Mon, 07 October, 2024
TWI currently runs ten Innovation Centres for its university partners, each of which focuses on a particularly technology area, field of engineering and/or sector. TWI Innovation Centres undertake collaborative research and development (R&D) projects that are funded through successful proposals to EU programmes, such as Horizon Europe (HE) and its predecessor Horizon 2020 (H2020), and UK bodies, most notably Innovate UK (IUK).
The first TWI Innovation Centre was established in 2009 and the most recent one in 2023. Together, they deliver significant technological, industrial, societal, environmental and economic impact through their R&D and wider partnership initiatives. Below we look at a selection of our Innovation Centres through a range of their project examples.
Joining 4.0 Innovation Centre (J4IC) - partner: Lancaster University
METAMET: Digital framework for the design and additive manufacture of lattice metamaterial structures (IUK)
METAMET will identify a comprehensive, traceable way of optimising 3D printed parts using lattices; namely intricate, repeated patterns that can give additional material properties, such as directional cooling, reduced vibration and enhanced crack resistance, to parts. This could offer substantial benefits to industry in the manufacture of lightweight parts and structures. It also supports the wider environmental goals of reduced materials consumption and carbon emissions by enabling the production of lightweight parts using less energy. TWI Innovation Network Subscriber company Holdson Limited is a project partner.
Materials Innovation Centre (MatIC) - partner: University of Leicester
H2OforAll: Innovative tools and technologies to protect and treat drinking water from disinfection by products (HE)
Water purification and disinfection are crucial in providing safe water to citizens, but when disinfectants interact with natural organic materials in water, this results in disinfection by-products (DBPs) which, if consumed, can have serious effects on the liver and nervous system, and cause environmental damage. H2OforAll is addressing this by developing DBP sensor monitoring devices, modelling the spread and fate of these contaminants through drinking water systems, establishing innovative water treatment methods to remove DBPs or prevent their formation during water disinfection and more.
Brunel Composites Centre (BCC) - partner: Brunel University London
CoPropel: Next-generation marine vessel propellers
CoPropel puts forward a holistic approach for the shipping industry by introducing a composite marine propeller that offers corrosion resistance, light weight tailoring of material properties, low electric signature and acoustic properties. The project consortium seeks to contribute to the optimisation of propulsion systems by developing, and maturing, technologies for the realisation of marine propellers made of advanced composite materials. Compared to current counterparts, the new propeller will also be quieter, stronger and more reliable, and have flexible deformation capability and lower energy consumption. Image top of page shows shipping industry.
Anglia Ruskin Innovation Centre (ARIC) - partner: University of East Anglia
Up-Skill: Up-skilling for Industry 5.0 Roll-out project (HE)
Up-Skill seeks to understand how industrial and manufacturing businesses can leverage value from human-machine integration.
Up-Skill will develop a better understanding of how businesses in industrial and manufacturing environments can leverage value from human-machine integration. Companies are already exploring the benefits of applying technologies like real time data processing, the Internet of Things, automation and artificial intelligence, and the next step is to integrate these with human capabilities. Objectives of Up-Skill include identifying the skills that existing workers will need to survive in the emerging digitalised workspace, providing data for technological integration and decision making, and reducing costs in primary manufacturing. The Joining 4.0 Innovation Centre is also a partner in this project.
Brunel Innovation Centre (BIC) - partner: Brunel University London
Soni-Laser: Ultrasonic assisted laser welding for high volume assembly of automotive battery packs (IUK)
Soni-Laser introduces a power ultrasonic vibration treatment into the laser welding process for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, designed to improve the integrity and quality of welds, and accelerate the production process for EV battery packs. The result is non-invasive control and modification of the microstructure between battery joints during post-weld solidification, i.e., the transformation of the molten weld metal from liquid to solid state that occurs due to loss of heat from the weld pool. TWI Industrial Member company Carrs Welding Technologies Limited is a project partner.
Healthcare Innovation Centre (HIC) - partner: Teesside University
HOLICARE: Trustworthy, equitable healthcare diagnostics and clinical support for respiratory tract infections (HE)
HOLICARE is tackling the challenge of providing diagnostics and treatment for respiratory tract infections as well as preventing them.
HOLICARE is tackling the challenge of diagnostics, treatment and prevention of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in low and middle income countries (LMICs), based on a holistic approach to bringing innovative diagnostics solutions to the population, with the aim of bridging the gap between technological excellence, available infrastructure, capacity and local uptake of technologies. The project will include a healthcare pilot in Ethiopia, Uganda and Senegal. HOLICARE comprises four pillars: diagnostics co-designed with end users; resources and networks; technical training; and engagement and access.
Essex Innovation Centre (essex.ai) - Partner: University of Essex
GRINNER: Improving waste management through an AI-powered detection system of batteries (HE) utilising data from x-ray detectors and pick-and-place robots
GRINNER’s mission is to improve the management chain of Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Batteries are the main focus of the project because discarding them, in recycling bins or rubbish bags, can lead to fire incidents when sorting equipment causes damage to them. GRINNER aspires to become the first autonomous, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled robotic sorting system to offer a method for detecting and removing waste containing batteries from waste streams, and thus shield them from the machines that crush and consolidate waste.
Delivering impact
The technical expertise and knowledge of Innovation Centre personnel, in combination with their ability to generate novel concepts and turn them into collaborative proposals that are successful in securing grant funded, means that that they are able to deliver a rolling portfolio of R&D projects. These generate new systems, processes and products that help to address some of today’s major challenges at the local, regional and global level including the drive for net zero, access to clean drinking water for all and the transition to smart manufacturing.
TWI Innovation Centre personnel are also highly active in disseminating the progress and outcomes of collaborative projects via the publication of technical papers, attendance at conferences and events to give talks, present posters and man exhibition stands, and running project workshops with their fellow consortium members. These activities allow TWI and its university partners to contribute to innovation in the wider engineering community.
Find out more about TWI Innovation Centres, their projects and publications.
To explore the potential for an Innovation Centre with TWI, please email to info@twi-innovation-network.com and we will reply to discuss.
For additional reading on TWI Innovation Centre projects, download an extended version of this press release in PDF format.