Tag: Heriot Watt University

Heriot Watt top for research excellence in Scotland

University recognised for world-leading research in Physics; Mathematical Sciences; Engineering; and Architecture, Built Environment and Planning.

Heriot-Watt University is top in Scotland for its world-leading Physics research, in the REF 2021 results released today. Physics also came top in the UK for its world-leading research outputs and saw 97% of its research classed as world-leading.

Overall, 86.8% of the university’s research is classed as world-leading and internationally excellent.

Three joint submissions between Heriot-Watt and the University of Edinburgh – in Mathematical Sciences; Engineering; and Architecture, Built Environment and Planning – were ranked in the top four in the UK, based on the quality and breadth of the combined research, as defined in the Times Higher Education REF Power rankings.

This ranked Mathematical Sciences and Engineering first in Scotland and third in the UK, with Architecture, Built Environment and Planning coming first in Scotland and fourth in the UK.

The REF provides a robust and thorough assessment of the quality of universities’ research in all disciplines, providing accountability for public investment in research and demonstrating the benefits of that investment.

The REF results, announced Thursday, 12 May, are a valuable opportunity to measure the extent to which an institution’s research strategy is working.

Professor Steve McLaughlin, Deputy Principal of Research and Impact said: “Our strong performance in the REF 2021 shows that our research, and our shared research, continues to go from strength-to-strength, focusing on major global challenges, interdisciplinarity and collaboration.

“Physics has done outstandingly well, and is an area of well-established excellence, further recognised in the 2021 Queen’s Anniversary Prize for photonics.”

In total, 157 UK universities participated, submitting over 76,000 academic staff. Submissions included research outputs, examples of the wider benefits of research and evidence about the research environment. This material was assessed by a series of expert panels comprising UK and international researchers, external users of research and experts in interdisciplinary research.

Overall, the panels judged 41 per cent of the submitted work to be ‘world-leading’ (4*) and a further 43 percent to be ‘internationally excellent’ (3*).  The assessment provides rich information on the strengths of UK university research that will be helpful for businesses and other users of research to identify potential partners.

Professor Richard A. Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor for Heriot-Watt University, said the achievement is testament to the commitment and determination of everyone at the university. 

He adds: “Our achievements in the REF 2021 results reflect the marked growth in the influence of our specialist research, and the investment we are making into our global research capacity, which is integral to our Strategy 2025 theme of Excellence in Research and Enterprise.”

Speaking on behalf of the four UK higher education funding bodies, Steven Hill, Chair of the REF Steering Group and Director of Research at Research England, said: “These results today reinforce the UK’s position as a world leader in research, corroborating the views of international commentators and highlighting our trajectory towards global research leadership across a broad set of disciplines.

“They represent an exceptional achievement for UK university research and demonstrate the huge return on public investment in research.

“REF is at the forefront of approaches to capturing the impact from research and demonstrates a substantial range of benefits. The real differences made to people’s lives, both across the UK and around the world, that are narrated through the impact case studies are in many cases humbling and, in our current times, a significant example of this is provided in our universities’ outstanding contribution to the Covid pandemic.

“Universities and their staff have had to respond to the pandemic in multiple ways. Their commitment to working with the funding bodies to deliver REF 2021 has been considerable. The incredible contribution both of those making the submissions and of our expert panels, through these unprecedented times, has allowed us to deliver a rigorous and timely set of results.”

A full breakdown and further information can be found at: https://www.ref.ac.uk/

Team Esteem’s in Dubai …

A Team Esteem update from JAIRIS ALVARES

Construction​

Working on our adaptable strategy for modern construction solutions to meet the world’s carbon agenda, we manufactured a world first: a house fully constructed from Scottish-grown and pressed cross laminated timber. A huge collaborative student success of proving the existence and ability for the new industry in the UK, contributing to the development of the local economy.​

The students played a key part in all of the processes in designing and working with industry at all stages, introducing over one hundred young professionals to the sustainable benefits of mass timber production and the solutions required to overcome the technical complexity and associations with using timber as a building material.

The immense effect of celebrating the positive environmental impact and carbon reduction across social media has spread the message to many thousands more people worldwide.​​

Designing to the constraints of transportation via containers, the design required flexibility and de-mountability which challenges the wasteful approach of single-use residential properties that ultimately lead to demolition. ​

Our commitment to reduce embodied carbon is matched with the need to operate a thermally and energy efficient house. Priorities were placed on minimising energy use from manufacture to as-built and continually improving the resilience to the changing climate requirements across both Scotland and Dubai.​

The innovation and solution to creating a low carbon design is further aided with the use of recyclable, natural materials such as hemp insulation and wood fibre rigid insulation. These work with the timber structure to create an organic, safe environment for the occupants, free of emissions and VOC’s often associated with alternative materials. We believe this is a key driver for the success of the design solution and the achievement felt by the students constructing this.

Windcatcher

​The courtyard is integral to the experience of the house as it provides a private outdoor recreational area. Therefore, we had to think creatively to make it a comfortable space.

We looked to regions with warmer climates for inspiration as it was evident that conventional air conditioning systems and fans would not be suitable. The Windcatcher is a hallmark of traditional Persian architecture, but it had to be adapted to fit our design philosophy.​​

When designing our ideal windcatcher, our team reimagined what is usually quite an active, angular structure to one with complex curves and soft edges. Our design incorporates an entirely passive functionality of natural airflow through our concrete model, in alignment with our ethos.​​

Along with the tower, we designed a conformal bench to close off the courtyard. This is an example of creative integration; the bench follows the curves of the tower while fulfilling the criteria for courtyard privacy. ​​

This design was made possible by using 3D printed concrete, provided by Concreative in Dubai. This manufacturing process is truly at the leading edge of construction. ​​

We therefore achieved a creative outdoor cooling solution that requires no power, has almost negligible running costs and is extremely reliable. Fundamentally, the windcatcher is a creative redesign of an age-old concept in order to create an outdoor cooling system in harmony with a modern house.​​

Architecture

​Our house exploits architectural strategies to embrace a balance of open, celebratory community areas and small, focused private spaces. The living room and dining/kitchen area flank the external courtyard, facing each other across retractable triple-glazed doors. ​

The living room and the dining area benefit from luxurious high ceilings, giving an expansive feeling to these rooms, encouraging gathering and communal engagement. Conversely, the bedroom and study are enclosed spaces, wrapped in the thick CLT walls (both internal partitions and external) providing thermal, acoustic and visual separation for quiet enjoyment and focus. ​

Reconciling traditional Emirati architecture and its emphasis on privacy with the open-planned character of Western design posed an even greater challenge for the team. Hence we created a hybrid by using the courtyard as a space that divides the two halves, whilst keeping them connected. ​

The interior design celebrates its engineering: we leave the timber walls visible and tactile where possible,  and enjoy the aesthetic of revealed services runs and some of our high-tech energy-saving solutions; the HVAC runs above the kitchen, the recycled waste brick wall; the water conservation in the bathroom.​

Windows can open, enabling users to decide to welcome in an evening breeze when suitable and to pull hot air from high levels through the house.​​

Website

​To ensure smooth and efficient management of our construction process, we built our own bespoke web-based tracking systems; our talented developers coded internal tools from scratch that allowed us to work smarter. ​​

https://panel.esteem.house​​

QR code stickers were placed on each panel and scanning them would take you directly to that panel’s page. Members could track and monitor the condition of panels to ensure all knowledge was up to date and centralised. Moreover, the intelligent system aids communication with working with the often-unfamiliar material and/or building methodology.​​

We also re-made our website from the ground up to be faster and more aligned to the ESTEEM brand. Using React, we’ve built a modular and component-based foundation that allows us to more easily expand upon as things change.​​

Minecraft

​What started as a crazy idea, quickly evolved into reality as we took on new members to help create an experience of our house unlike any other. We recreated our house in our own Minecraft world, making it accessible to everyone.

It took around 3 months of working out the dimensions – we wanted to make it realistic, but not compromise on the feel – and retexturing the Minecraft assets, pixel by pixel, to show the actual materials that we will be using.

AR/VR

​With the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing travel restrictions, we used augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) to bring the ESTEEM House and its experience to everyone around the world. It is a means to showcase and describe the story behind our innovative ideas and solutions to visitors of the house in an engaging and educational way.​

To make the experience of using the AR experience seamless, we hosted it on Zappar which eliminated the need for users to download an app before use.​

Our creative solution to make VR accessible is to use Mozilla Hubs. It’s web-based and allows several visitors to communicate and discuss amongst themselves during a virtual tour given by a tour guide.

It supports VR headsets but doesn’t require one.

For visitors who meet us in person, we use the Oculus Quest to showcase the VR experience.​These technologies are instrumental in preserving the hard work that we’ve put into the ESTEEM House, especially to showcase areas that aren’t immediately visible.

These experiences will still be accessible even after the competition is over.​

JAIRIS ALVARES

TEAM ESTEEM is the Heriot-Watt Edinburgh Team participating at the Solar-Decathlon Middle East

#SDME2021

We will design a home that adapts to your needs.

“Pride in where, and how, we live”

Team ESTEEM: news from Dubai

The prototype construction phase started on October 24th with the Welcome Ceremony in Dubai, where all the teams participating were introduce to everyone. It was a great experience and something we have been waiting since 2019.

The assembly started on October 25th in which we had to take all the materials, equipment, CLT panels and more from the containers. 

In case you missed our ship journey to Dubai, we had 5 containers, that arrived in London Gateway on September 10th, 2021, and then all containers got transferred to the NAGOYA EXPRESS, which arrived in Dubai on Sunday 12th, of September 2021. 

Alex MacLaren, faculty leader, said: “I have been delighted by the support afforded us by the university and am excited to develop other experiences like this in future years; as a learning experience, but also as an urgent mandate to transform the ‘norm’ in our construction practices. So, who knows- next stop, Solar Decathlon Europe in 2023?”

The calendar you see below will be our journey everyday while in Dubai.

We will be building the house from October 25th to November 8th, which give us a total of 15 days to construct the ESTEEM house.

After that we will have the Opening ceremony where the public is welcome to see our house and interact with all the technologies and innovations we added to the design. 

The exhibition time runs from November 11th to November 25th at Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, Dubai.

However, we will have virtual tours for anyone that is not in Dubai, you can book it with our Eventbrite link:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/virtual-tours-at-team-esteem-house-dubai-tickets-202875916327

Immagine che contiene tavolo Descrizione generata automaticamente

Martin Juricek, Architecture Leader, said: “Our build in wardrobe was completed and the kitchen fit out is well underway as well. We started fitting plasterboard onto walls in the bedroom.

“We focused on underfloor insulation, cladding and plant room equipment fit out. We run into a lot of issues and as it kept delaying our work we had to have a break where we discussed new more efficient ways of going forward. Overall, it was another difficult day on site but it got us further on the way of construction”

Alakbar Zeynalzade, AudioVisual Leader, added: “Working at the construction site is hard work in the heat of Dubai, especially near midday. Regardless, it’s meaningful work and I enjoy my time there.

“My role is to take pictures and videos whilst I’m there, but I also take part in the construction too. It’s fun solving problems on the site as they arise, e.g. missing piece of equipment so we have to be creative and work around it”

Ahmed Usaamah Ifthikhar; Construction Leader, explained: “The work we did on site helped insulate and cover some of the gaps from the inside and outside. It was useful in understanding how it works.

“We witnessed the wall panels get positioned into place and once this was done, we tightened the bolts. Every day on site helped me learn and understand more about how our building will function and how it will perform in terms of heat gain wise”

Pranav Chachara; Web Developer, said: “While this was a first time experience for me, I had a blast on site.

“Getting hands on with helping out around the house is super fun. I’ve also finally achieved my dream of being Bob the Builder!”

Zuhair Ahmed, Health and Safety Leader, agred: “We faced many challenges such as the inavailability of the labours on afternoon, while we managed to have good progress by ourselves looking forward to complete our house perfectly and win. Count down started and any minute would be valued.” 

As you all might know; at Team ESTEEM, we like to innovate.  Therefore, we have created our ESTEEM house in Minecraft. I know! It is amazing.

We work for almost 3 months planning, building, and refining our design which has allowed us to bring you the ESTEEM House in Minecraft. With the help of Apex Hosting, we are hosting this world for anyone to explore at mc.esteem.house.

We have also hide some little easter eggs for you to find along the way. You can find more information with this link ESTEEM Minecraft House! We wanted to show to everyone our house and give the opportunity for kids to see how engineering can be fun as well. 

Have you heard of Augmented Reality (AR)? Yes? With the help of VRCraftworks, we have created a world where you can come visit the house virtually, interact with the materials and have a meeting with other people. Did I mentioned you can share your screen as well? 

Our house was built by a team of innovative and inspired students and staff, and to showcase their hard work we developed augmented reality interactions placed around the house.

By scanning one of our many QR codes, users will be shown a beautiful 3D image on their smartphone, alongside text describing in detail the planning and decisions our team made in order to create a modern home.

And for those who won’t be able to view the house in person, our virtual reality model of the house will be available on Oculus devices for an immersive off-site tour of the house.

With the help of VRCraftworks, we have created a world where you can come visit the house virtually, interact with the materials  and have a meeting with other people. Did I mentioned you can share your screen as well?

Use this link:

https://hub.link/vnLgAPW

and you will be able to experience it yourself, TeamESTEEM members jump in and out of the world all the time so you might be able to speak to us as well! 

We are working harder than ever as we approach the end of the construction phase.
In order to make the most of our time, we’re installing multiple parts of the house at once. Nearly all of our cassettes (insulation panels) have been attached to the house and we’re working with our sponsors to get the systems and electricals installed.

We need to be exact in the way that we connect our house up as DEWA will be monitoring and measuring our usage and generation which will impact our score! All of the parts of our 3D printed concrete Windcatcher have arrived and we are so excited to see it all together soon!

We are posting everyday about our progress on social media, please follow this link to see the #ESTEEMHouse: 

https://linktr.ee/teamESTEEMHouse

Bon Voyage, ESTEEM House: See you in Dubai!

The prototype construction phase is over, which means the ESTEEM house is on the way to Dubai!

The NAGOYA EXPRESS is currently carrying our 5 containers. It left London for Dubai on Sunday (12 September).

Alex MacLaren, faculty leader, said: “This sort of experience is transformative. The excitement of playing an instrumental part in a project of this size whilst studying for a degree will stay with these students forever; and inform their ambition and confidence in their future careers.

I have been delighted by the support afforded us by the university and am excited to develop other experiences like this in future years: as a learning experience, but also as an urgent mandate to transform the ‘norm’ in our construction practices. So, who knows – next stop, Solar Decathlon Europe in 2023?”

Sustainability is essential to the future comfort of people on this planet. We’re glad to have been able to work with our partners, university and course leaders to develop, innovate, and now can share that on a global stage.

We have been working on the project for over 2 and a half and with the competition starting in less than a month. We are getting the team ready and trained to showcase the innovative ideas and technologies our ESTEEM house has. 

Jessica Haskett, Construction Manager, said: “This prototype experience has been the culmination of over 2 years of collaborative design work.  The interdisciplinary working has allowed me to share thoughts and challenges with students that study a variety of subjects and, together, engineer some of the best solutions.

“Being hands-on with construction work is a professional opportunity – I have placed some knowledge given through academia into practicality, in a way that my courses hadn’t done previously.

“Team ESTEEM has connected me with many industry professionals and offered an opportunity that I was not able to get due to my academic placement cancellation. Managing the team on site every day is a challenge but with the support of the student team, we have ensured that nothing is insurmountable, and we continue to celebrate our pride in the project every day”

There were many challenges on the way, but we managed to accomplish the prototype and shipping stage of our project with collaboration and teamwork. 

Alex explained further: “Shipping a whole house, in prefabricated components, was always going to be a major challenge.

“We were working with key sponsors and partners who have experience of this, so we used that expertise in every possible way: from advice about import/export and Customs (a very complex area now!) to strategies for container loading and the very significant haulage logistics”

We asked Alex some other questions and this is what she shared with us:

-How was working with students and recent graduates from Heriot Watt University? 

This really was an experience of learning alongside the students: the logistics of deconstruction and shipping were new to me as well. There were some very tough times; changes in scheduling and unexpected challenges with freight timetable changes and container availability: and it was being part of the wider Team ESTEEM that helped to keep my spirits up, and my outlook optimistic.

“This is a really ‘can do’ team: and also, a team of hard grafters. There are 78 timber CLT panels and 43 prefabricated insulated cassettes in this build: making each one of those is a combination of focus, precision, manual labor – and of course it gets repetitive and exhausting! But that didn’t stop anyone: and the camaraderie on site was wonderful.

-What was the most exciting thing that happened during the construction?

We have one very large CLT component; it forms the upstand for our south-sloping roof and has a number of window apertures; it’s a really core part of the three-dimensional experience of the house. But it’s a fragile and complicated panel in its own way, and the lifting plan was complicated and required input and advice from structural engineers and the crane operatives. Seeing that panel rise overhead and then be bolted into position was a very big moment for all of us.

There was also something wonderful about seeing the panels squeeze into place in the containers; we’d been rehearsing a three-dimensional virtual jigsaw puzzle in our computer drawings (we called it ‘container jenga’) to ensure that we were making the most efficient packing schedule we could, reducing our carbon footprint and optimizing our operation. It worked: at times only just-!- but it was almost unbelievable to see those little 3d jigsaws in their massive, real-life scale!

-The collaboration with sponsors, logistics and organization.

My list of people ‘without whom we couldn’t have done this’ just grows and grows. This project has been an edifying reminder of how good people are. From our colleagues on site and in the factory to our sponsors overseas and around the country, people pulled out all the stops to get this project ready and get their kit to us for shipping against a very tight deadline. We’ve called in favours from all over the university and from friends and partners beyond the many logos displayed on our webpage. A massive, massive thank you to everyone involved- you know who you are!

Some team members shared their experiences of being on site:

Simon Klekot, head of HR & Recruitment: “Being involved in Construction Site gives me a different perspective of the project than doing my HR and Recruitment job. I learn so many technical aspects of engineering which I even will be able to use in the future in things like my own house refurbishment“

Srivathsan Karunanithi, Health and Safety Officer: “I had an amazing time with the prototype, and I learned a lot. With the house now being off to Dubai I feel really excited and thrilled to see that happening”

Carlos Fitzpatrick, Audiovisual: “I’ve learnt so much on this construction site. From practical skills to theoretical knowledge, simply being a part of the construction has been extremely fruitful for me and the way I think about engineering. Having just finished the first year, being able to learn a lot from older students was a great bonus”

This is the beginning of a new chapter for team ESTEEM, with the competition starting soon we are preparing and finalizing the design, planning and deliverables.

This is the second time Heriot-Watt University has participated in a Solar Decathlon Competition and it might not be the last time that we see HWU students transforming the construction industry!

TEAM ESTEEM

Heriot Watt University

Swimmer Michael Jamieson makes another big splash

Olympic medallist plans to launch three new Swim Academies in Edinburgh this Autumn

Olympic medallist turned entrepreneur Michael Jamieson is diving into a new pool of business opportunity by opening three new Edinburgh venues for his hugely over-subscribed Swimming Academies.

The Edinburgh initiative will launch on Saturday, 18 September, and each succeeding Saturday, at the University of Edinburgh pool in The Pleasance, which will accommodate 200 learners, and will be followed on 4 October by classes at the Novotel Hermiston Gate pool for adult and baby, under 3-year-olds. Shortly afterwards the Academy will launch classes at Oriam, Heriot Watt University, a 4 days a week offering in a world class sports facility. 

The expansion from his successful West of Scotland operation puts the Michael Jamieson Swimming Academy (MJSA) back into the fast lane after it was hit, like all other people-facing businesses, by the last 18 months of Covid restrictions.

The Academy’s classes at the Glasgow University and Radio Clyde pools are now operating again with 400 and 300 learners respectively, and Hamilton College pool, with capacity for 600 learners, will re-open on Monday, 27th September.

Further expansion in the west will come with the opening of the Argyle Hotel pool in Glasgow for 150 learners on Friday, 1 October.

Michael, 33, who won silver at the 2012 London Olympics, said: “We have a team of over 20 teachers operating in Glasgow and Edinburgh and will be adding to this in the coming months to ensure an efficient transition to our offerings in Edinburgh.

“Pre-Covid we had 800 kids swimming weekly. We are looking to support around 1500 by the turn of the year with the addition of the new facilities. We are also rolling out an educational curriculum alongside our swim programme to support the early development of positive self-talk and early elements of emotional intelligence.

“We have had support from mental health professionals and psychologists to develop this content and it is something I believe will set us apart in the sector.”

The energetic Glaswegian has distinguished his Academy by using private and hotel pools rather than local authority facilities.

He said: “We are able to create a healthy working relationship with private facilities and share in the passion of offering value to the community. We have targeted these venues specifically to offer the best product, with the best partnership teams in the area.

“I have a fantastic relationship with the team at the University of Edinburgh and have many happy memories there. We are excited to partner with them to offer a rewarding learn-to- swim journey now and in the future.”

On the series of drowning deaths across the UK during the recent spells of warm weather, Michael believes this has emphasised to many parents just how important it is to teach children to swim from the earliest possible age.

“There have been too many tragic stories recently in Scotland. Too many kids are leaving school without basic water safety skills. Without significant investment and support, we will continue, sadly, to see the disparity in the numbers of kids unable to swim by the time they leave school.

“Swimming pools are notoriously expensive to maintain but we must find creative strategies to offer a life skill in our communities in a financially sustainable manner.”

After consolidating his Edinburgh Swim Academy initiatives, Michael plans to expand further into a wider range of fitness and healthcare businesses.

“Our immediate plans are to protect and consolidate this exciting growth phase we are in currently. We are actively looking for further venue partners in Glasgow and Edinburgh to keep up with the increasing post pandemic demand for kids’ sport.

“It’s great to see such an appetite for swimming and we are committed to spreading our valued product around Scotland. Our smaller class ratios enable us to ensure our kids have a rewarding experience, building a strong rapport with our Level 2 qualified teachers.

“We maintain a high level of in-house competency training and only employ Level 2 qualified teachers to ensure we are providing the best product in the market. The majority of our teachers are qualified in Mental Health First Aid & this is something we are passionate about continuing.

“It’s an exciting year for us and I am proud of the team we have put in place. Creating sustainable growth is the challenge, but we have the core team and support team behind us to do so.”

Team ESTEEM: the build begins!

We are Team ESTEEM, a Heriot-Watt student team participating in the world’s largest design and construction competition, the Solar Decathlon Middle East where we designed and currently build a solar-powered sustainable house of the future. 

https://www.solardecathlonme.com  

We wanted to share with you that we started our assembly on campus in Edinburgh!  

You can visit us by registering through this link:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/visit-our-prototype-in-edinburgh-tickets-160216719521. 

We would love to talk to you while admiring the product of our collaboration – the ESTEEM house! 

We have also now created a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to cover the following expenses: –

  • Cost of Green eco-friendly, natural renewable Hemp insulation – £5k  
  • Cost of timber fixings and connections – £5k 
  • Cost of landscaping and green walling solutions -£5k 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/team-esteem-solar-powered-timber-home#/

Team ESTEEM is hosting an online conference where participants will be able to listen to panels about innovation in construction and network with industry experts, technology focused companies and ESTEEM representatives.

The event takes place on Wedneday July 28th at 12pm on Airmeet platform.

NETWORK-1Download

See above for details

You can register through this link:

https://www.airmeet.com/e/e1643330-e565-11eb-9f2c-7d15f8f5c297

New virtual state-of-the-art research and innovation centre at Heriot-Watt University

A new state-of-the-art research and innovation centre at Heriot-Watt University will be at the forefront of the UK’s ambitions to cut industrial greenhouse gas emissions.

The Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) has received £20m from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to be virtually based at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus.

It will be a world-leading, high-impact research and innovation centre, acting as the national focal point and international gateway for UK industrial decarbonisation.

IDRIC will work closely with the UK’s major industrial clusters to address the challenges of industrial decarbonisation alongside a diverse range of over 140 partners as part of a drive to create the world’s first net-zero emissions industrial cluster by 2040 and four low-carbon clusters by 2030.

It will integrate best use of challenge-led research, transformative innovation, knowledge sharing and nurturing talent. 

IDRIC will be headed by award-winning academic and the UKRI’s Industrial Decarbonisation Champion Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer who will drive industrial decarbonisation as part of the UK’s journey to net-zero.

Commenting on the funding for the new centre, she said: “I am delighted to lead IDRIC, the UK research and innovation hub for industrial decarbonisation that will set the foundations for the new industrial clusters of tomorrow.

“The 2020s will be key for the UK to set the pathway to meet its carbon targets and IDRIC will play a key role to accelerate the decarbonisation of industrial clusters.

“Working with the research and innovation community, we will demonstrate our international competitiveness to realise the opportunities offered by economies of scale in decarbonising industrial clusters and driving new business models.”

IDRIC is part of the Industrial Decarbonisation challenge, delivered through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) by UKRI, and part of the commitments set out in the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a green revolution.

IDRIC will accelerate the transformation of industrial clusters into world leading low-carbon manufacturing hubs which will attract major inward investment, support job creation and underpin the UK’s decarbonisation ambitions.

This challenge aims to accelerate the cost-effective decarbonisation of industry by developing and deploying low-carbon technologies. It aims to enable the deployment of infrastructure at scale by the mid-2020s. It also aims to boost industry sector jobs, reduce carbon emissions and contribute significantly to the UK Government’s carbon target to reach net zero by 2050.

To kick start the process, six projects across the UK received £8 million in government funding to develop cluster plans to cut carbon emissions from major industrial areas. 

£171m were allocated in March to nine green technology projects to undertake engineering and design studies for the rollout of decarbonisation infrastructure, such as carbon capture, usage and storage and hydrogen.

In March 2021, the UK Government also announced a new Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy which sets out the government’s vision for building a competitive, greener future for the manufacturing and construction sector.

As part of the government’s path to net zero by 2050, the measures will create and support 80,000 UK jobs over the next 30 years whilst cutting emissions by two-thirds in just 15 years.

Prof Maroto-Valer said: “We are very excited to work with the cluster plans and deployment projects to stimulate cross learning and strengthen and accelerate the impact of activities across the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge.

“We will co-develop a whole systems approach that integrates engineering, environmental and technical solutions alongside perspectives on economic, behavioural and policy. Together we will deliver long-lasting growth and societal benefits for a green economic recovery.”

Dr Bryony Livesey, Challenge Director for the Industrial Decarbonisation challenge, said: “The introduction of the IDRIC concept shows the commitment to not only fund largescale decarbonisation efforts, but to make sure we continually learn from and adapt to their early results and challenges.

“By enabling the Centre to build evidence on a range of areas from direct costs and emissions to skilled jobs and wider net zero policy, we believe we are creating a more adaptive and responsible path for the UK’s big industry to take to remain at the forefront of a global low-carbon future.”

For further information visit – https://idric.org/

Scottish partnership identifies Covid-19 RNA traces through waste water monitoring

Scientists at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) have successfully pinpointed fragments of coronavirus’ ribonucleic acid (RNA) in local waste water samples across the country.

SEPA was among the first European agencies to begin this exploratory work back in May, with the backing of Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland (PHS), alongside Scottish Water, CREW (Centre of expertise for Waters) and academic partners from the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute and Heriot Watt University.

The aim was to detect fragments of the virus’ RNA – a genetic footprint which can be measured in waste water even after the virus has begun to breakdown. The World Health Organization has said there is currently no evidence that coronavirus has been transmitted via sewerage systems.

Analysis on samples from across Scotland has now identified traces in waste water from 12 health board areas. The results have been shared with PHS and areas with positive RNA findings are consistent with the areas known to have confirmed Covid-19 cases.

One such example is Aberdeen, where SEPA’s analysis demonstrates how the prevalence of the virus in waste water samples is mirroring cases in the population. At the beginning of August, SEPA analysed a sample from the Aberdeen area which was positive for Covid-19 RNA. This was consistent with an increase in positive cases in the areas.

On SEPA’s request Scottish Water increased the sampling rate to four times a week to provide more information, and over the following three weeks there was a gradual decline to below the level that concentrations can be detected with sufficient accuracy. Sample results remained at the same level until the end of September when they began to rise again, reflecting PHS data on known cases.

Sample results across the rest of Scotland, including in the Central Belt, continue to be consistent with PHS information on cases in the community. SEPA has made data available for all samples analysed at https://informatics.sepa.org.uk/RNAmonitoring/

Since May SEPA and partners at the Roslin Institute have been refining analysis methods to lower the concentration of RNA that can be reliably detected.

Testing is conducted on incoming waste water samples collected by Scottish Water and its operators at 28 public waste water treatment works across the country, covering all 14 NHS Scotland health board areas. Most locations are tested weekly, but this can be increased when local outbreaks are apparent.

Samples are representative of waste water from between 40-50 percent of the Scottish population and, in combination with community testing, are helping Scotland understand the prevalence and distribution of the virus.

SEPA continues to work with academia and public health officials to understand how this monitoring can be best used to support Scotland’s response to the pandemic.

Terry A’Hearn, SEPA CEO, said: “As Scotland’s environmental watchdog and as a public agency, we remain proud to be playing our part in the national effort to combat coronavirus.

“Our scientific capabilities and expertise in designing and implementing monitoring networks made us ideally suited to delivering this trial and the results we are seeing demonstrate its scientific validity.

“Central to the delivery of this project has been our partnership working Scottish Water and the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, and we will continue to work closely together to refine our techniques and understanding.

“We’ve received support from across the public sector, agencies and institutions – including a donation of specialist kit from Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture – demonstrating how Scotland is coming together to find ways of tackling this virus.”

SEPA is also assisting UK government scientific advisors, who are engaging with the research community to investigate how waste water monitoring can be used to track the transmission of coronavirus.

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “In order to manage the coronavirus pandemic, it is vital that we continue to develop our understanding of it, and I welcome this UK-wide programme of research and the development of waste water monitoring to help build our knowledge base.

“SEPA and Scottish Water have translated this experimental programme into a comprehensive, Scotland-wide monitoring network. The early data is already providing our public health experts with new information, which complements the wider population testing programme to give a more robust picture of the prevalence of Covid disease in Scotland.

“I look forward to the programme providing further, valuable data over the coming months to support our fight against the pandemic.”

Scientists at The Roslin Institute have been working with Scottish Water and SEPA to develop robust methodologies for detecting and measuring SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in wastewater.

Funding from the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW), which is supported by Scottish Government, has allowed scientists in Scotland to work with academic colleagues across the UK to keep pace with international developments in the rapidly expanding field of wastewater epidemiology.

SEPA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found at coronavirus.sepa.org.uk.

Class Of Your Own

An update from Team ESTEEM:

Class Of Your Own (‘COYO’) is a social business dedicated to inspiring young people and their teachers to discover built environment careers through bespoke STEM education.

Our flagship ‘Design Engineer Construct’ learning programme has enabled hundreds of students to enter university and the world of work with excellent knowledge and skills and a genuine appetite for the sector.

Every year, Class Of Your Own launches an inter-school challenge to inspire young architecture, engineering and construction professionals to create an exciting design project.

This year, to celebrate our long established relationship with Heriot Watt University and the amazing achievement of Team Esteem in the Solar Decathlon Middle East, we decided to create a challenge that focused on the education of the people who might live in a solar house in Dubai.

Could young people design a learning centre to teach a whole community how to think and live green …? And how would the climate and location impact the design?

The challenge was launched at the beginning of March, but when national procurement framework Scape Group put out a call for ideas to help the hundreds of 14/15 year olds who would miss out on work experience due to Covid-19, they were pointed in COYO’s direction.

Work on our pilot virtual work experience programme had just concluded, so it was great to say: “we can help!” I immediately contacted my good friends, Associate Professor in Architecture Alex MacLaren and HWU Team Esteem members, to ask for their help.

Within a few weeks, academics and undergraduates had put together a series of videos to support an extraordinary virtual work experience programme hosted on the pioneering ‘Learn Live’ platform from 18th – 22nd May.

This ‘safe space’ enabled 2000 young people across the UK to experience an extraordinary week by accessing these fantastic, informative broadcasts and ‘chatting’ with university and industry ambassadors in an entirely safe environment.

I’m incredibly proud of all that we’ve all achieved together – the feedback from students, teachers and parents has been fantastic. It’s been an amazing collaboration and Heriot Watt University’s input, and impact, has been unbelievable. I’m honoured to be part of such a great institution.

Jairis Alvarez Trujillo

Project Leader Alison (follow website for more information):

Comments from students in Team ESTEEM:

 

Luke Convey:

My COYO experience was extremely rewarding, the students brought up some very interesting points and often made me think hard to answer their questions. Seeing the student’s creativity in using 3D modelling outside of software Team Esteem would typically uselike Sims and Minecraft impressed me a lotand showed their commitment to the project.

I was also impressed by the standard of a lot of the questions we were asked, which showed their enthusiasm and willingness to learn about the sustainable methods which Team Esteem are looking to employ in our project.

Sonia Piorek:

Working remotely is a challenge in a way. I moved back to my parents for the epidemics so to the place where I spent time when I am free. Thus, it is difficult to motivate myself to wake up early everyday and focus on tasks. Nevertheless, it saves me a lot of time which I usually spend on commuting. 

There are also pros and cons of being far from the University – many software and programs are accessible only on University’s PCs. However, due to the special conditions nowadays many companies allow us to install their products for free for some period, especially due to our partnerships between companies and Team ESTEEM.

Pietro Donatelli:

Shifting quickly to the virtual experience of working remotely was a challenge for ESTEEM Members. As a team, one of our greatest commitments were surely our recurrent meetings held on campus where we had the chance to discuss, engage and solve problems collectively.

Luckily, we tried to keep our weekly schedule as intact as possible and our sponsors flexibly moved to virtual meetings as well, making the whole process easier. To me, working remotely has become the new normal, but I’m not going to lie, it’s easier to forget your ‘virtual’ schedule than a live meeting. 

For this reason, I will always be grateful to Outlook Calendar for its 15 minutes reminder.