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Audit shows TWI as integral to innovation

Back to Media and Events 2013-07-creepimage-inspecting-creep-damage-in-critical-power-plant-components 2016-09-cutting-edge-technology-for-nuclear-decommissioning A career in welding inspection Additive manufactured medical implants to enter mainstream Additive Manufacturing UK Strategy update available for download Advanced electron beam facilities meet advanced industrial challenges Advanced ultrasonic full matrix capture inspection software launched Armourers & Brasiers' awards open for entries Art exhibition leads to new method of laser metal deposition Asbestos detection made easier and more reliable ASME issues White Paper on auditing of welding Audit shows TWI as integral to innovation Aviation Industry Corporation of China collaborates with TWI BeamAssure™ – electron beam welding quality assurance tool Best practice for nuclear construction industry welding BS 7910:2013 - Assessing flaws in metallic structures Call for papers: 12th International FSW Symposium CII and TWI awareness seminar in composites technology Coatings and surface engineering: addressing the needs of industry Combatting ice and erosion in extreme low temperatures - EIROS Combining Cathodic Protection with Aluminium Coatings CROWN project commended for offshore wind corrosion work Depositing silicon carbide coatings by thermal spraying Digital Twin Technology to monitor offshore assets Digital twin technology wins environmental business award Dr Melissa Riley presents paper at international conference Dr Melissa Riley represents TWI at international conference eLearning package for CSWIP 3.1 Welding Inspector launched Entry is now open for SkillWeld 2016 Extending Aircraft Life Using Cold Spray Technology Fibre delivered laser beam cutting optimisation Friction stir welding – joining the future of industry Friction stir welding and Japanese jewellery Government funds £10 million technology hub in Teesside Has your PCN NDT Certification been voided? TWI Can Help… Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal opens new laboratories at TWI High-pressure hydrogen testing at TWI Ice-repellant coating for aerospace and energy industries Industry benefits of composites microwave processing Innovation Centres at TWI deliver progress for industry INTRAPID produces rapid in-line laser AM inspection systems Introducing the TWI Virtual Academy: studying on your own terms Investigating geothermal coatings for the future of renewable energy Laser scanner improves TWI weld analysis services for Members Lasers for decommissioning: the story so far Lifting the lid on innovation: exploratory projects at TWI Lord Heseltine opens new TWI technology and training centre Meeting reinvigorates Welding Institute's Liverpool branch Mike Russell appointed as TWI Operations Director 'Mind the doors' – New project investigates train door failure Mobile electron beam welds for fabricating large structures ModuLase - combining laser processes for the future of manufacturing MoU between ALFED and TWI enhances collaboration Nanosecond pulsed laser expands opportunities for project work NDT Voiding of PCN certification from NDT International New benefit for TWI Members: free access to Welding Abstracts journal New building to house TWI's structural integrity expertise New centre for Advanced Manufacturing Technologies launched New eBooks added for Professional and Industrial Members New facility for testing the barrier performance of polymers New fracture testing accreditation New Granta Centre manager guarantees premier conferencing New home and new capabilities for TWI in Middlesbrough New manufacturing process supports Hayter's winning position New sensor technology for safe shale gas extraction funded New TWI article breaks down the changes to ISO 15614-1 New ultrasonic testing courses from the TWI Virtual Academy New welding apprenticeship standards receive government approval Novel solution for submersible pumps in oil and gas industry Open Day sparks the start of a new era of research for TWI Pioneering tests being conducted on bespoke TWI rig Plant Inspection training meets need for competent workers Plastics welding experts answer your questions at Aquaculture UK 2014 Progressing graphene as a supercritical fluid barrier Project investigates Powder Metallurgy for astrospace use Purpose-built pressure testing facility opens for business at TWI Purpose-built pressure testing facility to be constructed at TWI Registration opens for TWI BS EN ISO 15614-1 (2017) training RJD Engineering gains Factory Production Control system Certification Rolls-Royce's Martin Boyd discusses the benefits of becoming an IEng Showing expertise in corrosion safety, investigation and assessment Simulating real-world conditions for oil and gas research Skills Development Fund Scheme provides extra TWI courses SkillWeld medallist goes on to take gold at EuroSkills 2016 SOCAR and TWI celebrate new competence training partnership Success for TWI's first blended learning course candidates Successful engineers graduate from EWF/IIW Diploma in Welding 'SUPERSLAB' to meet thicker high-strength steels challenge SurFlow: secure, robust, integrated data transfer through composites Symposium highlights developments in linear friction welding Taking the next step as a CSWIP Welding Inspector Tate Modern use solvent technology for art restoration Teletest business transfers to Eddyfi Technologies The 50-year view of fracture The Transport Systems Catapult and TWI Announce Partnership The Welding Institute Annual Awards and Dinner 2017 The Welding Institute Awards 2018 – Applied Technology Award The Welding Institute promoting career development at NECR exhibition True Stress-True Strain Tensile Testing to Failure TWI and Lloyd's Register launch Fullagar Technologies initiative TWI and Lloyd's Register projects advance take-up of AM TWI celebrates National Women in Engineering Day TWI CEO Christoph Wiesner awarded OBE TWI combines heritage with innovation for the Morgan Motor Company TWI commence 'SubSeaLase' decommissioning project TWI delivers plastics welding training course to Fusion Marine TWI develops essential metallography training to ensure best practice TWI enters research centre agreement with AECC BIAM, China TWI helping UK businesses to 'Access India' TWI helps bring Philips Avent's thermoplastic nebulizer to market TWI helps Engineering College meet industry demand for staff TWI holds successful cold spray technology course TWI hosts graduation ceremony for EWF/IIW Diploma engineers TWI joins 'Integral' nuclear waste project TWI lands NDA innovation award for nuclear decommissioning TWI launches course for advanced digital radiography TWI pioneers 'invisible weld' process TWI Pioneers New Dissimilar Weld for European Space Agency TWI rewards outstanding undergraduate engineering projects TWI signs Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Aramco TWI Supports Underwater Laser Cutting Project TWI Technology Fellow given Visiting Professorship at LSBU TWI Training success story - Vera Dragoi TWI wins RIBA Awards TWI working to progress composites in the automotive industry TWI's Dr Philippa Moore: A role model for female engineers TWI's Dr Shiladitya Paul called as guest editor of Coatings journal Ultrasonic imaging climbing robot passes field trials Update on CPD for Welding Institute Professional Members Vince Cable India visit promotes UK business successes Welding Institute Annual Awards 2018 Welding Institute's latest Engineering Council registrants Welding the unweldable: TWI friction stir welds ODS steel WindTwin project to revolutionise wind turbine technology Workshop to address dissimilar materials joining challenge World's largest linear friction welded component produced World's most precise weld made at TWI
 
22 September 2017

Business Minister Lord Prior launched the latest wave of Science and Innovation Audits (SIA) at Venturefest East on 21 September, including one developed for the East of England.

These audits are designed to examine innovation in industry and the public sector to better inform central Government of regional strengths in order to assist with the channelling of future funding streams.

Speaking on the audits, Lord Prior said, ‘The Science and Innovation Audits we are publishing today highlight the innovative strengths in regions across the UK and the significant growth and investment opportunities they present. Together with our record investment of an additional £4.7 billion for research and development to 2020/21, we are working closely with regional businesses and partners to ensure the ambitions set out in these reports are delivered to maintain our status as a science powerhouse.’

The East of England audit honed in on four specific themes; Life Sciences, Agri-Tech, Advanced Manufacturing and Materials, and ICT. Having been highlighted a number of times across different industries linked to Advanced Manufacturing and Materials, TWI led this particular theme.

TWI Associate Director, Peter Oakley noted, ‘TWI was very happy to lead the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing theme of the East of England Science and Innovation Audit. The analysis demonstrated the existing strengths of the region in the theme area, and moreover the opportunities for development by co-ordination of the widespread resources and skills. These science and innovation assets are important for the growth of the region, and also key to its continued strength as an innovation hub for industry in the rest of the UK and worldwide.’

Materials and Manufacturing Markets

The materials and manufacturing theme was broken down into three areas – Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing, and Structural Integrity – all of which TWI are instrumental in as one of the region’s most influential Research and Technology Organisations. The audit noted how these three areas are all aligned to four important industrial sectors; offshore renewable energy, building and construction, automotive, and aerospace and defence. The intersection of these areas of interest with the industrial sectors shows how important TWI is in the area of innovation. This is further underlined by the fact that TWI is one of the largest project participants (by grant value) in the East of England’s Innovate UK projects related to Advanced Materials and Manufacturing.

TWI’s work in joining techniques and technologies, structural integrity and material properties has supported innovation and research in aerospace and defence, automotive, offshore renewable energy and building and construction.  From the development, characterisation, and use of new materials to improving the use of existing materials and on to advanced fabrication, corrosion protection, environmental impact, and failure investigation and structural integrity, TWI has plenty to offer this multi-billion pound area of innovation.

Supporting the Future of Innovation and Research

However, TWI cannot afford to rest on its laurels and is instead helping to progress the future of innovation and research. This can, for example, be seen when it comes to the important area of structural integrity and fitness-for-purpose. Whether it is transport, energy, communications, or consumer products and healthcare, structural integrity and the life-cycle of products is important. While headlines tend to focus on large-scale failures such as that of the Banqiao Reservoir Dam in China in 1975 which killed some 230,000 people, destroyed nearly 6 million homes and rendered 11 million homeless, this area of research and innovation is important on a smaller scale too. For example, the fatigue of a fillet weld in artificial heart valves led to over 350 deaths and millions of pounds in compensation being paid out.

Traditionally, expertise in structural integrity has been acquired through years of practical experience but, with the retirement of many skilled practitioners, this talent pool has been shrinking considerably. However, TWI is working to reverse the trend via the Structural Integrity Research Foundation (SIRF) and National Structural Integrity Research Centre (NSIRC) which aims to produce postgraduates with a high level of skill in this area.

TWI is also pushing the future of innovation and research through multiple working arrangements with Member companies and through Innovation Centres that provide connections with a number of universities and the Transport Systems Catapult.

Industrial and Academic Links

The Science and Innovation Audit also sought to highlight challenges for the future of innovation and research in the area of Advanced Manufacturing and Materials. One of the largest challenges was seen to be technology transfer and linking expertise across organisations, businesses, and academic centres both on a regional and a wider level.

Again, this is an area in which TWI already shines, with strong links to Member companies and the already-mentioned Innovation Centres and links to academia, it appears that TWI is well-placed to help drive research and development on a regional, national, and global level.

For more information please Contact Us.

Lord Prior (second left) and the Science and Innovation audit team

For more information please email:


contactus@twi.co.uk