project that brings together this
cutting-edge technology with dance, benefiting not only
dance researchers but also the CBIR community. Biography
As the first digital dance archive in the UK (and one of
very few world-wide), Coventry is now a leading player Sarah Whatley is
in digital archiving of movement-based practices and Professor of Dance at
Coventry University. She
metadata schema development.
is a writer and artist and
The project has led to several international partnerships
her research specialises
and related research projects. Other DDA collections
in dance analysis and
include several which are held at Surrey’s National the interface between
Resource Centre for Dance, including: the Rudolf Laban dance and digital technologies.
Archive, which contains personal documents from the She led the Siobhan Davies archive
20th Century’s foremost movement theorist; Extemporary project. Among her other research
Dance Theatre which, from the late 1970s through the projects she is a member of the
AHRC-funded Screendance Network
1980s, featured dance works by leading international
and is international associate for a
choreographers; and from another recent AHRC project, pan-European research cluster, Inside
Pioneer Women: Early British Modern Dancers. Movement Knowledge. She edits
The project is funded through the AHRC’s Digital the international Journal of Dance
Equipment and Database Enhancement for Impact and Somatic Practices and is on the
(DEDEFI) programme. It is targeted at digital projects Editorial Board of the International
Journal of Screendance.
which had already received funding through the AHRC,
in recognition of the need to support the development
and sustainability of valuable digital resources.
It will provide an important opportunity to develop
the technologies to support the wider distribution of
"This will be the
significant dance materials while providing users with
opportunities to search between the archive content,
first project that
with tools to annotate, create and curate responses to brings together
the collections, thereby providing a potential forum for
exchange. In recognition of innovations taking place via this cutting-edge
YouTube and in digital collections more generally, it is
timely that dance in the UK, and the moving images it technology with
produces, becomes more widely disseminated via new
digital search and design capabilities available online.
dance, benefiting
The DDA project will move into testing phases in early
2011 before launching at the end of April. During its
not only dance
development there will be artist studio-based user-testing researchers but
events, workshops for graduates as well as sessions with
teachers, students and researchers. Advances in visual also the CBIR
search technology will be disseminated through industry
sector events and user groups. community"
It is hoped that the project
will also stimulate other
artists and researchers to

Strictly
generate archival materials,
thus increasing the range of
digital dance resources. RECORDED:
Several related projects Main image:
are already in development Two Quartets by
Siobhan Davies
at Coventry University, Dance, photo Lara
which will explore further Platman
the interface between art and Inset: Bird Song
by Siobhan Davies
science, and between artists Dance, photo Joel
and researchers. Chester Fildes

16 Innovate / autumn 2010

collaborative Innovate / autumn 2010 17
 Grand Challenge Initiatives ageing society
research sponsor:
T
he market for Assistive Technology has
As more businesses become more competitive as our nation
ages. The numbers of people aged
develop new 65 and over increased by 1.7
products to meet million between 1984 and 2009,
and the fastest population
the needs of an increase has been by those aged 85 and over.
The Department of Health states that by
ageing society, 2030, incidences of chronic disease in the over
Coventry University 65s will more than double. But as our health
has devised a
deteriorates, many of us are reluctant to resort
to care homes or to live with relatives – statistics
package to help show 87% of us want to stay in our own homes
– leaving a gap for technology that can assist us
them be successful
i-Deal
to live independently for longer.
“Assistive Technology companies are waking
up to the increasing importance of the consumer
in the market place,” said Sharon Simkiss, Project
Manager at the University’s Health Design & Technology
Institute (HDTI). “Consumers are looking for products
which not only meet their needs, but which also look good
and are easy to use.”
Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) often do
not test their new product ideas with potential users due to
solution
cost but it's a crucial step that could prevent failure later on.
But a new funded project is helping smaller enterprises
to develop their ideas. The Intelligent Design Engine for
Assisted Living Technology (i-DEAL) project is a cross-
faculty project involving HDTI, the Faculty of Health
& Life Sciences, the School of Art & Design, three West
Midlands SMEs and project lead Alvolution, the Assisted
Living Division of MedilinkWM.
Coventry’s role in i-DEAL, which is funded by the
Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and
Physical Sciences Research Council, is to support usability
trials for new products that the project’s SME partners are
developing and to create a methodology to help businesses
engage end-users in making ‘fit for purpose’ Assistive
Technology products.
The University is creating a clear path for SMEs to
develop, test, refine and market new life-enhancing
products that meet the needs and design standards of an
increasingly discerning public. Testing these innovative
new products with end-users helps SMEs optimise the
design of a new product and reduces commerical risk.
Feedback may also stop a company from marketing a new
product if evidence shows it would fail.
As part of the i-DEAL project Professor Andree
Woodcock in the School of Art & Design has designed a
toolkit which gives SMEs guidance on choosing the most
appropriate evaluation methods for developing products
and which provides advice on setting up a usability study.
The toolkit is a decision support system which asks
the SME key questions about their product, based on its
18 Innovate / autumn 2010
infocus
Safe Patient Systems is one of the
SMEs involved in the i-DEAL project
and has benefited from usability
testing on some of its new remote
monitoring solutions.
The company has been developing
a new telehealth system called Safe
USABILITY: (top) Recording a user trial; (centre) The Safe Mobile
Mobile Care, which enables patients
to manage their long term condition
Care device by Safe Patient Systems that was developed through
usability trials; (bottom) The student kitchen at Hereward College (LTC) at home while allowing
where technology has been evaluated. healthcare professionals to monitor
and prescribe for their condition
“Consumers are looking remotely. The windows-based
smartphone device (pictured left)was
for products which not
initially trialled with diabetes patients
to record weight, blood glucose and
only meet their needs, but insulin levels, and alerted healthcare
providers if any of the parameters
which also look good were out of line with their care plan.
Usability studies highlighted the
and are easy to use” need to make the devices blue-tooth
enabled to avoid mistakes in manually
inputting data.
stage of development, access to end-users and resources They also steered the design of
available. The result is a list of appropriate methods, based the product from the user interface
on the company’s particular circumstances, with a help perspective, including colours, font
section. It’s a unique and invaluable tool to reduce the risk sizes and layout to ensure the device
was simple to use.
of new product innovation.
Work with HDTI on another solution
“It’s a very simple but effective support system,” said designed to monitor people with
Sharon. “For only 30 minutes of a company’s time, LTC’s in nursing homes has opened
the toolkit will provide practical help and identify an up new opportunities to develop
appropriate evaluation method to inform the future design the product for different markets.
of their product.” "HDTI has proved very capable at
conducting this type of development
The research team is now putting completed product
research across a wide range of
evaluations through the toolkit to test its reliability and potential users, with excellent
using it to inform future product testing. facilities and the know-how," said
HDTI is currently considering how to commercialise Chief Executive Mark Doorbar. "In
the toolkit and the School of Art & Design is exploring its developing innovative solutions, you
potential scope as a teaching tool for design students. In need the right insight from the end-
user because it can save you time
addition, Professor Julie Barlow is working with two West
and money. This project and the work
Midlands SMEs to run usability trials at various stages of with HDTI has helped us define a
their products’ development cycle. world class solution that is now being
The three-year i-DEAL project concludes in June 2011 deployed across the region to support
and HDTI is already preparing a plan for how it can use people suffering from LTCs."
the toolkit and the lessons learnt from the usability trials.
Innovate / autumn 2010 19
 Grand Challenge Initiatives integrated transport & logistics

"The focus of the project

is to demonstrate how a

Long haul
standardised data hub can track
the carbon costs of transport at
consignment level"

Driving efficiency and sustainability in the transport

and logistics sector is the aim of a major new
initiative involving Coventry University explains
Senior Lecturer Dr Siraj Shaikh

T
he UK’s congested road network is not The focus of the project is to demonstrate how a
helped by the 415,000 heavy goods standardised data hub can track the carbon costs of
vehicles that thump along its much-used transport at consignment level. By understanding the true
motorways. The latest figures from The environmental costs involved, users will be able to compare
Department for Transport show just how and assess different transport options to make better
much we still rely on road freight for the informed choices.
movement of goods. In fact 90 per cent of all freight moved The project will also develop a demonstration
on roads is done by heavy goods vehicles – most of which application that will use the information required for
are operating under the instruction carbon tracking to show how a
of one company as they weave their data centric open architecture can
way up and down the UK, passing SaFe hands deliver new functions.
other lorry drivers doing similar THE DIGITAL SECURITY AND The information ERTOC
journeys. The inefficiencies of this FORENSICS (SAFE) ARG will will provide aims to benefit
silo mentality in terms of time, cost complete a security transport operators, retailers,
assessment to ensure:
and carbon emissions are obvious. manufacturers and regulators by:
As a way of improving • Access to the data hub is authorised transport optimisation through
and strictly monitored for operational
knowledge in this area a new the comparison of the true
conformity. Protocols, based on mutual
project has been launched authentication, and access logging, for environmental costs of different
called The Efficient and Reliable non-repudiation, will be implemented; modes of surface transport;
Transportation of Consignments • Anonymity and privacy of improved process efficiency

(ERTOC). It is part funded by the
Technology Strategy Board and the
Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research Council and as well as
Coventry University it involves
leading companies GS1 UK,
Ricardo, Unipart Logistics and IRIS
Technology. The aim of the project
is to drive business improvement
and sustainability throughout the
supply chain from factory to point
of sale. The collaborative two-
year project, led by Ricardo, aims
to develop a standardised, open
architecture, data hub to deliver
accurate information for transport
operators and their customers to
use and improve business efficiency
and effectiveness.
serve to help administrators change and
20 Innovate / autumn 2010
consignments, drivers and vehicles
is maintained by forcing partial and
restricted views of the central hub
upon access. Where necessary
for the purposes of application,
pseudonymity is used to provide a
coherent view of data;
• All forms of networked communication
are authenticated, and preserve
confidentiality where necessary. Both
collection of vehicle data and access to
the central hub by various stakeholders
should be protected as such. Industry
standard protocols such as IPSec, SSH
and SSL, providing such measures over
Internet Protocol (IP) are proposed;
• The system is designed to provide
configurable access to data that is both
comprehensive and flexible. This should
enable the administrators of the system
to control and mediate access. Periodic
reviews of information security should
optimise access when necessary.
90%
through the simplified and
standardised flow of information Coventry University’s involvement in the project authorised, that the correct privacy rules are set in place
between transport users and is through The Digital Security and Forensics (SaFe) and that industry standard protocols are included (see Biography
providers; reduction in energy Applied Research Group which is leading on the data box, left, for more details).
consumption and emissions by protection side. Measures are also proposed to test the system for Siraj Shaikh was a
providing standardised access to The underlying architecture of the proposed system any unexpected holes that exist through the Application Research Fellow at
driver behaviour data; improved serves to integrate (diverse and third party) resources, Programming Interface (API) or implementation. SaFe Cranfield University
of freight moved on roads is
supply chain visibility by providing involving collection of data, storage and provision of it will undertake a thorough security evaluation that will before moving to
done by heavy goods vehicles the Department
timely information on the status for further processing. The nature of the data collected, involve purpose-designed penetration tests to validate the
of Computing and the Digital
and location of consignments. particularly in terms of driver behaviour, vehicle tracking system against any vulnerabilities, particularly due to the Environment in the Faculty of
Existing tracking systems are and fleet operations, and the frequency and scale of underlying (operating system and application) platforms, Engineering and Computing at
not integrated, expensive, closed collection, poses a serious challenge to its security. that it may have been designed in. Coventry University as a Senior
Lecturer in 2009. His research
and provide limited, vehicle centric research sponsor: Among a number of risks the most concerning are All stakeholders stand to benefit from a rigorous
interests include network
information. ERTOC’s open driver privacy, vehicle (and consignment) location and the approach to data and system security and these proposed
security and security for scalable
standards approach will deliver competitive advantage of businesses. SaFe is proposing steps aim to guarantee confidence in the system’s design
distributed systems. He holds a
significant benefits to the wider measures that meet legal requirements to ensure the and implementation. PhD in Computer Security and
community through reduction in appropriate protection is implemented. Such measures are critical if it is to form a dependable Chartered Membership of BCS-
energy consumption, congestion The system will undergo a thorough security and reliable bedrock for a truly modern information The Chartered Institute for IT.
and emissions. assessment to ensure access to the data hub must be infrastructure for the transport and logistics sector.
Innovate / autumn 2010 21
 Grand Challenge Initiatives environmental technologies
T
he sprawling expanse of the Bayton Road
Industrial Estate is home to an eclectic
mix of companies. But encased in this
large estate, situated on the border of
Coventry, the 230 different businesses
all have one thing in common. The need
for power.
The intensity of industrial energy consumption (energy
per square metre of floor area), and hence the carbon
dioxide per square metre, is just one of the reasons why
this estate in Exhall was chosen as part of a European
project. Supported by the European Union’s Intelligent
Energy Programme, the project, called Regional Clusters
for Energy Planning, is exploring how clusters of
companies can join forces to save energy and use low
carbon techologies.
Working cooperatively, clusters of companies may
have a greater prospect of reducing fossil-based energy
consumption, either by better energy management or
through jointly funded or operated energy production –
including the adoption of renewable energy technologies.
Coventry University has teamed up with groups from
Ireland, Finland, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Estonia and
The use of fossil fuels could dramatically decrease if
companies worked together to reduce their energy
Power
consumption. Principal Lecturer Dr Les Duckers
explains how the University is uniting boardrooms
down
22 Innovate / autumn 2010
Bulgaria – each with their own regional clusters. The
Shannon Development Corporation in Ireland is the
lead European Partner and Coventry University has
been given a unique role in that it has been charged
with promoting renewable energy use across the various
industrial clusters.
One of the aims of the project, which is worth
€660,000 in total and Coventry receives €74,000 for
its work, is for each partner to explore their own cluster
for companies’ attitudes and awareness of energy
management. This is followed by a quantitative survey
of energy consumption. The project will then explore the
opportunities for each cluster to exploit new strategies,
including renewable energy, and culminate in proposals
for future pilot projects.
On the Bayton Road Industrial Estate, the survey
revealed that while the companies were interested in
"Several pilot schemes
will be proposed for
future funding at the end
of the project such as
a cluster of companies
jointly funding a wind
farm, and deriving the
benefit via their local
network"
energy management (such as conservation, efficiency and
low carbon solutions), they were unlikely to implement
changes unless there was a strong financial incentive.
The energy consumption and use on the Estate varies
widely because companies belong to widely different
sectors and range in size from employing five staff or
fewer, to international companies in the automotive
supply sector that employ 650 people. When contrasted
with the findings of other partners, this wide range of
energy consumption was only found in the Shannon
cluster, and so was attributed to the spectrum of
company types.
Electricity is the main source of energy and it's
provided through various suppliers to the individual
companies via the National Grid. Each premises is almost
invariably heated by natural gas, again from various
suppliers via the national pipe system, and process
heat is obtained from gas for modest temperatures, or
electrical furnaces.
In the UK, the energy mix for electrical generation is
dominated by fossil fuels (about 80%), nuclear (about
Biography
Dr Les Duckers teaches
environmental management
systems, environmental auditing
and Integrated Pollution
Prevention and Control on
the MSc in Environmental
Management.  initiatives and of the results of the surveys and actions
He has a science/engineering background
and is a qualified environmental auditor. He has
spent many years working on environmentally
related research, primarily in renewable energy
engineering. He is associate editor of the journal
Renewable Energy and has been a visiting
professor in Japan and Sri Lanka.
supported by:
Intelligent Energy Europe
infocus The sole
responsibility
for the content
of this article
lies with the
authors. It does
not necessarily
reflect the
opinion of
the European
Union. The
European
Commission is
not responsible
for any use that
may be made of
the information
Bayton Road contained
The Bayton Road Industrial Estate is in Exhall, on
therein.
the fringes of Coventry, and of the 230 businesses
about 20% are involved in transport and distribution
due to the proximity of the M6 and M69 motorways,
which are at the heart of the UK motorway network.
Over half of the businesses on the estate are
involved in manufacturing and 85% of them are
SMEs. The conurbation is heavily populated and
most of the 3,500 employees come from the
neighbouring towns of Nuneaton, Bedworth and
Coventry.
A central business support ‘hub’ operates there
too offering advice, training and seminars to the
businesses on the site.
18%) with only 2% from renewables.
The partners are currently examining the
opportunities for using renewable energy in their
individual clusters. Finland already derives 38% of its
energy from renewable energy, but the other partners
have a demanding task to meet their emission reduction
targets – making the project outcomes even more critical.
Several pilot schemes will be proposed for future
funding at the end of the project such as a cluster of
companies jointly funding a wind farm, and deriving the
benefit via their local network.
Overall, the project has the potential to revolutionise
the way industries all over Europe use energy. It is
designed to help industry save money on energy whilst
reducing fossil fuel consumption and the emission of
climate change gases in keeping with European, national
and regional energy policies.
The cross fertilisation of ideas, both of ongoing
of this programme, will be presented in Spring 2012 as
an energy management tool and proposals for future
European projects to exploit the most appropriate
actions. The project should benefit industry across
Europe where companies are assembled as a cluster in a
geographical location such as Bayton Road, or in a sector
cluster such as the metal industry in Finland.
Innovate / autumn 2010 23
 feature designing spaces

"This building will

be a great social "I am happy
space for students." there will be
more PCs in the
"It's good that "I've requested new building."
VOICE: An artist's "I hope there are lighting outside this
impression of more places to I will be able
new building."
the new Student "It would be work in the new to connect
Enterprise Centre good to have student building." my laptop to
that is currently more social
LCDs."
being built on space outside."
Coventry's campus.
(Inset) The building
under construction,
which students can
share their views
on to help develop
the space.

PROJECT PARTNERS:
specially-developed iPhone applications that use GPS The VoiceYourView project is a
technology, postcards and fixed-line telephones that collaborative project between the
record a message. Factors which may influence how universities of Coventry, Lancaster,
Brunel, Manchester and Sheffield.
people choose to ‘voice their view’ include familiarity
The Principal Investigator is Prof
with technology, the type of comment they wish to make Jon Whittle at Lancaster University
and its urgency/severity. and Prof Andree Woodcock is infocus

Streettalk
Coventry University’s campus is currently undergoing Coventry University’s lead on the
an extensive redevelopment and VoiceYourView has set up project, which is being run in the
a consultation study for staff, students and visitors to raise Centre of Excellence in Product Get involved
research sponsor: and Automotive Design, Coventry The VoiceYourView project is
concerns and issues about the changes. The information
The Digital Economy School of Art and Design. open to anyone who wants to air
gathered will be used to inform the development of
Programme is a their views about the changes
Research Councils VoiceYourView, and relayed to the Estates Department. happening on Coventry’s
UK cross-council initiative led by The project takes place over the autumn term and campus and offer their ideas
EPSRC and contributed to by AHRC, includes three touch screens at the Lanchester Library, paper postcards and standard telephones, which were for improvements. You can
ESRC, and MRC’.
Students’ Union and the Alan Berry building, as well as a connected to a computer that converted users’ words into send your views in any of the
free iPhone app, a text message service, online forms and a text and displayed them on a plasma screen. following ways:

D
dedicated email address. The four-month study collected around 3,000
Research espite their name, people often feel that Universities of Coventry, Lancaster, Brunel, Manchester A similar VoiceYourView evaluation was undertaken comments, including concerns about heavy chairs, which
» Send a text message starting
with 'vyv' to 60777 (standard
they have very little ownership over and Sheffield to develop a system for users of public after Lancaster Central Library received an extensive pensioners found hard to move, and the loss of a separate
Assistant Katerina “public” spaces. spaces to share their concerns and suggestions to make £640,000 refurbishment. The study assessed users’ area for children. Such comments will be used to allocate
network rates apply)
» Send an e-mail to vyv.
Frankova explains While traditional consultation
processes about proposed developments
spaces more inclusive, safer and generally nicer. Opinions
are stored in online repositories where they can be seen
reactions to the refurbishment using a combination of resources and inform future refurbishments.
The way public spaces are used varies from person
cucampus@coventry.ac.uk
» Fill in a short online form on
how Coventry may be rigorous they are not necessarily and added to by other users, community groups, local to person – depending on needs and circumstances.
www.voiceyourview.com/
Biography cucampus
University is at the always inclusive, perhaps occurring at a time and place
inconvenient to many people. Consultation events seldom
authorities or any other interested parties.
The three-year project, funded with an £840,000 grant
The project recognises that the views of all users are
important and that a more efficient means should be
» Use one of the touch screens
located in the Lanchester
centre of a project take into account users’ views once a new development has
been built.
from the Digital Economy Programme, is putting in place a
series of real-world trials in public spaces around the UK.
Katerina Frankova is a
member of the VoiceYourView
provided to enable voices to be heard. A second PhD
project being undertaken by Laurence Garton, also in the
Library, Students’ Union Priory
Street or Alan Berry building
that will improve However well designed or planned a public space is, The purpose is not only to gather the data so that
team at Coventry University and
is studying for a PhD degree, School of Art and Design, will measure the acceptability » Download a free
VoiceYourView application
the safety and the true test of its success is when people start using it.
For example, are there areas of the new development that
planners can use it to improve existing works and
inform the design of new ones, but also to consider the
focusing on the effectiveness
of different approaches to
of the different forms of technology being used to gather
people’s views.
from the iPhone App Store

usefulness of public people are afraid to use or perhaps there are spaces that
flood easily? This kind of public reaction is rarely recorded.
spaces by giving People may voice their concerns with each other but their
most effective means of gathering such information and community engagement in the
regeneration of urban public spaces. Her first
The VoiceYourView system will close the gap between People are encouraged to send
presenting it back in a visually interesting, informative and what developers intend to do and how a public space is
accurate way to those who can effect change.
degree in Geography with Tourism was obtained
at Coventry University in 2009. Katerina has
eventually used. It will also overcome the barriers people
as many views about different
locations as they want until

people a chance to insights rarely reach the relevant individuals who can act
on their concerns.
A number of technologies are being used to determine
which are the most effective and acceptable – these include
completed work placements with Coventry City have to attending focus groups and enable everyone to give
immediate reaction to the space around them. If successful,
17 December 2010, but please
include the location referred to
Council and ARUP.
voice their views VoiceYourView is a collaborative project between the touch-screens for users to express their views in situ, it should put the ‘public’ back into our public spaces.
in all messages.

For more information visit www.

voiceyourview.com/cucampus
24 Innovate / autumn 2010 Innovate / Autumn 2009 X
feature BUSINESS FACING
Business
brains
A strategic analysis for one of Unipart’s companies
resulted in a fresh outlook for the business and
gave valuable industry input to the University
W
hen one of Europe’s leading logistics
companies was reviewing its
strategy for the future development
of one of its businesses, it turned
to the University for advice and
additional input.
The Unipart Group operates across a number of market
sectors including automotive, mobile telecoms and retail,
among others. Serck Services is part of the manufacturing
side of the business and designs, manufactures and
services all types of heat exchangers. The business has over
100 years of experience in heat exchange and a worldwide
reputation for effectiveness and durability.
As with all other manufacturing businesses, Serck
Services has been operating under very tough market
conditions and Unipart decided to look at what
opportunities there were for developing the business in the
future. In order to get a wider view, Unipart approached
the University’s Business School for a strategic analysis
of the marketplace and Serck’s positioning within
that marketplace. It was an opportunity to work with
experienced and skilled experts, but at a cost effective price.
Emanuel Gomes, Principal Lecturer in Strategic
Management in the Business School and the project lead,
said: “It is real value for money for a business employing
our services as we are not driven by price,” he explained.
“The financial return just covers the cost – what matters to
us is our engagement with industry and it’s a very healthy
relationship if we are engaged with businesses in that way.”
Costs are lower because the University gains by learning
more about current business issues and potentially
involving students on the projects. There are also more
opportunities for future research activity with a company
and the University invites members of staff into lectures to
share their experiences. It’s invaluable input to a University
and worth more than an expensive consultancy fee.
26 Innovate / autumn 2010
"They have a lot
of knowledge
and can stop,
think and review
from outside the
industry, giving
a fresh view on a
situation"
The University’s involvement proved to be advantageous
to Serck Services too. Working alongside the company’s
senior management team and two colleagues Suresh
George and Gaston Chee, Gomes completed a full strategic
analysis. The assessment would enable Unipart to make
critical decisions about how to develop the Serck business,
such as whether to diversify its service offering. A closer
look into the heat exchange market, Serck's competitors,
suppliers and customers, enabled Gomes to find out where
Serck was positioned in the industry.
The assessment took around four months due to the
complexity of the company as it encompasses a diverse
range of operations from cooling systems on low volume
vehicles to large components for power generation and
treatment facilities. The information fed into a five-year
growth strategy for the company, which was formulated in
collaboration with Serck’s Managing Director Andy Hind
and the Chief Engineer David Lilley. The challenge was
to ensure it was also aligned with Unipart Manufacturing
Group's corporate level strategy.
“You could see what was being suggested was realistic
and achievable,” explained Hind who came on board
after the review was completed. “If you take the SMART
Business support
Companies of any size looking for support with
business planning may be interested in Strategic
Planning Software, which Emanuel Gomes has
created. The package is available to buy and is an
off the shelf solution to strategic business planning.
“The software will help a business to do a lot
of its own planning as it should be a continual
process that you set aside time to do every few
months,” said Gomes.
For businesses who need an external expert,
contact Catherine Louch at CLouch@cad.
coventry.ac.uk for more information about the
services in the University’s Business School.
NEW MARKETS / The
review has helped Serck
focus on developing client
relationships and how to
break into new markets
KTP sponsor:
objectives, it achieved all of those. I would definitely
recommend working with the University. They have a lot of
knowledge and can stop, think and review from outside the
industry, giving a fresh view on a situation.”
The findings, and the subsequent business plan, revealed
huge potential for the company and proved it was an asset
Unipart could benefit from investing in.
“The input from Coventry has helped us to focus more
on proactive sales and developing blue chip customers. We
are setting our sights higher now by looking at longer-term
relationships and being more strategic in our approach
about the markets we go into – especially around the power
generation side of things,” explained Hind. “The review
helped us realise what potential and what experience we
have. It’s given us more focus and direction.”
The suggested strategies to help improve the business
are now underway and Serck has continued working
with the Business School when implementing the
recommendations. The company funded a Knowledge
Transfer Partnership (KTP) to enable former MBA
student, Euroslava Kohut, supported by an academic at the
University, to implement a marketing plan.
“This really helped with our marketing and where we
were positioning ourselves from a website point of view,”
said Hind about the KTP. “Our new website is now live
and Euroslava also did some work into researching other
sectors of the industry that we’ve not really penetrated yet.”
Due to the success of the project, Unipart has also asked
the University to support its strategic review of another of
its companies too.
Gomes is reluctant to describe his team as Business
Doctors, but their expertise is not only helping companies
thrive but is also improving the student experience.
Innovate / autumn 2010 27
feature community cohesion

Grand Challenge Initiatives: Case notes Sustainable agriculture

Corporate identity
A new project is underway to find a world-
beating formula for algal biofuels
Background

F
Current forecasts predict that 70 billion
A revolutionary or many people, the workplace is the one area litres per year of fossil fuels could be

new toolkit is
in their lives where they meet and get along
with people from different backgrounds.
helping businesses Shared business goals and work facilities
mean that, most of the time, the office,
manage diversity factory floor or shop bring people together
no matter what their differences. And with increasing
in the workplace global migration, often driven by the search for better
explains, Lena economic prospects, workforces across the UK will become
increasingly diverse.
Patel, Associate The UK’s leading employers have long recognised the
COHESIVE WORKFORCE displaced by algae biofuels worldwide in
road transport and aviation by 2030 – this equates
Having a cohesive workforce allows people to
feel at ease with each other and themselves,
encouraging them to work with difference
to a market value of over £15 billion. The Carbon
Trust has also conducted lifecycle analysis of algae
and value diversity. Organisations provide this
opportunity because they are bound by clear
biofuel that indicates that carbon savings of up to
80% may be possible in the long term.
rules. People have to act professionally and The objective of this challenge is to achieve a five-
with civility because they have to work together
to achieve business goals. It also provides an
to ten-fold reduction in open pond algae production
costs to allow algae biofuels to be sold as a premium
opportunity to bring people together to work on
specific issues that affect them – and often brings fuel blend in the UK by 2020. 

at the Institute
value of supporting cohesion in the workplace. Workforce
cohesion is important as harmonious places to work
of Community provide a stronger social environment in which employees
are more likely to reach their potential and perform to the
Cohesion (iCoCo) best of their ability. How people interact with each other
affects all aspects of the workplace including recruitment,
induction, retention and progression.
The workplace is sometimes the only place in which
people from different backgrounds, ages and abilities
interact. This understanding can be passed on to friends,
together people who would not necessarily
collaborate within the community.
family and the wider society to help ease tensions but the
workplace can also often reflect wider social divisions based
on long-standing rivalries of culture, class and inequalities.
Tackling these divisions is likely to improve
organisational performance and help to alleviate some
of the divisions within a workforce's wider community.
Indeed, with the right support and commitment,
workforces may be able to play a more positive role in
bringing groups together, promoting tolerance and helping
to avoid community conflict and disorder.
To help employers understand the benefits of workplace
cohesion, the Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo) has
launched an online Workforce Cohesion Toolkit.
Supported by BT, Business in the Community, DCLG,
EHRC and Unison, the Workforce Cohesion Toolkit is a
practical guide for all sizes and types of businesses. It gives
employers advice on introducing low-cost measures to aid
cohesion between different groups of people for the benefit
of staff, the business and the wider community.
Aimed across the public and private sectors and at
leaders of organisations, HR professionals, managers,
leaders and trade unionists, the toolkit aims to shift
attitudes and cultures of organisations. It includes case
studies from businesses including BT, Unison, The
Co-operative and Eversheds, giving tried and tested
approaches to this issue.
At the toolkit's launch Caroline Waters OBE, Director,
People and Policy at BT, encouraged businesses to use it.
Scientists at Coventry University were chosen to
join a ‘dream team’ of top scientists nation-wide to
find the world-beating formula for algae biofuels.
Coventry is one of only 11 leading UK institutions
that will work together with the Carbon Trust to LAKE TAIHU: The
find the winning formula. Eighty proposals were Sonochemistry Centre is helping
submitted to the Carbon Trust and Coventry’s Chinese groups control algae
blooms such as the severe algae
submission was chosen following extensive infestation on Lake Taihu (the
competition and a detailed assessment process.  third largest lake in China)
Methodology
Algae is often considered an environmental landmass larger than Wales) to be built in optimum
problem (see picture) but it can be used as locations around the world and the Carbon Trust is
a biofuel source. The University will carry investing £8 million over three years into the projects
out research into cost-effective techniques for the using funding from the Department for Transport and
extraction of oils and valuable co-products from algae the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
using ultrasound and ionic liquids.
Sonochemistry is the use of sound to affect ULTRASOUND
chemical and physical reactions and for many Predicted results The Sonochemistry Centre
was one of the original
years the Sonochemistry Centre at the University Dr Eadaoin Joyce, Head of Environmental
designated Centres of
has been conducting research using this method to Sonochemistry at Coventry University, said: Excellence in Coventry
control algal blooms. The aim is to find the correct “Of all the initiatives to combat global warming University. Established in
combination of ultrasonic conditions and solvents in those aimed at finding substitutes for fossil fuels are 1994 it retains its primary
order to obtain the oil from the algae. particularly important. Together with my colleague aim of securing and
It is this research that will be used to address some Professor Tim Mason [Director of the Sonochemistry maintaining a position of
international excellence
of the five key challenges identified by the Carbon Centre] we believe that by applying our expertise in
in a variety of applications
Trust. harnessing the clean, green power of sound to the of power ultrasound in
Production of 70 billion litres will require man- processing of algae the University can have a real impact chemistry and processing
made algae ponds (which is the equivalent to a in this field.” technologies.
The Centre is a national
and international resource

"Of all the initiatives to combat

base for topics related
“For many the workplace is the most diverse environment
to power ultrasound and
they experience in their daily lives," she said. "The case
global warming those aimed at
will provide expertise
For more studies and practical advice in the iCoCo toolkit will
information: on applications of
enable employers and their employees to jointly develop Sonochemistry to academic
To access the
toolkit visit www. approaches which will make the employer more productive finding substitutes for fossil fuels institutions, companies and
government organisations.
are particularly important"
cohesioninstitute. and the workplace a more cohesive and collaborative
org.uk environment for all.”

28 Innovate / autumn 2010 Innovate / autumn 2010 29

 Grand Challenge Initiatives Q&A metrology
Q&A Q. Who is Trescal?
Trescal provides calibration and measurement service
solutions for the industry. Metrology services include
calibration, maintenance and repair of test and
measurement equipment.
The company serves a number of sectors including
defence, aerospace, aeronautics, automotive,
electronics manufacturing, and communication.
Q. What work is the University
doing with Trescal?
The economic climate has made an already competitive
marketplace extremely fierce and Trescal needed to
find a cost effective way of improving the skills of its
inspection team. The West Midlands Manufacturing
Measurement Centre (WMMMC) is developing the skills
of the inspection team and implementing a suite of
training and capability building work packages.
Trescal has already started a team training programme
For more
and is now investigating ways to include a higher level
information:
about the measurement course from the WMMMC team.
Foundation
degree contact Q. What is the WMMMC?
Katherine The WMMMC is the regional centre for measurement
McHugh in SoLL
on +44 (0) 24 expertise and services based in the University. Situated
7765 7867. on the Technology Park, it has also teamed up with
Measurement support
The West Midlands Manufacturing Measurement Centre (WMMMC)
supports manufacturing businesses in the West Midlands. It
is responsible for increasing the awareness and take-up of
measurement to boost the competitiveness of the manufacturing
sector. More effective measurement processes can increase
profitability and improve efficiency.
» The centre offers expert vendor-independent advice to help
companies identify and solve measurement problems.
» The centre is equipped with almost £1m worth of the very latest
measurement equipment including fixed and portable 1D, 2D and
3D coordinate measurement tools.
» Funded by Advantage West Midlands and works closely with the
West Midlands Manufacturing Advisory Service.
For more information visit www.wmmmc.co.uk and for more
about Trescal visit www.trescal.co.uk
30 Innovate / autumn 2010
Improving the skills of its team
through support from the University
is helping Trescal serve its clients
better, explains the company’s
Account Manager Rob Evans
Give your business
room to grow
Coventry University’s Technology Park offers tailored
business support at all stages of your company’s
development. Based in the heart of the city, the flexible
office space available means we can easily offer you
larger premises as and when you need to expand.
Be part of an enterprising environment
with access to:
l 14 different types of accommodation,
ranging from 17.3 to 804 square metres
l Award-winning conference facilities and
a wide range of meeting rooms
l Organised networking events
l Academic expertise
l A range of innovative research-led
institutes
the School of Lifelong Learning (SoLL) to create a
Foundation degree in Metrology, which started earlier l Flexible lease and licence terms.
this year.
The two-year degree, which a selection of Trescal
employees are also taking part in, aims to fill the
skills gap in the understanding and application of
measurement by teaching students the benefits of
Metrology practice.
Q. What are the results of the
training so far?
Six members of the inspection team took part in the
training project and they have given positive feedback
and we now intend for everyone on the inspection
team to complete the course.
The training will enable Trescal to maintain and
improve its offer to its valued client and to submit more
competitive quotes to other clients in the future.
The WMMMC team has assisted us in developing
this approach within the overall programme that, when
successful, will be applied to other sites throughout our
organisation. Success of this project was marked by Get the support you need to make your business a success
the very positive report from the inspection team and
we have started to put forward further team members and contact the Centre Management on +44 24 7623 6000
to complete the same training. or visit the website at www.cutp.co.uk
Do you need to find an innovative solution to
a difficult problem?

At Coventry University, our applied research teams

work closely with your organisation, applying their
knowledge and expertise to devise inventive and
original solutions for real-world problems.

At a local, national and international level, we work

with clients across the public, private and voluntary
sectors. From art to design, health to sports,
regeneration to human security, mathematics to
engineering, computing to communications –
we can find a solution that’s right for you.

Applied Research at Coventry University

www.coventry.ac.uk/researchnet

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