Ground-breaking research into self-healing concrete has received over £4 million in new funding to help create innovative solutions to rising maintenance costs across the UK. The Cardiff University-led Resilient Materials 4 Life (RM4L) project has received the investment from the Engi
A chance discovery made by researchers at the University of Glasgow could dramatically reduce the cost of treating water for drinking. The team, working on an EPSRC-funded project in collaboration with the University of Michigan, analysing bacteria found in drinking water system in th
Bioengineers at The University of Nottingham are trialling how to use shrimp shells to make biodegradable shopping bags, as a ‘green’ alternative to oil-based plastic, and as a new food packaging material to extend product shelf life. The new material for these affordable ‘eco-friendl
Productivity is an economic measure defined as the ratio of GDP to hours worked in a given period. While this sounds a sensible measure, it is, of course, fraught with uncertainty. We know that all the economic data is constantly being revised and it must, in truth, be very difficult
One start-up company is about to use space technology to eliminate the issue of blind spots in lorries, buses and other large vehicles altogether. SeeCycle is developing a system that makes cyclists more visible to HGVs and buses by creating a ‘virtual protective field’ around the veh
A quick, cheap and highly efficient method for producing a water-purifying chemical has been developed by researchers at Cardiff University. The team, from the Cardiff Catalysis Institute, Lehigh University and the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the USA, have
Scientists have theoretically designed a new material that could help supply the world with clean energy by turning water into fuel, using just the power of the sun. Chemists at the University of Reading say a new catalyst, which mimics the way plants absorb energy from the sun, could
Non executive directors are crucial to company success, but only if their experience is properly utilized. Shareholders are interested in short term success, executives come and go and can be focused on their own careers, but the true custodians are the NEDs. A recent study asked non
City of Edinburgh council has upgraded its waste fleet with cycle safety equipment with a view to preventing collisions between cyclists and lorries. The local authority has integrated Cyclear technology into its vehicles, which comprises an illuminated sign that lights up to alert an
An automatic, solar-powered window blind that spreads like flowers opening in the sun has been invented by engineers in Germany. The blind system, designed by researchers from the Fraunhofer Society as a way of cooling offices with large glass facades, comprises a network of wires tha