To develop the powerful ITER Neutral Beam Injectors (NBIs) a test facility has been set up in Padua, Northern Italy, counting on the contributions of Fusion for Energy (F4E), ITER Organization (IO), India, Japan, and Consorzio RFX. Together they have agreed to collaborate on two major experiments which will help
The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) has announced the launch of the Resilience Alliance – a new professional relationship aimed at developing and promoting resilience globally. IWFM will work alongside member organisations – Airmic (risk management and insurance professionals), ASIS International (security professionals) and the Business Continuity Institute
SEGRO, in its role as venture adviser to the SEGRO European Logistics Partnership (“SELP”) joint venture, today announces on behalf of SELP, the acquisition of a portfolio of Spanish logistics land sites. All of the sites are in Barcelona and Madrid and are able to support approximately 240,000 sq m
Building works on a new housing development in Carterton, by property developer Taggart Homes, are progressing on track, with the show home set to open to the public in October. Located in the sought-after town of Carterton in West Oxfordshire, luxury development Linden Gardens, which is due for completion in
Sizewell C is increasing the number of apprentices it is aiming to employ from 1,000 to 1,500. A range of opportunities from conventional to degree level apprenticeships will be offered if construction of the new nuclear power station goes ahead. Apprentices will be trained in a wide variety of
Planning has been approved for a 138,000 sq ft industrial development, Spitfire Court on the Triumph Business Park in Speke. Work is scheduled to begin on site in October 2020 with completion targeted for Q3 2021. The Park was acquired by InfraRed Capital Partners Limited (“InfraRed”) in 2019, on behalf
£120m world-first low carbon greenhouses in Norfolk and Suffolk are on track for the testing and commissioning phase to begin this autumn. The two giant greenhouses have used more glass than The Shard, and just one is one-and-a-half times the size of the O2 in London. This world-first development, project
All you need to know about the UK equivalent to CE marking and CPR fire testing, as exiting the European Union trade deals continue to conclusion – contact the team today for priority testing! The background – BASEC’s position on CE/UKCA marking On 1st September, Ministry of Housing, Communities and
The European Commission has announced the winners of the second edition of Horizon Impact Award, a prize dedicated to EU-funded projects that have created societal impact across Europe and beyond. The winning projects have helped to reduce the CO2 footprint of numerous leading airlines, developed the first transparent display that
The Scottish home building industry today called on the Scottish Government to issue a clear statement of intent on the need to deliver 25,000 new homes of all tenures each year and to mandate public agencies to work in partnership with developers across sectors to achieve this. According to trade
To develop the powerful ITER Neutral Beam Injectors (NBIs) a test facility has been set up in Padua, Northern Italy, counting on the contributions of Fusion for Energy (F4E), ITER Organization (IO), India, Japan, and Consorzio RFX. Together they have agreed to collaborate on two major experiments which will help us get closer to fusion energy. Scientists will have the opportunity to run tests using SPIDER and MITICA in order to acquire new know-how. Subsequently, the parties involved will proceed with the fabrication of the “real” components that will be used in ITER. Europe being the host of the ITER experiment is also one of the parties with significant involvement in the Neutral Beam Test Facility (NBTF). It has been financially contributing to its construction and the manufacturing of components. In terms of Research & Development (R&D), F4E has invested approximately 30 million EUR for the period 2012-2019 and roughly 100 million EUR for production of components. Converting the NBTF into a centre of excellence for future research in fusion is of strategic importance for Europe. Much will depend on access of know-how and expertise to harness fusion, the energy of Sun. The components of SPIDER, the most powerful negative ion source in the world, and those of MITICA, the real-size NBI, will need to be cooled down. The function of the water cooling plant will be to remove the deposited thermal power, up to a total of about 70 MW, for 3600 seconds. The cooling plant consists of the following main units: a specific system for each of the two experiments, and a common system which they share to release the thermal energy removed from the components. F4E, in close collaboration with Delta Ti Impianti, the company responsible for its production (from design to commissioning), has successfully completed the works. After eight years the system has been handed over to ITER Organization on 28 May. The pipes which extend to around 5500 m crosscut the entire Neutral Beam Test Facility. In some areas the pipes follow a neat pattern almost like tapestry covering the walls. In other parts of the building, the pipes resemble to a labyrinth made of steel full of twists and turns. This is the result of about 500 deliverable documents, reviews and inspections, contract amendments and successful negotiations. A team of engineers, quality assurance experts, lawyers, procurement officers have been working together for years to complete this project. We spoke to some of the engineers involved in the project to understand the challenges they faced during the lifecycle of the project. Vincent Pilard, F4E Technical Officer who has been closely following the contract, offers some background. “One of the main difficulties we faced designing the cooling plant was the fact that the building was not constructed. We had to imagine the space distribution, walls and partitions to project the installation of the pipes and of equipment. Our design had to adapt to the civil engineering works and eventually fine-tune all inputs so that our supplier could start manufacturing. There were also some key technical details that we had to take into consideration. For example, we need to use water with very low electrical conductivity in order to avoid impurities in the system. Therefore, we had to make provisions for a chemical control unit to filter the activated corrosion products.” Andrea Garbuglia, F4E on-site supervisor, elaborates on the complexity of the cooling plant.” The system has a thermal power of 70 MW, more than 5.5 km of piping, at least 2000 sensors/instruments installed, 10 primary circuits and more than 20 components to be cooled. The most challenging part, in terms of Health & Safety, logistics and technical coordination, has been the installation, and testing, of the MITICA cooling plant carried out in parallel with the SPIDER experiment in operation. In terms of construction, we have counted more than 6000 person days for the plant erection without any accident in six years putting safety first. The valuable contributions of Consorzio RFX, Delta-Ti Impianti and the F4E Neutral Beam cooling team have made this possible.” Giorgio Biginelli, CEO of Delta-Ti Impianti, shares some thoughts on their involvement in this project. “The cooling plant of the ITER NBTF was for us a great opportunity to showcase reliability, competence and innovation. Being part of a global R&D project, on which the future of humanity’s energy will depend on the coming centuries, has given constant motivation to our workforce. The spirit of collaboration with F4E and Consorzio RFX helped us to complete successfully the work. We have acquired important know-how, fundamental to creating synergies with other projects such as ITER, laboratories such as CERN, with which we already cooperate, and others we hope to be able to cooperate with such as DTT.” “The NBTF cooling plant is one of the prerequisites for the start of MITICA’s operation. The plant has already demonstrated its conformity to the cooling needs of ongoing SPIDER experiments. During the construction of this plant, the supplier, F4E, Consorzio RFX and ITER Organizaion have worked together successfully to overcome the difficulties that have been posed by the complexity of the size and the number of parties involved. The NBTF cooling plant is now ready to be used in its full capacity,” explains Chandramouli Rotti, ITER Organization Section Leader of the Neutral Beam Section “During the finalisation of the ITER NBTF cooling plant, a fruitful and strong cooperation was established between IO, F4E, Consorzio RFX and the industry. This equipment is essential for the operation of both SPIDER and MITICA. A continuous and intense effort has been put by all the parties during the lifecycle of the project- from conceptual design till final acceptance tests. In May 2018 the successful delivery of the first units of the cooling plant made it possible for the SPIDER experiments to begin. In September the entire cooling system will be fully operational to go ahead with MITICA experiments,” says Dr. Eng. Pierluigi Zaccaria – Project Leader for NBTF Thermomechanical plants and components.
The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) has announced the launch of the Resilience Alliance – a new professional relationship aimed at developing and promoting resilience globally. IWFM will work alongside member organisations – Airmic (risk management and insurance professionals), ASIS International (security professionals) and the Business Continuity Institute (business continuity and resilience professionals) – to collectively promote the importance of resilience and establish best practice ‘resilience’ initiatives. The Alliance will also will address the implications of the changes and sudden disruptions faced by organisations already in 2020, whilst also aiming to develop and promote a common mutual understanding of what is meant by the term ‘resilience’. The basis for the collaboration lies on the belief that there is no single discipline that can claim to cover all aspects of resilience, and organisational resilience is most effectively delivered when operational and professional silos are broken down. Resilience is delivered by multidisciplinary specialists working together towards a common purpose, therefore risk management, workplace and facilities, security and business continuity professionals all play a key role. Each member organisation of the Resilience Alliance has developed its own lens and approach to the subject of resilience based on its unique purpose, activities and individual member interest. However, they also recognise that many resilience challenges are faced and shared by all. The Resilience Alliance will undertake joint communication, thought leadership initiatives and research projects on the good practices organisations can develop and adopt to better prepare themselves for the impact of sudden disruptions or crises. Each body has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to demonstrate that risk professionals across the spectrum believe that resilience is a team game and that by collaborating they are stronger. Linda Hausmanis, Chief Executive of IWFM, said: “We are excited to be a part of the Resilience Alliance and look forward to building on our existing collaborations towards a knowledge exchange platform that will benefit all of our members. Covid-19 has underlined the importance of resilience as organisations have needed to be adaptive and flexible in the face of challenging and uncertain circumstances. Resilience will continue to be paramount in the coming months as we emerge from the crisis; likewise, flexibility will remain key to any newly laid plans as we continue into the unknown.” Julia Graham, Deputy CEO and Technical Director of Airmic, explained: “The Resilience Alliance is a fantastic opportunity to drive change in organisations, making them fitter and ultimately more ‘risk intelligent’. The events of 2020 have shown us we live in a fast moving, volatile and connected world – one that is constantly changing and where working in silos is no longer an option. “Airmic is delighted to work with our fellow Resilience Alliance members on the projects and thought leadership issues, across public platforms, which will demonstrate the power of collaboration.” Peter O’Neil, CEO of ASIS International, stated: “Resilience plays a significant role in the security profession as a whole, particularly as it relates to crisis management and business continuity challenges. The ability to prepare for, and adapt to, changing conditions and withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions is a major role of security professionals worldwide. We are excited to join the Resilience Alliance and look forward to developing future tools and resources for our profession (and others) to strengthen organisations across the globe.”
SEGRO, in its role as venture adviser to the SEGRO European Logistics Partnership (“SELP”) joint venture, today announces on behalf of SELP, the acquisition of a portfolio of Spanish logistics land sites. All of the sites are in Barcelona and Madrid and are able to support approximately 240,000 sq m of modern, sustainable warehouse space, developable over the next five years, which will allow SEGRO, through SELP, to continue to build scale and increase its presence in Spain. The sites total 41 hectares and are all in locations within close proximity to major population hubs, making them ideal to meet ongoing occupier demand that has been further strengthened by the rapid rise in e-commerce. Five of the assets are in Barcelona, including development sites in Cerdanyola del Vallès, Terrassa, Palau-Solità i Plegamans, Viladecans as well as an existing, fully let 14,000 sq metres warehouse facility in the Polinyà municipality. The remaining sites are in Madrid including in Paracuellos, strategically located next to Madrid Barajas Airport and two further sites bordering the M45 orbital road in San Fernando de Henares and Villaverde. Marco Simonetti, Southern Europe Business Unit Director for SEGRO, said: “This acquisition will significantly expand our footprint in Spain, an exciting market where we are growing our portfolio of high quality, well located assets to meet the increasing demand for prime, sustainable warehousing. “It will complement our existing portfolio in Barcelona and Madrid, helping to establish us as a leader in modern warehousing and industrial property in these important logistics markets.”
Building works on a new housing development in Carterton, by property developer Taggart Homes, are progressing on track, with the show home set to open to the public in October. Located in the sought-after town of Carterton in West Oxfordshire, luxury development Linden Gardens, which is due for completion in late 2021, will comprise of 32 semi-detached and detached family homes. Featuring eight different property types starting from £250,000 and going up to £800,000, the development will offer 2 bed apartments, 3 and 4 bed semi-detached homes and 3, 4 and 5 bed detached homes, all of which will be finished to the finest quality with high spec fixtures and fittings and landscaped gardens. Situated just a mile south of Carterton town centre, the development is in a prime location next to Carterton Health Centre and a wide range of leisure facilities, shopping amenities and employment opportunities. The location is next to the Kilkenny Lane Allotments and Kilkenny Lane Country Park and surrounding towns are Witney, Burford, Cheltenham and Swindon. The nearest city being Oxford. Appealing to a varied demographic, Linden Gardens is suited to growing families looking to upsize or commuters looking to improve their home working surroundings. There is also provision for first-time homebuyers with a range of Help to Buy and Shared Ownership options on smaller properties. Ideal for A40 commuters and very close to the Cotswolds – the development’s closest train station -Long Hanborough – is just over 10 minutes from Oxford, 40 minutes from Reading and one hour from London Paddington for city workers. Importantly for families, Linden Gardens is in the catchment area of many in-demand primary schools including Carterton, Shilton Park, Brize Norton and St John Evangelist, and secondary schools including Cokethorpe Private, Burford College, The Kings School and Carterton Community College. It’s also a short drive away from a range of locations for days out including Crocodiles of the World, Bourton on the Water, Cotswold Wildlife Park and Sherbourne National Trust Park. The scheme will inject new life into a previously underutilised rural site which had a single family house on it, that backs onto the edge of the Shilton Park housing development. On the new Linden Gardens development, co-founder and chief executive officer of Taggart Homes, Michael Taggart, said: “We are delighted and excited to be bringing this exquisite luxury family development to this great location nestled in West Oxfordshire. Its location is the biggest selling point, adjacent to the country park, and with open fields beyond, it is ideal for families and commuters due to being in the close vicinity of major road and rail routes. “As with all properties by Taggart Homes, our dedicated team of professionals ensure that each detail of each property is designed and built to the highest standards to provide the best possible product on the market – from the layout and design, to the workmanship and materials used for the build, interior fixtures and fittings and surrounding landscaped spaces. “We want to build communities where neighbours become friends, where memories are made and we understand what a huge step buying a new home is, so we always strive to provide the finest quality properties, where luxury meets convenience.” Paul Stachura, new homes sales manager at Connells estate agents in Oxford, said: “We’re hugely excited to be working alongside Taggart Homes and offering these very special homes to the people of Carterton. “Interest in the development is already exceptional and the local branch is being inundated with enquiries for details, from people within the town and further afield. With such a great mix of houses in a stunning location, Linden Gardens will undoubtedly become the ‘place to live’ in Carterton.” Interested homebuyers can now register interest at Connells in Carterton on 01993 847309. The brochure is due to launch September, with an off-plan reservation event scheduled for late September and official launch planned for early October.
Sizewell C is increasing the number of apprentices it is aiming to employ from 1,000 to 1,500. A range of opportunities from conventional to degree level apprenticeships will be offered if construction of the new nuclear power station goes ahead. Apprentices will be trained in a wide variety of construction and mechanical roles including degree-level engineering, digital engineering, welding, project management, and steel-fixing. There will also be apprenticeships in many site support services including operations management, logistics, environment, health and safety, security, and accountancy. Sizewell C is the low carbon nuclear power station being proposed for Suffolk to help the UK reach net zero emissions by 2050. The application to build Sizewell C is currently being considered by the Planning Inspectorate. The new apprentices target follows the success in training people of all ages at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. Four years into construction, more than 650 apprentices have already worked on over fifty different training programmes linked to the project. The majority of apprentices have come from the local area. In addition, changes to Government guidance mean companies are allowed greater flexibility in the training they can give through apprenticeship schemes. Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, Managing Director, Sizewell C said: “The progress being made at Hinkley Point C has given us the confidence to announce a significantly higher target for apprentices. Sizewell C will create thousands of jobs and training opportunities in the East of England and across the UK’s nuclear supply chain. Together with our suppliers, we are determined to help people who work for us get good qualifications and build long-term, well-paid careers.” Cameron Gilmour, Vice President Nuclear, Doosan Babcock, and Chairman of the Sizewell C Consortium said: “Not every school-leaver wants to go to university and apprenticeships are a great way to learn on the job. This announcement demonstrates the huge potential of Sizewell C to transform the lives of young people by offering them paid training and a great career.” Gail Cartmail, Assistant General Secretary, Unite the Union said: “Sizewell will be the catalyst for providing young people, particularly those living in East Anglia, with skills for life and it will provide a huge boost to the local economy. It is imperative that the government not only gives the green light to the Sizewell C development but provides direct assistance to ensure that this project begins as early as possible, so that these commitments on apprentices can start to be achieved as soon as possible and the experience of building Hinkley Point can be fully utilised.” Last month saw the launch of the Young Sizewell C scheme, which is designed to introduce 16-21-year olds living in Suffolk and Norfolk to some of the jobs the project could offer. Young Sizewell C and a future Jobs Service will be used to identify as many opportunities as possible for young people living in the east of England. Sizewell C is also exploring ways to provide further training and employment opportunities by transferring EDF apprenticeship levy to other east of England businesses. While many of the apprentices will be based on or close to the construction site in Suffolk, others will have the opportunity to work with suppliers in different parts of the UK.
Planning has been approved for a 138,000 sq ft industrial development, Spitfire Court on the Triumph Business Park in Speke. Work is scheduled to begin on site in October 2020 with completion targeted for Q3 2021. The Park was acquired by InfraRed Capital Partners Limited (“InfraRed”) in 2019, on behalf of InfraRed Active Real Estate Fund IV, who appointed Merseyside-based Network Space Developments last year to bring forward the £15m speculative scheme on a plot of vacant land to the south-west corner. The scheme will bring 12 Grade A industrial units to market, taking the total Park footprint to almost 1million sq ft. The proposed units range in size from 3,000 sq ft up to 34,000 sq ft. Six larger warehouse units include ancillary first floor offices, designated parking spaces, generous service yards and loading door access. One sub-divided terraced unit houses a further six smaller business units. The wider Triumph Business Park site is a major storage, distribution and commercial hub, with 24-hour access and a security lodge and entrance barrier. It’s strategically located less than one mile from Liverpool John Lennon Airport, with Liverpool South Parkway transport interchange 1 mile to the north for destinations across Merseyside with links to Birmingham and London Euston. Network Space Development Director, Joe Burnett said: “We are delighted that planning has been approved for a scheme that brings significant logistical and economic benefits to the Liverpool City Region. The extension to Triumph Business Park will complement existing businesses and amenities on the Park, as well as neighbouring retail outlets. This is the next chapter in this regeneration success story for the former Triumph factory site. He added: “The units will offer Grade A warehouse and office accommodation that will attract quality tenants to the Park, along with long-term job, training and investment opportunities.” Dean Harrison, Investment Director at InfraRed Capital Partners, commented: “Located only seven miles from Liverpool city centre, the Park benefits from good transport links, increased urbanisation and strong tenant demand from last mile logistics operators. The greater turn to e-commerce during the recent months has increased demand for modern, high-quality urban logistics assets, which this project delivers. The scheme will meet BREEAM Very Good standards and with sustainability in mind, will incorporate electric vehicle charging points for each unit and LED lighting throughout. It will also be zero carbon ready, allowing for easy future provision of renewable energy technologies. To date, InfraRed has acquired, developed and managed over c.18m sq ft of industrial assets. We will look to expand our urban logistic holdings in the UK and Western Europe throughout 2020 and beyond with substantial capital available for deployment”. Triumph Business Park was acquired by InfraRed, for £30m from an undisclosed vendor. Architects for the scheme are AEW Architects. CBRE and B8 are appointed as agents with NSM providing asset management services across the Park.
£120m world-first low carbon greenhouses in Norfolk and Suffolk are on track for the testing and commissioning phase to begin this autumn. The two giant greenhouses have used more glass than The Shard, and just one is one-and-a-half times the size of the O2 in London. This world-first development, project managed by Step Associates, will also be home to the largest heat pump system project in the UK. The greenhouses have been built next to Anglian Water’s water treatment facilities, the heat from the sewage works will be pumped into the energy centres serving the greenhouses and will provide the ideal growing temperature for growing millions of tomatoes, 10% of the UK’s homegrown tomato crop, along with peppers and cucumbers. Director at Step Associates, Mark Dykes, said “The scheme is using the UK’s largest system of heat pumps, which will channel heat from warm water into the greenhouses to help speed growth. This use of natural energy will cut carbon emissions associated with growing the tomato crop by 75%.” The carbon emissions from an on-site electricity plant will also be funnelled into the greenhouses for the plants to absorb and aid their growth. Greencoat Capital, one of the UK’s largest clean energy funds, is behind the plans and estimates that the greenhouses will produce vegetables with a quarter of the carbon footprint of regular greenhouses. The greenhouses, which are set to start growing this winter, are 7-metre tall glass structures and will allow crops to grow vertically along guide wires. They will be grown hydroponically from nutrient-rich water solutions instead of using soil. As well as providing the UK with homegrown tomatoes, the project will also create up to 360 permanent jobs in the area, and up to 460 at peak season. Mark comments: “This project has been a long and rewarding journey. The greenhouses, being a world-first in their use of renewable energy, have positioned the UK as leading the way in a low carbon solution to growing sustainably, and will hopefully pave the way for similar projects.”
All you need to know about the UK equivalent to CE marking and CPR fire testing, as exiting the European Union trade deals continue to conclusion – contact the team today for priority testing! The background – BASEC’s position on CE/UKCA marking On 1st September, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) communicated the latest position regarding withdrawal from the European Union (EU) and the future position regarding CE marking under CPR. Statutory Instrument 2019 No 465 covers all aspects of how those trading with the UK must move forward with Construction Products building market standards, for full details read more here: http:/www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/465/made BASEC is in the unique position of having established both BASEC UK as a UKCA approval body NB 2661 and BASEC Conformity Limited (BCL) as an EU27 notified body via NB 2851. Moving forward On 1st January 2021, BASEC UK will cease to be an EU27 notified body and automatically gain status as a UK approved body. This will be reflected in a database for UK approved bodies similar to NANDO (yet to be published). The current intention is that the same notified body (NB) number will remain, so BASEC will be UK approved body with the existing NB 2661 number. It has been confirmed that the UK approval scheme will be a mirror of the current CPR, all EN standards will become UK designated standards and will again be identical to the EN’s. In this way, the AVCP (testing and FPC) will be no different. As a part of the move away from CE marking to UKCA, the government has allowed a 1-year transition period. Where until 1st January 2022, it will be permissible to use CE marked product that fulfils the below criteria and are: Covered by a harmonised European standard, which is the same as a UK designated standard (as noted above) Affixed with CE marking Accompanied by a manufacturer’s declaration of performance, and Have been assessed by an EU-recognised notified body, where third party assessment is required. Find out more about fire cable standards, testing and certification by downloading the guide. The action industry must take On the surface it appears that there is a further year before definitive action must be taken, however, the below statement brings into focus some urgency, in respect to how transfer of certification between NB’s will need to happen: “Where a UK notified body (which becomes a UK approved body) had carried out tasks or issued certification in relation to the Assessment and Verification of Performance (AVCP) for a product before 1st January 2021, then those tasks and/or that certification may be used to support affixing of the UK marking if the product is placed on the GB market after this date” This means, for all current BASEC customers that have AVCP system 1+ with BASEC it is permissible for BASEC to use this information in support of UK marking i.e. there will be no need for additional parallel auditing/testing. Additionally, any transfers that occur before 1st January 2021 will constitute tasks and the same will apply. Anything after this date will require full parallel testing/auditing. Under the group of notified bodies (GNB) transfer guidance, there is the possibility of cooperation with the current issuing notified body of a customer. This would involve a desktop review of all Initial visit reports, FPC, CoCP and testing. It would then be at BASEC’s discretion of how to validate this information, as it cannot simply be “taken as read”. It would be BASEC’s intention to review all documentation including CoCP and test reports for alignment with CPR requirements. Upon successful review BASEC would then establish a test programme, on a risk basis, as to how many tests would be required to verify alignment between the testing of the issuing NB and BASEC. Successful completion of this process would lead to certificate transfer. At this stage, all system 3 documentation remains valid as previously communicated. BASEC will continue to offer classification reports for existing customers for UKCA system 3, but may wish to retest, dependent on the age of the original test. In summary Key takeaways for you to assess your next steps include: As of January 1st, 2021, BASEC will become a UK approved body and no longer an EU27 NB BASEC Conformity Limited (BCL) NB 2851 will offer System 1+ CPR AVCP as an EU27 notified body BASEC UK will offer UKCA System 1+ and System 3 There is a 12-month transition period where CE marked product will still be allowed into the UK All work carried out by BASEC prior to 31st December 2020 is allowed to be used as technical information to validate UKCA marking This will include any transfers prior to 31st December 2020 Post 1st January 2021 all UKCA work will require new testing/auditing Post 1st January 2021, BASEC/BCL’s service offering will allow 1 set of auditing/testing to satisfy both UKCA (System 1+ and System 3) AND CE (System 1+ ONLY) marking obligations For any further information on the transition to UKCA marking, please contact Mark Froggatt mark.froggatt@basec.org.uk
The European Commission has announced the winners of the second edition of Horizon Impact Award, a prize dedicated to EU-funded projects that have created societal impact across Europe and beyond. The winning projects have helped to reduce the CO2 footprint of numerous leading airlines, developed the first transparent display that several companies have already put on the market, improved the quality of life for children with heart failure, used innovative technology to preserve threatened species in the Southern Ocean and conserved European heritage by digitally translating historical handwritten documents. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: European research and innovation programmes fund the best ideas to advance science and generate knowledge but also to translate these results into concrete benefits for society. The Horizon Impact Award serves to demonstrate how successful uptake of research results can create impact in every corner of our society. I am delighted to see that there are many great examples of how research and innovation directly benefits citizens. In many different ways, their ideas and products have changed people’s daily lives for the better. The winners were announced at the European Research and Innovation Days in Brussels. An independent jury selected the winning projects from 10 finalists. Each of the winners will receive €10,000: CARING (France), produced an ‘eco-software’ SkyBreathe®, which analyses millions of flights every year and identifies best practices to save fuel. The software has been deployed in every continent, with clients including Air France, CEBU Pacific, Flydubai, to name a few. The deployment in lower middle-income countries provides a means to reduce their CO2 footprint that contributes to global warming. Overall this technology has already helped 40 airlines to save $US150 million (€178 million) and 590 000 tons of CO2 and continues so on a daily basis thus creating an economic, environmental and societal benefit and supporting the aims of the European Green Deal. Read more INVISIBLE (Portugal), generated a new technological field, where the results of this project have endless applications in a wide range of industries. Manufactured in Europe and working with SAMSUNG, the project INVISIBLE has developed the first transparent display that is commercialised by several companies. This fundamental research lead to other innovative developments in other multi-billion-dollar industries such as ink-jet printing and smart medical diagnostics. Being the European pioneer in the field, INVISIBLE is an example of truly global scientific leadership. Read more MACH (Germany), developed a mobile driving unit EXCOR®Active that provides mobility and independence to children with end-stage heart failure pending heart transplant operations. The driving unit for blood pumps is smaller, lighter and portable and allows children and their families to be mobile, eliminating time spent in the hospitals. The machine is already on the European market and benefitting little patients in Germany. The project created impact not only for the children, but also for healthcare workers as the device is lighter and easier to manage. Read more OCEAN SENTINEL (France), creates environmental and a policy impact by preserving the most threatened marine species including albatrosses, sharks, sea turtles, thus protecting the ecosystem. The project comprises an innovative technology to detect illegal fishing activity and gathers information for authorities, regional fishing and conservation agreements and non-governmental organization that are fighting to preserve the ocean and its inhabitants. The results have not only been taken up and used, but serve as a basis for discussions in international fishing and conservation agreements. Read more TRANSKRIBUS (Austria), uses artificial intelligence (AI) to access and analyse historical documents and archives, as a result contributes to the preservation of European heritage. TRANKSRIBUS technology merges the humanities with AI to pioneer a platform that enables immediate translation of historical handwritten documents. The National Archives of Finland, Italy and the Netherlands have now started to integrate it into their daily services. The technology is free and accessible not only to computer scientists, but also to researchers and scholars so making an impact in history and other relevant social sciences. Read more In addition, the European Commission takes this occasion to award one winner from the 2019 edition of the Horizon Impact Award, which was not possible at the time. FRESH-DEMO (The Netherlands) developed an energy-efficient humidification systems called the Dry-Mist technology. By prolonging product shelf life while avoiding unnecessary plastic packaging, this technology serves as a sustainable approach and a clever solution to the worldwide food waste and extensive use of plastic packaging in the food supply chain. Read more Background This Horizon Impact Award, launched in February this year, aims to illustrate the wider socio-economic benefits of EU investment in research and innovation and to encourage project beneficiaries on how best to manage and utilise research results. The prize acknowledges and rewards the most influential and impactful project results under Horizon 2020, the current EU research and innovation programme (2013-20), and its predecessor, the 7th Framework programme (FP7, 2007-13). The European Research and Innovation Days provide an opportunity for decision-makers, industry, finance, academia and businesses to debate and shape the future EU research and innovation landscape and to discuss the strategic priorities of Horizon Europe, the next EU research and innovation programme (2021-27).
The Scottish home building industry today called on the Scottish Government to issue a clear statement of intent on the need to deliver 25,000 new homes of all tenures each year and to mandate public agencies to work in partnership with developers across sectors to achieve this. According to trade body Homes for Scotland (HFS), this would generate greater investment confidence, helping to boost the wider economy as well as providing much needed homes across the country. The call is part of a package of measures submitted to the Scottish Government to ensure the longer-term sustainability of the home building sector as it strives to recover from the impact of the Coronavirus. HFS Chief Executive Nicola Barclay said: “As the First Minister acknowledged during her Programme for Government announcement, investment in housing will make a crucial contribution to Scotland’s recovery. “A number of notable steps have already been taken to assist in ongoing housing delivery (such as the lifeline £100m emergency liquidity fund for SME home builders), but further longer-term action is required if we are to ensure we can provide the homes of all tenures that Scotland needs, with all the wide-ranging benefits this brings in terms of employment, social outcomes and economic growth. “Whilst builders may have returned to work, it is far from business as usual. Regardless of whether the properties being built are for private sale or social rent, required Covid-related measures (such as social distancing and hygiene controls) mean that fewer operatives can be on site at any one time. This in turn means that the construction of much needed homes of all tenures is taking longer and costing more. “This compounds the significant upfront expenditure incurred by developers to acquire land and complete construction, with cost recovery very often only achieved when the last properties are occupied. “Our members are doing all they can to meet pent-up demand whilst market conditions remain stable, but this is against a backdrop of never before seen levels of uncertainty for both businesses and individuals. That is why our calls are set out across the immediate and medium to longer term, encompassing private and social housing.” Barclay added: “Given its fundamental importance and strong multiplier effect, housing can be the springboard for a Scotland-wide recovery. “With the appropriate Scottish Government support, we can minimise the effects of the Coronavirus on housing delivery, SME builders, jobs and the economy. “As the First Minister herself has said, we now have an opportunity to address many of the deep-seated challenges our country faces. Let’s make getting housing sorted once and for all our top priority.”