Rise and Design: The Electric Revolution

Friday 17th June, 9.30 - 12.30

We're entering a new age, where most of our transport needs, and many others will be met by electrical power rather than the 150 year old internal combustion engine.

Some of this is happening already, with sales of electric cars increasing every year, but sea and air travel are still to be conquered, and many challenges remain. But it's only a matter of time, and good design, so we'll be hearing about some of the amazing advances being made in the world of batteries and electric drives.

 

Speakers included

Claire Defty, CPI

CPI, based in Sedgefield is one of the UKs leading innovation centres, focussing on many areas of advanced processing and manufacturing. These include printed electronics, photonics, pharmaceutical formulation and processing. They are working with a number of companies who are developing novel batteries and associated technologies so Claire gave us an overview of the work they're doing and the facilities they have available.

Tom Anderson, Neocycl

Metals make up around 9% of the 300 million tones of municipal waste created each year. Metals such as copper, tin and titanium that required vast amounts of energy and resource to extract from the earth in the first place. Neocycl have developed a novel technology to enable the recovery of the metals used in battery production, thereby creating a greener battery supply chain. Tom told us more.

Ruth Dixon, Driving the Electric Revolution Innovation Centre

DER-IC is a network of centres around the UK that are charged with driving the adoption of electrical power in transport, manufacturing and all areas of business. The North East Centre, based at Newcastle University are focussed on the transport sector, including the marine sector which has a whole host of specific challenges. Ruth shared some of these with us and the steps they are taking to overcome them.

Supply Chain North East sees four key partners joining forces to work with over 800 businesses between 2018-2021 supporting businesses to identify opportunities in new and existing markets. An integral part of the North East Growth Hub, Supply Chain North East is delivered across the region by RTC North, Generator, North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) and North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC). Supply Chain North East is receiving up to £3,148,514 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.