Innovate - Issue 12 - the applied research magazine from Coventry University by Rob Hearne

Applied research at Coventry University

Issue 12 Winter 2012

Cleaning up the coastline Restoring the Saudi coast in the wake of Gulf War oil damage

Fighting famine in Africa

Tackling the problem with trees

Bridging the cultural gap â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Mandela years Using serious games to capture culture

Passport to partnerships A network of knowledge across Europe Giving games a boost Sustainability on a world stage

Welcome

Research is fundamental to rejuvenating industry and improving the economy after a recession. That’s why Coventry University is committed to using its is a key Internationalisation expertise to support businesses. theme at Coventry University. We actively encourage and Higher education has a crucial role to play in support our students to gain a helping society overcome global the awareness throughout major challenges we face today and in the their studies and their future. At Coventry, we experiences with us. are using our applied research to drive

WELCOME

CAre

dren and young

a relationship siness

innovation and enhance the competitive Working a global scale is also advantage and on service provision of vitally our important for our staff and researchers. We have a huge international network external partners. of academic partners, funding agencies, governments and Challenge Initiatives have “Solving Our Grand businesses. In order to become experts we know that we must the key areas where our research global identified learn from others and our global network enables us to do this. challenges activity can have the most impact on a national and international scale. In This issue of Innovate demonstrates our international links requires regional, this issue of Innovate canresearch. read about the across all aspectsyou of our Every project or initiative a united projects that are delivering in this issuealready has a European or results. international dimension. You front from We understand that we’re the financial climate can find out how working to save the coastline in Saudi feel following conducive taking risks and universities, the does not Arabia the to Gulf War. We’re also helping to tackle the newofventures. But where there are and training about Government startingissue famine in Africa through education we see opportunities. the environment. Our experts in engineering are working and industry” challenges, A recent the University on with report leading by German car manufacturer Brabus on developing environmental technologies, innovative approaches to for lowexample, carbon vehicles. We’re also working hard to support victims of domestic violence by is helping Coventry City Council to embrace the commercial developing a series support with European opportunities that a low carbon economy can of offer. The services opening partners. can also read aboutwill ourhelp use of serious games of a new hydrogen fuelling station on You Coventry’s campus help people with autism into the workplace. advance investigations in lowdesigned carbon to vehicle technology – with the potential to create millions of jobs. And our research into low As a University we’re determined to play our part in shaping impact buildings is helping housing associations, local authorities If you feel like to and work with us on this and commercial organisationsthe tofuture. reconstruct foryou’d a greener challenge then please get in touch. I look forward to hearing more cost effective future. from you. We are also focused on delivering collaborative projects that give external partners access to expertise across a range of faculties and schools. One such project is underway with Hewlett Packard, a global leader in IT solutions, and The Shakespeare Professor Ian Marshall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Birthplace Trust, which you can read about in this issue. Contact:ainnovate@coventry.ac.uk Solving global challenges requires united front from universities, the Government and industry. As a University, we are determined to play our part in helping shape the future. Please get in touch if you are inspired by our work and Follow us on: want to get involved. I look forward to hearing from you.

Download our CUview app

Professor Ian Marshall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor innovate@coventry.ac.uk

Download the CUview app on your device Compatible with iPad, iPhone and most Android devices

Innovate / Autumn 2009 5

Point your device when you see the CUview logo to make the object come to life

06/07/2011 14:08

INNOVATE WINTER 2012

CONTENTS

25 28 12

16 4

News and Events The latest research news from across the campus

Autism and Employment Using serious games to bridge the divide

10 12

Passport to partnerships Learning on a global platform

Love Hurts Tackling the hidden crime of domestic violence

transforming communities by cable-car Connecting society through integrated transport

Managing Editor Karen Smith, Deputy Director of Marketing for Coventry University Edited and designed by Marketing and Communications Coventry University Printed by Emmersons

Electrifying vehicle performance Low carbon technology is enhancing vehicle performance

18 20

Fighting famine in Africa Tackling the problem with trees

A network of knowledge across Europe Export support for businesses

Giving games a boost Putting policy in place for digital games

For more information If you would like to find out more about any of the articles within this issue, if you have a general enquiry about applied research or to subscribe to a future issue of Innovate, contact us on

Serious games in Singapore Leading the serious games upsurge in the city-state

Telephone +44 (0) 24 7688 8352 Email innovate@coventry.ac.uk Website www.coventry.ac.uk/ researchnet

Bridging the cultural gap â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Mandela years Using serious games to capture culture

Cleaning up the coastline Restoring the Saudi coast in the wake of Gulf War oil damage

Sustainability on a world stage Educating people to live more sustainably

Bringing buildings to life Learning through living

This publication is available in other formats on request. Please contact Marketing and Communications on +44 (0) 24 7688 8352 If you would prefer to receive Innovate electronically email innovate@coventry.ac.uk

LEADING THE WAY IN APPLIED RESEARCH

NEWS&EVENTS European event promotes City Lab collaboration

Pictured here (left) Álvaro de Oliveira (ENoLL) and Philippe Vanrie, Managing Director, European Business Network (EBN)

Coventry University recently organised an event on Smart Cities and Sustainability in Bussels. The event, held on 21 May, was a collaboration between the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) and European Business and Innovation Centre Network (EBN) and Coventry City Lab.

The event was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between EBN and ENoLL. The MoU records a mutual understanding on the existing work carried out between the Business Improvement Centres (BICs) and Living Labs. It is hoped that this agreement will encourage other cities to follow the example of City Lab Coventry (UK) and establish a platform for future collaboration. The MoU will promote joint workshops between EBN and ENoLL, improved communication and cooperation between BICs and Living Labs, and cooperative research and development around smart cities, energy, health, logistics, transport and ICT. Philippe Vanrie, CEO of EBN siad: ‘This is a smart partnership, combining two complementary specialised networks, for the benefits of smart and innovative entrepreneurs.’ Catherine Louch, Business Development Officer, said: ‘A range of academic staff from the University attended the event in Brussels.

4 Innovate I Winter 2012

It offered a fantastic platform to promote our applied research and establish new partnerships with European businesses. We had 86 attendees and some great opportunities have arisen for future partnering, especially ahead of Horizon 2020 funding.’ Following the success of this event, further profile-raising events are planned throughout Europe. A number of new relationships have been formed ahead of the launch of the European Union’s new Framework Programme for Research and Development Horizon 2020 in late 2013. Plans are afoot to host specific events to support the Ageing Society and Integrated Transport & Logistics Grand Challenge Initiatives in Europe later in 2012. For more information contact Catherine Louch on c.louch@coventry.ac.uk

Spreading the word Developing countries face great challenges to address problems of poverty, education, health and infrastructure. Technology has the potential to help overcome some of these challenges, but it requires dedication and innovation.

Universities have a critical role to play, particularly in terms of research and training. Coventry University is contributing to this through its links with the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP). IFIP is a non-governmental, nonprofit organisation serving as an international assembly for national and professional computer and information technology societies from over fifty countries. A working group, under the IFIP umbrella, has been formed with the specific objective of promoting communication systems for developing countries. This group is currently chaired by Dr. Siraj Ahmed Shaikh, a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at Coventry University. The group brings together a range of academic experts from across the world to help deliver training and research in communication and networking technologies. Their aim is to help build infrastructure in developing and rural areas where power is likely to be constrained, terrains are harsh and human capacity to leverage wider benefits from mobile and wireless communications is limited.

In November 2011, the group funded and organised a set of tutorials at Colombo University in Sri Lanka. Hosted by the Computer Society of Sri Lanka, one of the topics of the tutorials was delay and disruption tolerant networking. The aim is to devise smarter communication protocols to handle reliable message delivery where connections between nodes may be intermittent. The group also funded and organised a set of tutorials at the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), in Tanzania. One of the tutorials explored how deployment of optical networking infrastructure in parts of Latin America serves as a model for developing countries in other parts of the world. Sharing success stories from across the developing world is one of the main goals of the working group. Siraj is keen to promote the work of this group with areas of research strength in food security and disaster management at the University providing for a complementary contribution to the developing parts of the world. The newly launched Human Security Grand Challenge Initiative at Coventry University provides for a multidisciplinary platform to align such strengths.

Games for Health Europe Coventry University have officially been announced as the location for the UK Satellite of Games for Health Europe. Founded in 2004, the Games for Health Project supports community, knowledge and business development efforts to use cutting-edge games and game technologies to improve health and health care. The non-profit Games for Health Europe is the official sister conference of the Games for Health project and aims to bring serious gaming and healthcare together in order to contribute to more advanced healthcare across Europe. Coventry is proud to become the UK satellite and are now looking forward to the 2nd Annual Games for Health Europe conference which takes place in Amsterdam on the 5 and 6 November 2012. For more information or to register your interest please contact Harvi Dhamrat on hdhamrat@cad.coventry.ac.uk

Innovate I Winter 2012 5

LEADING THE WAY IN APPLIED RESEARCH

NEWS&EVENTS EVENTS

4 December 2012 Event

Professorial Lecture - Peaceful Relationships Between People: Cultural Relations in a World of Difference

Location

Coventry TechnoCentre

Time

4.00 – 5.00pm Speaker - Professor Mike Hardy Executive Director of the Institute of Community Cohesion Attendance is free of charge and each lecture is followed by refreshments and a light buffet

5 December 2012 Event

Nonviolence Research Group (CNRG) seminars, Nonviolent Resistance in Pakistan

Location

JA132, Jaguar Building, Coventry University campus

Time

2.00 – 3.30pm Speaker - Malik Ahmed, PhD student at Warwick University

17 January 2013 Event

Creation of community cohesion and social capital in rural areas in presence of centres of aggregation and engagement such as village pubs

Location

Jaguar Building, Coventry University campus

Time

4.00 – 6.00pm Speaker - Professor Frank Peck, University of Cumbria Business School

31 January 2013 Event

Professorial Lecture - They Shoot, But Do They Score Where To Now For Sport in the 21st Century?

Location

Square One, TheHub, Coventry University campus

Time

4.00 – 5.00pm Speaker - Simon Chadwick, Professor in Sport Management and Marketing Attendance is free of charge and each lecture is followed by refreshments and a light buffet

University partners TNT Business

Solutions

The successful public-private sector partnership between Coventry University and outsourcing giant TNT Business Solutions has been celebrated with the opening of a major facility. Vice-Chancellor, Professor Madeleine Atkins recently unveiled TNT Business Solutions’ new records management centre at Cross Point Business Park in Coventry. The official launch of the centre highlighted the strong relationship between TNT Business Solutions and Coventry University, through its leadership development arm Acua Limited. Acua Limited is delivering a foundation degree in Leadership Capability to 13 TNT Business Solutions employees to develop managerial talent and expertise within the company. The two-and-half-year foundation degree covers all aspects of leadership, project management, organisational structure and many other facets of business and is designed to help managers get the most out of their teams. Sue Barnes, Director of HR at TNT Express Services UK & Ireland, explains: ‘The Foundation Degree is realising excellent results for us through a combination of both academic and vocational learning, which helps us to develop knowledge and skills, enhancing our people capability and ultimately, the service we are able to provide to our customers.’

Professor Atkins said: ‘It’s a pleasure to be invited by TNT to open their new facility at Cross Point Business Park. Acua and TNT have built up a strong working relationship over the past two years, and its success goes to show what a key role public-private sector collaboration has to play in our city.’ As part of the partnership, TNT Business Solutions became a founder member of the Acua Leadership Networking Forum which provides companies with the opportunity to discuss business issues and exchange ideas. Pictured from left to right - Malcolm Dawson, Chief Land Registrar and Chief Executive at Land Registry, Alistair Cochrane, Managing Director TNT Express Services UK & Ireland, Professor Madeleine Atkins, vice-chancellor of Coventry University, Sue Barnes, Director of HR at TNT Express, and Tim Robb, Divisional Director of TNT Business Solutions.

Dietitian uses food to make us fitter This exciting and easy-to-use cookbook makes the science of food and nutrition simple to understand and offers tasty nutritious recipe ideas that work well alongside a healthy active lifestyle. Each recipe includes all the nutritional information you need to chose the best meal or snack and when is best to eat it. Brimming with tempting recipes, from creamy tomato pasta to an all-day breakfast

panini (with low fat sausages and bacon), and honey and cinnamon energy bars to fatless carrot cake. Cooking for sport and exercise offers nutritious meals and snacks that are tasty but also easy to prepare. As an ex-professional athlete, Ricardo has been involved in sport and exercise nutrition for over a decade. In this new book he offers a helpful resource for busy people whatever your fitness programme – be it elite athlete training or simply a

Dr Ricardo Costa, Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Dietetics has recently launched a revolutionary new cookbook and app that can help you use food to get fitter. The Cooking for sport and exercise recipe resource shows you how easy it can be to eat healthy and improve your exercise or training regimes.

recreational athlete trying to improve your fitness levels. Breaking the recipes down into useful sections, such as loading up the carbs; don’t forget the vegetables; sport and recovery drinks; and where is the protein, helping users jump easily to the topic they want. An app version of the book has been created in collaboration with the University’s Serious Games Institute (SGI), offering users the opportunity to download the recipes direct to

your mobile device. Alongside all the nutritious recipes, the app also allows you to build up a shopping list of ingredients as you browse the recipes. Dr Costa said: ‘Sport and exercise are an essential part of the healthy lifestyle and good food choices can help make a massive difference in the results you get from workouts. By using this recipe resource, you can plan your meals and snacks to get the best possible sport and exercise outcomes, and develop healthier eating habits.’

Raising awareness

of albinism in Africa

Children and young people in Africa affected by the genetic condition albinism will be the main beneficiaries of a new educational and awareness-raising initiative led by Dr Patricia Lund, from Coventry University.

Members of African communities with albinism lack pigment in their skin, hair and eyes, making them appear strikingly different from their peers. They are often marginalised and ostracised due to a lack of understanding of their condition. Their pale skin makes them highly susceptible to sun-induced skin damage, they are visually impaired, which is often not recognised or acknowledged, and may suffer social ostracism and rejection.

The project is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) and supported by the charity Sightsavers. It will enable pupils with albinism to lead better and more productive lives by promoting their educational inclusion and enhancing their acceptance within local schools, with appropriate support from specialist teachers in visual impairment. This project will use radio and mobile phones to promote these inclusive educational initiatives. It will harness traditional networks and mass media platforms to design in-service teacher training programmes which

will reach even remote rural areas. Text messages via mobile phone will identify schools educating children with albinism and provide short teaching tips, health advice and alerts. The project will launch in Malawi, involving members of albinism societies and other local charities, and then be extended to Zambia, with the potential to extend to other countries in the region and throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative is supported by the Ministries of Education and, if successful, will provide a model system for raising awareness of

disability and other issues amongst teachers in resource-poor countries. Dr Patricia Lund, senior lecturer in biosciences at Coventry University, said: ‘I am delighted further funding has been secured for this project following a successful pilot initiative in Malawi, a collaborative effort with the University of Birmingham. Over the past 20 years I have been privileged to meet many families living with albinism and I look forward to working on this project with colleagues in Malawi, Zambia and here in the UK. Innovate I Winter 2012 7

Grand Challenge Initiatives DIGITAL MEDIA

Autism & Employment Digital Media

bridging the divide The National Autistic Society estimates that there are over 500,000 adults in the UK with autism, of which only 15% are in full-time paid employment, despite the majority being willing and able to work.

his statistic is indicative of the challenges that people with autism face in gaining and maintaining employment, and for businesses understanding the benefits of employing workers with autism. In order to help people with autism, and help employers increase their understanding of the problem, Coventry University’s Serious Games Institute has worked with a number of European partners to develop an interactive game and eLearning course to tackle the issue. The two year project, called iSpectrum, is funded through the European Commission’s Leonardo Lifelong Learning Programme to the value of €400,000. The project is a collaboration between lead partner e-learning Studios, Coventry University and three other formal partners; Imaginary SRL in Italy, Future 21 Century Foundation in Bulgaria and University Erlangen based in Germany.

8 Innovate I Winter 2012

Biography Dr Alex Woolner Dr Alex Woolner is a senior researcher at Coventry University’s Serious Games Institute. Alex has worked with interactive technology for the past 12 years and has developed numerous projects both at Coventry University and as creative director of pandigital, providing consultancy to schools on the creative use of ICT. As part of his PhD studies at Coventry University Alex delivered a 3 year AHRC funded project with Professor Andree Woodcock and Darryl Georgiou that was rated Outstanding in its evaluation. The project saw the creation of a digital sensory classroom for children on the autistic spectrum. Alex is currently researching the use of digital games and gaming technology in healthcare and education, and is working with the SGI to develop their European and International portfolio.

Screenshots for the iSpectrum game and eLearning Course

It is widely recognised that individuals with autism can work when they are given appropriate support. Dr Alex Woolner, SGI’s lead researcher on the project has a wealth of experience in studying and developing interactive technologies to assist people with autism. Alex said: ‘People with autism often experience difficulty with typical social communication such as small talk, which is part of most day to day jobs. For example it presents an immediate challenge to anyone going to interview, and adds an extra level of difficulty to what would already be a stressful experience for most people. We realised that if we could develop a way of simulating work place scenarios using a games based platform, then players could practice and become familiar with some of the social expectations of the workplace.’ Alex and the team worked closely with autism advisory groups from each of the partner countries, including the National Autistic Society and Autism West Midlands in the UK and Autism Europe in Brussels. They also consulted with employers and workers with autism in order to establish the key purposes of the game and the format it should take.

iSpectrum allows players to practice social and vocational skills across three workplaces: an office, a small supermarket and a garden centre. This includes visiting a job advisory service and practicing basic interview skills. Alex described the game as ‘allowing players to run through a variety of different scenarios, giving them a range of choices in how to respond. Players get feedback on their responses, indicating their appropriateness within a ‘typical’ workplace.’ He continued: ‘Each work scenario was selected according to feedback from our research that indicated what types of employment people with autism were often attracted to. Whilst these scenarios are in no way exhaustive, they provide a great starting point for an individual wanting to practice their skills either alone or with a professional advisor.’ Each game scenario has three levels that slowly increase the complexity of the tasks the player has to achieve. The tasks are based around the practical and social skills that might be needed in that workplace, and include socialising with colleagues in a professional context. Whilst developing these tasks, the design team has had to take a number of cultural and language differences into account in order to create scenarios that are applicable

across the broad European audience that it is being made available to. Similarly they also wanted to use technology that was widely available and accessible, creating a game that is available online through any modern internet browser.

which was attended by guests from Australia, the USA and Japan amongst others.’

iSpectrum has now been tested with a range of stakeholders including autism groups, teachers and students. Although it is aimed at adults with autism, the game is so versatile it could be extended much further.

iSpectrum has also delivered a range of resources for practitioners working with people with autism that support their use of the game. These include an online elearning course, a series of live training events and a manual on the design of Serious Games. These have been made available through the project website, allowing practitioners from across Europe to access them.

‘Initial feedback on the game has been extremely positive,’ said Alex. ‘People who have used the game recognise its potential and are keen to continue using it. It’s been wonderful how much support and positive feedback we have received, and the team are looking forward to building on this success in future projects.’

Alex continued: ‘If we can help to increase the number of people with autism in the workplace across Europe then we will have achieved a great deal. We hope to see projects continuing to develop and use engaging media such as iSpectrum to bridge the communication gap between the individual and the employer.’

In June this year iSpectrum hosted a conference at Coventry University that was attended by policy makers, autism specialists, employers, educators and individuals with autism. Alex said: ‘The high attendance of the event in Coventry, which included guests from across UK and Europe indicated to us just how relevant this project is. Because of demand we also followed up with a virtual online conference

To register for access to the game and eLearning course, or to explore the project’s other resources, you can visit the project website www.ispectrum.eu

Innovate I Winter 2012 9

Grand Challenge Initiatives LOW IMPACT BUILDINGS

Passport

Low Impact Buildings

to partnerships Adopting a global approach to teaching, learning and research is one of the key themes running through Coventry University. Our staff are fully aware that in order to become experts they must draw on the experiences of others.

esearchers from the University’s Low Impact Buildings Centre recently took part in an European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funded study tour to Hungary. The visit was part of the Technology Networks project, which arranges tours to various European countries which are identified as Centres of Excellence. The visits are available to academic staff or SMEs based in the West Midlands. The aim of the study tour is to gain knowledge, exchange ideas and build collaborations for future working.

Deputy Director, Elise Smithson and Principal Lecturer Dr Liu, spent four days finding out how Hungary is trying to cut energy usage. The study tour involved visits to various businesses, research institutions and science parks. Elise also delivered a presentation to Hungarian businesses, academics and government on Coventry University’s and Coventry City’s approaches to energy efficiency. Elise explained: ‘Our visit to Hungary was very enlightening, and in some ways reassuring. Whilst our Hungarian counterparts are very proactive in the area of geothermal energy, we also felt that the research we’re carrying out in other areas of energy saving in Coventry are on a par, and in some cases further advanced.’ EUROPEAN UNION Investing in Your Future

European Regional Development Fund 2007-13

10 Innovate I Winter 2012

One of the main aims of the study tour is to bring together like-minded experts. ‘Talking to the other people on the tour proved really valuable for Shuli and I. Since the tour, we have managed to secure the largest grant ever awarded to Coventry University by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). This wouldn’t have been possible without making the connections during our trip to Hungary.’ The EPSRC funding will be used to develop a 5 year project which will build on the University’s existing expertise in the field of presenting energy data and use of serious games to help householders understand and influence their energy bills in real time, as currently no one really knows how their habits affect their energy bills apart from what it costs them. The University has recently completed a smaller scale project looking at innovative ways to present energy usage to students, helping them to become more accountable. Elise continued: ‘By talking about this smaller project to other interested parties on the study trip we discovered that this is an area of huge interest and subsequently put a bid together for funding.’

Working with major partners including E.On Group, Orbit Housing and Severn Trent Water, the Low Impact Buildings Grand Challenge will pilot the energy usage presentation to 20 households. The project will provide a digital simulation of lifestyle choices, a virtual world and education programmes to enable the householders to use and generate feedback in a meaningful and personal way to manage their bills. The project will gather household data to consider a ‘credit’ and ‘debit’ mechanism for recognising carbon related activity, such as a credit for loft insulation and a debit for an inefficient boiler. For more information on the project contact Elise Smithson at E.Smithson@coventry.ac.uk

Biography Dr Shuli Liu Shuli is a Principal lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Building. She has 10 years research experience in low carbon cities and low impact buildings. Dr Liu has been involved in various research projects funded by EPSRC, KTP, China Natural Science Research Council and industry partners. Shuli is currently working on low carbon energy models in social housing using new technologies and sustainable technologies; solar ventilation system, free cooling and heating technologies.

Elise Smithson

1 Skanska’s latest construction - Hungary’s greenest office building 2 Rubik’s cube sculpture at Graphisoft Green Technology Park

Elise Smithson, Deputy Director, Low Impact Buildings Centre, Elise’s expertise focuses on nondomestic buildings – in particular, the University and its campus. She has responsibility for the strategic development and integration of environmental issues. Elise’s background is in environmental management systems and she has worked extensively with students and staff on delivery of projects and partnerships during 9 years on campus that have measurably improved environmental performance. Elise brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into the most effective ways to reduce energy consumption, cut carbon usage and, ultimately, save money.

The Technology Networks project which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund has run seven study tours to centres of excellence around Europe. SMEs and researchers from the West Midlands have visited universities, businesses and technology centres to share good practice, develop collaborative links and receive vital guidance and knowledge from their hosts. Innovate I Winter 2012 11

Grand Challenge Initiatives INTEGRATED TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS

communities In the Colombian city of Medellín much of the population of 5 million is dependent on the city’s integrated public transport system – el Metro. This is a combination of a conventional Metro train which runs through the metropolis along the Aburrá valley, supported by the pioneering system called Metrocable – a network of cable cars which run up the sides of the valley into the more isolated suburbs and communities.

he addition of the network of cable cars in 2004 was an innovative step by the local government in Medellín and its publicly owned mass transit operator. It made a huge impact on the people it reached and introduced new routes for social mobility. Communities served by the cable cars now had a way to access education and employment across the city more efficiently by comparison with traditional bus services in this hilly terrain. Those in employment could travel to and from work more quickly enabling them to spend more time with their families, amongst other benefits to society. Householders along the cable-car route now take greater pride in the appearance of their homes and businesses and it has contributed to increased property values locally. Tourist routes have recently been added to the network and are a useful boost to the economy. The system

12 Innovate I Winter 2012

is generally regarded as supporting society and was implemented in conjunction with improvements in local cultural and civic facilities, such as new libraries, schools, health and recreational centres. But the public transport network isn’t without its problems. Whilst the Metrocable is innovative and has improved access for tens of thousands of people, it reveals a major issue on inclusivity for disabled passengers. Peter Atkinson and Dr Adriana Roa Atkinson, from Coventry University’s Integrated Transport and Logistics Grand Challenge have been working with colleagues in the Universidad EAFIT in Medellín to analyse the experiences of Metrocable’s users and other local inhabitants. The results of this ethnographic study revealed some accessibility issues for people with impaired mobility in the integrated transport system. Peter became interested in the transport network on his first visit to Medellín in 2007. ‘Metrocable is very impressive. The metro railway element works in the same

way as other major cities, but the cable car element of the network is quite a different way of connecting people. Each cable car carries up to 8 people (or two, including a wheelchair user) and connects the metro trains with some of the more disadvantaged communities in Medellín. It is a cost effective and flexible service.’ When the Metro railway system became operational in 1995, the accessibility needs of disabled users were not considered, particularly in the initial design of the stations along the elevated railway sections. Since this time new protocols for access for disabled users have been introduced and the Metro system has developed ad hoc ways to support disabled users on the service. Peter continued: ‘There are insufficient lifts and escalators at station entrances so access frequently requires negotiating steep flights of stairs. Some stairlifts have been added to existing stairwells which provides access to the Metro, but the access to

the pavement outside is still sometimes inadequate and there are limited audio or Braille services for those with visual and hearing impairments. There is plenty more which can be done. The first Metrocable route was installed in 2004 to more up-to-date standards and incorporates lifts to connect to the surrounding streets as well as to the Metro, but at some other points in the network there is little connectivity to and from street level for people with physical disabilities.’ The Metrocable system is worldrenowned for its innovative approach as part of a public transport network. Transport providers from Brazil, Venezuela, Panama and Japan are learning from the experiences of the Metrocable, hoping to introduce similar offerings. It is essential that any new developments take account of the needs of disabled users in their design. Peter continued: ‘Coventry University is known as a centre of excellence for transport design, but I think we need to take this one step further.

Biography Peter Atkinson

Integrated Transport & Logistics

by cable-car

Peter is a Senior Lecturer in the Industrial Design Department at Coventry University’s School of Art & Design, with a focus on transport design. He established a new academic relationship for the University with Universidad EAFIT in Medellín, Colombia as a new student exchange destination. He proposed the establishment of a Coventry-Medellín virtual network based research project for electric mobility, and supported bids for global Erasmus Mundus funding calls during 2011. Peter has worked closely with CWAT, a community group representing disabled people in Coventry, supporting research into transport design issues from a number of perspectives. Peter has presented 5 papers on digital teaching feedback methods and themes related to collaborative design processes.

Dr. Adriana Roa-Atkinson

The future of transport design isn’t just about low carbon vehicles or hybrid cars it’s also about our understanding of the needs of users of transport. This project looks at learning lessons from innovative design in order to make effective solutions for the future. Developing countries can be a good place for us to start this learning process because the UK is so committed to its existing infrastructure that there is limited room to try new systems.

Adriana Roa-Atkinson’s research interest is in sociology of science and technology, particularly looking into international collaboration, networking with developing countries and researching the public understanding of Science and Technology. She has a doctoral degree in Science and Technology Policy from Campinas University, Brazil. She has been honorary visiting researcher at City University (bibliometric studies) and Open University. Also she worked as a research consultant to the United Nations University – (UNU-INTECH) in the topic of North-South collaboration. Since 2011 she has been collaborating with Coventry University on research into the socio-cultural impact of public transport in Medellin, Colombia.”

Our research acknowledges the innovation and success of the Metrocable system as well as highlighting the potential for improving inclusivity in the wider integrated network.’

Innovate I Winter 2012 13

Lovehurts

red each year by their partner. rde mu are e rop Eu s ros ac n me Between 700 and 900 wo

he effects of domestic violence and abuse can be devastating. As well as causing serious physical injury, domestic violence is also linked to emotional and mental health problems, including depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.

4 1 in e n m o w

rience e p x e l il Kw ir in the U use (DA) in the ic ab of domest ten with years of lifetime al abuse ic g lo o h 0) psyc vey 09/1 (British

The United Nations estimates that every year 5,000 women are victims of ‘honour’ killings

Researchers at Coventry University are part of the multinational Iceberg Project which was set up in response to the alarming number of domestic violence incidences. The name of the project derives from the crime being ‘the tip of the iceberg’ – uncovering the rest of the iceberg (and preventing the crime from happening) is the aim of the project.

Crime S

33% of girls and 16% of boys

reported some form of sexual abuse rsity

(NSPCC and the Unive of Bristol 2009)

14 Innovate I Winter 2012

Iceberg is funded by the European Commission and involves partners from Spain, France and Bulgaria with the academic input provided by Coventry University and Valencia University. The under-reporting of domestic violence and abuse is a longstanding issue; this resource will assist all victims and survivors. This project seeks to develop a Europe-wide cohesive web that will contribute to the development of community policies and more specifically those related to vulnerable women.

Biography Diane Phimister

Nearly 75% of girls and 50% of boys have reported some form of emotional partner abuse

1 in 5 n e m l sexua wll eo e c n e xperi wi

violen (BCS

)

09/10

Diane Phimister is Associate Head of the Department of Nursing and Health Studies. Diane qualified as a mental health nurse 20 years ago. Her clinical expertise embraces mental health practice and community health – with a particular focus on the effect of domestic violence and abuse on women’s mental health. Diane’s recent work has concerned domestic violence in the student population. Diane’s particular interest in the Higher Education sector is the well-being of students particularly issues related to mental health and domestic violence. She has successfully applied and secured funding in the past to develop resources for students to raise awareness of mental well-being.

t remains a hidden crime. bu m ble pro ge hu a is e us ab d Domestic violence an Working alongside its European partners Coventry University have developed local coalitions, and put in place multidisciplinary prevention teams to aid the signposting of vulnerable women. The first element of the project was to set up a local reference group including representatives from the Police, the probation service, local government, the NHS, Women’s Aid and Refuge. Coventry University has also developed excellent links with the Coventry Domestic Violence and Abuse Partnership and strengthened its relationship with Student Services staff and the Students’ Union. Diane Phimister, Associate Head of Nursing and Health Studies at Coventry University who is leading on the project said: ‘Coventry University has a very loud voice amongst these groups in the city and our partnerships span all the services linked with domestic violence. It’s the aim of the project to raise awareness of domestic violence and let people know that if they come forward they will not be judged.’ Diane and her colleagues at Coventry University have carried out a detailed literature review of domestic violence and its link with students, as well as a review of the ‘toolkits’ that other organisations have developed to help raise

awareness of the issue. The team have developed a website and online resource which offers a wealth of information and advice for people who may be affected. Diane continued: ‘The website has attracted a hugely positive reaction. We know from our colleagues in Student Services that they have seen a significant increase in the number of students reporting the crime or asking for support. Making a difference in this positive way is very encouraging.’

them for help. Diane explained: ‘It’s important that our staff are not seen as therapists and do not make judgements about people who may be experiencing domestic violence. I like to think that this project will be a living legacy for the future. All of this work is now embedded into our curriculum and culture. By training our staff and students and raising awareness of the issue of domestic violence, the impact of the project will live on long after the funding ceases in January 2013.’

I feel privileged and humbled to be part of this. Many more people are now disclosing their concerns so we are making an actual difference. I was also keen that the project was sustainable and we’ve achieved that goal. Our links with the European partners are excellent and we will continue to work closely with them. We’ve helped to make an environment which is safe for people to raise the issue of domestic violence without fear of being judged.’

The team have also held awarenessraising events with hundreds of students on campus. ‘We’ve held debates with students using representatives from our forum as facilitators. During these sessions we’ve looked at the myths surrounding domestic violence and why women stay or leave. For students on nursing and health-related courses this awareness-raising programme is essential. These people will be the practitioners of the future. If they understand the issues and are aware of the signs of abuse or the behaviour of victims then they will know the best way to help signpost that person to seek help if they need it.’

A joint survey has also been run with Coventry students and Spanish students in Valencia, which will be repeated before the project finishes. ‘We’re very positive about the results of the survey,’ explained Diane. ‘We’ve already seen an increase in the number of students coming forward for help on this issue so by the end of the two-year period those numbers should have significantly increased again.’ The project partners in France and Spain have also had their own campaigns running alongside the work in Coventry including huge marketing efforts to raise awareness in Spain and an ‘observatory’ launched in France where people can come to talk about their concerns in a safe and supportive environment.

For more information visit the Iceberg website at: www.coventry.ac.uk/health/ Pages/Daphne.aspx

Support staff at Coventry University have also received training under the Iceberg project to help them advise students who may come to

Diane continued: ‘The aim of this project was to get people talking about the issue of domestic violence. Innovate I Winter 2012 15

Grand Challenge Initiatives Low carbon vehicles

Low Carbon Vehicles

PARTNERS:

Electrifying As the first mass-produced electric cars take tentative steps into the global marketplace, one project involving Coventry University is striding ahead to explore how low carbon technology can revolutionise vehicle performance.

he Semmering hill climb motor race of September 9th 1900 isn’t usually considered a landmark event in the development of low carbon vehicle technology. Set in the Austrian Alps, it was won by a duo of gas-guzzling Daimler cars, but it otherwise passed without incident. A lowly competitor by the name of Ferdinand Porsche, however, made history that day competing in a vehicle which modern engineers recognise as being a century ahead of its time. The young German had designed and was driving the world’s first ‘hybrid’ race car, which featured electric motors mounted inside the hubs of the wheels. Over one hundred years on, and the basic principle of what Porsche was trying to achieve with his design is at the heart of a cutting-edge hybrid vehicle initiative led jointly by Coventry University and awardwinning technology company Protean Electric. The project revolves around Protean’s unique electric ‘in-wheel motor’ (IWM) system, which integrates a compact traction motor into a car’s wheel assembly to provide electric drive to that

16 Innovate I Winter 2012

wheel – not dissimilar to Porsche’s early concept. But where Porsche’s original idea failed to catch on – dismissed by early 20th-century engineers in favour of the internal combustion engine (ICE) – the Coventry and Protean team’s work is being carried out at a time when industry is all too aware of the need to find innovative, low carbon solutions to counter global warming and the world’s reliance on fossil fuels. The project is exploring how Protean’s existing electric IWM technology can be used not only to help reduce CO2 emissions, but also to improve the handling and performance of vehicles at a range of speeds. One of the most challenging aspects of the initiative is to achieve both of these goals without adversely affecting a car’s safety or stability.

“The stability and reliability of the in-wheel motor system are certainly amongst the project’s chief concerns,” says Damian Harty, who is leading Coventry University’s research activities on the project. “New technologies and applications have a tendency to bring with them new ways for things to go wrong, so the first phase of our research has been to identify and address any problems before we can start fully exploiting the system’s huge potential.” Perhaps the most significant part of that potential is the ability of Protean’s IWM to ‘retrofit’ onto current internal combustion engined cars to create a hybrid vehicle without needing to fundamentally change a car’s mechanical make-up.

The system’s creators even refer to it as the nearest possible system to a ‘bolt on’ electric drive solution, which effectively opens up the possibility of every car built within the last decade being ‘hybridised’ to improve fuel efficiency by up to a third. In practical terms, however, the solution is not that simple – and that is where the project’s partnership work comes to the fore. By marrying Protean’s industry-leading technologies with the expertise of Damian and

What are the benefits of in-wheel motors?

In-wheel motors provide torque exactly where it’s needed – at the wheels – to move the car. This means no drive shafts to route through the car and no differentials to allow wheels to move at different speeds; both are expensive, complex assemblies and take up space. With energy storage space at a premium (alternative technology is less

energy-dense than current fuel) this deletion of space-hoggers may just be the thing that tips the balance in favour of the practical electric vehicle. Once the motors are in the wheels, their high speed control capabilities open up a large range of possibilities for getting much more accurate

control of wheel speed, and therefore tyre slip. This paves the way for next generation control systems that smoothly get the most possible force from the tyres just at the moment it’s needed – a significant aid to driving safety in traction, braking and steering.

vehicle performance his colleagues in the University’s applied research group in vehicle dynamics and safety, the project aims to tackle the issues associated with implementing in-wheel motors through theoretical analysis, extensive test-rig work and highspeed driving experiments. “The partnership work is crucial to this project,” says Damian. “Protean has created a system which opens the door for opportunities to revolutionise vehicle performance and efficiency, but to apply that technology effectively a lot of research analysis and on-the-road testing is required. That’s where our team comes into the equation.

“Simply put, in-wheel motors can offer major environmental and performance benefits. They are relatively inexpensive to produce, they’re compact, and they have regenerative braking capabilities rather like Formula One cars. But they also mark a radical departure from tried and tested vehicle layouts, by which I mean the fundamentals of where the engine and transmission components would traditionally be located in a car. Our job is to identify and quantify how this will impact on a car’s behaviour when cornering.” To do this, the research and development team have been taking advantage of Protean’s partnership

with German performance tuning company Brabus to use its Mercedes-Benz E-Class EV for high-speed testing. The car was stripped of its normal engine and transmission and had IWMs fitted into the space located behind each wheel to deliver all-electric ‘four wheel drive’ power. Once Damian and the team had been let loose on a race track to put their theories to the test, the first phase of the study – analysing the results – could be completed. The project still has another year to run, but the early indications are that any issues associated with in-wheel motor technology can be addressed easily by normal engineering processes.

With that in mind, the Coventry University team will begin work on phase two - which focuses on improving the performance of the technology – confident that it will be playing a key role in getting a revolutionary low carbon vehicle product to market.

Biography Damian Harty Damian is director of the Vehicle & System Dynamics Group in the Faculty of Engineering and Computing. Since graduating with a degree in automotive engineering in 1990, his impressive career has included stints as a freelance consultant engineer and as a vehicle dynamics guru at motorsport specialists Prodrive – where he engineered the chassis for the MINI World Rally Championship car. A recognised expert in the automotive industry, he cites his greatest achievement as demonstrating the conservation of angular momentum to his two young daughters using playground equipment.

Innovate I Winter 2012 17

Grand Challenge Initiatives SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD

Fighting famine In 2011, people in the Greater Horn of Africa were affected by famine yet again. Reports on the television showed malnourished and starving people in refugee camps waiting for food aid, yet in the background fruiting prosopis trees could be seen - a potential source of food and a valuable resource that could help alleviative the problem.

esearchers from Coventry University’s Centre for Agroecology and Food Security (CAFS) have been studying prosopis trees for more than 25 years. Although the beans from these trees are nutritious and safe to eat for people and animals, this knowledge is lacking among communities living where prosopis has been introduced. CAFS researchers have been working to overcome this.

Liz Trenchard, Research Fellow explained: ‘There are 44 species of prosopis trees and most originate from North and South America. Prosopis trees and shrubs are hardy and fast growing, which is why they were introduced from the Americas to Africa, Asia and Oceania.’ They have many common names but of these the most well known are ‘mesquite’ and ‘algarroba’.

18 Innovate I Winter 2012

Prosopis is a very useful tree. Its beans can be eaten by people and animals and its wood makes attractive furniture and flooring, and also very good firewood and charcoal. The trees provide shade in streets and gardens and can be used as a windbreak or to prevent erosion. They are also nitrogen fixing and so can be used to improve the soil in farming systems. The flowers provide good forage for honey bees and the trees are also a source for gums, medicines and home remedies. Although the fleshy parts of the beans can be eaten raw, whole beans are normally ground and processed to produce human foods. Flour made from ground beans can be used to replace wheat flour in a wide variety of foods. There are recipes available for flat breads such as chapattis, porridge and drinks as well as sponge cake and cookies. The flour is comparable to most cereal flours, compared to wheat flour it has a similar energy and carbohydrate content, but more protein per gram. The flour is gluten free, has a high fibre content and a low glycaemic index. In the US and Europe, mesquite and algarroba flours are promoted as a ‘superfoods’ and can be bought online or in health food shops. Prosopis trees were introduced to the Greater Horn of Africa in the 1970s and 1980s as a source of firewood and fodder. The species most commonly introduced was

Prosopis juliflora, which is one of the fastest growing and drought tolerant but, unfortunately, also one of the most invasive species. Liz continued: ‘Whilst the trees were successfully introduced and soon established, the knowledge of how to manage and use them effectively did not make it across the Atlantic. Therefore the plants have spread unchecked in some areas, forming thickets and blocking watercourses. In Kenya, pastoralists complain that the thorns injure people and animals and the beans rot the teeth of their livestock due to the high sugar content, particularly in periods when supplementary feeds are lacking. These negative perceptions have elicited strong support for the eradication of prosopis in the region, but this is difficult to achieve as its hardy and fast growing qualities also make it difficult to destroy. Prosopis often grows where little else would and acts as a critical pioneer species in arid and semi-arid environments.’ Liz and her colleagues in CAFS suggest that rather than trying to eradicate prosopis, we should help to educate people on the best way to manage it and encourage people to make the most of its potential.

Research into the characteristics and uses of prosopis has been undertaken at Coventry University since 1986, led by Professor Phil Harris and supported by Garden Organic. The research team in Coventry have worked closely with institutions in Europe, North and South America, Africa, the Middle East and India. The research has been very varied and has included field trials of different species and provenances, and investigations of their biology, taxonomy and molecular characteristics. In recent years, the focus of research has been to improve the use and management of prosopis. There have been a number of key outputs including a monograph, the most detailed reference book available on the most important prosopis species, a practical field guide for identification, a database, and many published papers and country-specific policy briefs. The impact of this work can be demonstrated internationally, notably in Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia and India. Organised in collaboration with the Kenya Forestry Research Institute

in Africa 5

Sustainable Agriculture and Food

tackling the problem with trees

1 Prosopis beans ready for picking 2 One day’s collection of beans 3 Beans laid out for sundrying 4 Demonstrating how to prune prosopis to improve timber quality 5 Processing timber using an ‘Alaskan Mill’ and chainsaw 6 Young prosopis trees and shrubs 7 Training course in Kenya funded by Kennington Overseas Aid 6

(KEFRI), demonstrations and training sessions showed villagers the benefits of prosopis as a resource for food, fodder, charcoal and timber. The use of beans in livestock feed attracted the interest of businesses in the region, as did the production of sawn timber. However, the product that has become the biggest income earner for communities has been charcoal. Once the Kenyan government lifted the blanket ban on making and selling charcoal in 2007, a number of communities in Garissa, Baringo and Tana River counties began to sell charcoal from prosopis wood, some making up to US$60,000 per month. Earlier this year, the research group invited aid agencies and humanitarian organisations to a workshop held at Coventry University’s London Campus to explore the potential of prosopis as a famine food. It began with presentations on the benefits, uses and potential of prosopis trees. Followed by discussions with representatives of NGOs working in Africa on how best to promote the utilisation of prosopis beans to improve food security in famineprone areas.

The event highlighted a number of key issues that will be carried forward including changing perceptions of prosopis as a great asset and not a useless weed. The beans are highly nutritious, simple to process, store and prepare into foods. Various tree products are already commercialised internationally, but there is great scope to increase trade. The trees also possess enormous potential in climate change adaptation, as a reliable and sustainable source of food especially when annual crops fail.

Bring this page to life with the CUview app Aurasma: Coventry University

The event was also successful in building further partnerships with research and development agencies, government departments and private enterprises with the ultimate aim of building the potential of prosopis in improving health, nutrition and food security into larger and related programmes. Liz concluded: ‘The potential for prosopis is huge, as agroforester Nick Pasiecznik pointed out in his presentation: ‘It took almost a century for the humble potato to be adopted as a food plant in Europe after being imported from South America. At first people ate the fruit and unripe tubers, becoming sick and believing it to be poisonous. Only much later did it become the food of the masses worldwide. Prosopis has the potential to become the new ‘potato bean’ – and the sooner it does so, the fewer people will go hungry.’

Innovate I Winter 2012 19

Grand Challenge Initiatives DIGITAL MEDIA Digital Media

SGI Singapore:

Ahead

With more than 70 per cent of the world’s top public companies predicted to have at least one game-based app to their name by 2014 1, global interest in the serious games industry is growing faster than ever. Chris Quek, director of the Serious Games Institute’s new Singapore operation, explains why Coventry University is stealing a march in an emerging market...

n a world increasingly dominated by smart devices, social networking and online games, it comes as no surprise that businesses and organisations from every sector and on every continent are starting to recognise the power of ‘playing’ – especially if a game is designed with learning in mind, not merely entertainment. Over the past five years this growing awareness has led to a burgeoning interest in the ‘serious games’ sector from companies – particularly those in East Asia – who are keen to harness the potential of games and smartphone apps. It’s a market trend which Coventry University and its Serious Games Institute (SGI), with their established expertise in the industry, are well placed to capitalise on. A new Singapore-based development centre – ‘SGI Singapore’ – is the latest step in the institute’s ambitious plan to gain traction for its services in new and emerging markets. The operation was established in October 2011 following an approach from the government of Singapore, whose Media Development Authority

20 Innovate I Winter 2012

(MDA) was keen to work with SGI to boost activity within the island state’s own serious games sector.

playability and insightful learning elements ensuring a good level of engagement.

As part of the initiative, SGI Singapore invites UK companies to set up at the centre to collaborate with and mentor Singapore-based games and learning organisations on games design, research and development. Through the MDA it is able to offer a grant to fund such projects on the basis that they are carried out in Singapore.

This new method of immersive learning is also at the heart of a fully three-dimensional game SGI Singapore is developing, this time with a multi-user platform and complete virtual environment – not unlike the ever popular ‘Second Life’. The project is in its early stages, but it’s one of the most ambitious yet, seeking as it does to use innovative gameplay techniques to ‘break the mould’ in how soft skills such as communication, team building and negotiation abilities can be learnt – all key competencies as far as the 21st-century employer is concerned.

The initiative has already served as a catalyst for a number of companies in the UK starting projects in Singapore, including digital agency Roll7 and immersive learning specialists PIXELearning – both of which have a history of collaboration with SGI in the UK. Another beneficiary of the initiative is Dublin-based digital consultancy FrontSquare, which approached SGI Singapore with a view to creating a ‘blended learning’ experience to teach employees of manufacturing companies the basics of managing resources and achieving good profitability. The SGI team designed a game for them whereby users can actively run a chocolate shop, with a balance of

Gartner

It’s anticipated that the combination of available funding opportunities for these kinds of projects, plus SGI’s extensive experience creating serious games, mobile apps and 3D virtual worlds for a range of fields – from medical training and sexual health to tourism and disaster management – will entice companies from new industries to get involved in the sector, just as in FrontSquare’s case. SGI Singapore is more than ready for the challenge.

PARTNERS:

of the Game Over the past year it has built up an impressive team with software and games development capabilities and considerable inhouse programming and mobile app expertise. Consultancy work, too, is on the team’s agenda – only recently it conducted an exercise with Singapore’s Ministry of Health to develop a ‘gamification framework’ which will help guide future plans for the launch of serious games concepts and technologies in the country’s healthcare sector.

It is this kind of thought-leadership activity which – in addition to the team’s practical games development services – is helping to establish SGI Singapore at the cutting-edge of what is still an emerging industry. As that industry matures and interest in the associated technologies snowballs, SGI and its Singapore operation is likely to be the first port of call for businesses looking to touch down in East Asia and take off in the serious games sector.

Biography Christopher Quek Christopher Quek, the Operations Director of SGI Singapore, has over 20 years’ experience in the IT industry, from software development to consulting, to business management, and running a technology start-up. Prior to joining SGI, he was the Deputy Director at the Media Development Authority of Singapore, responsible for promoting the games development industry in Singapore. Before this he was involved with a mobile video technology startup which was recently acquired by Nintendo. He is passionate about technology, and how it could be used to bring real benefits to industry. As Operations Director of SGI Singapore, his role is to build up a strong team of games developers with multiple skill sets, in order to take on complicated projects in Serious Games.

Innovate I Winter 2012 21

of Coventry University Enterprises Ltd is the organisation through which the University runs much of its commercial, income-generating and businesspartnership work. CUE supports thousands of Small-to-Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) through specific projects and funded programmes.

he work carried out by CUE has been recognised by European and UK governments as being key to a vibrant economy. CUE supports SMEs by helping them to innovate and exploit their products and services internationally. CUE also has the benefit of working alongside academic staff at the University to exploit expertise, tap into current research and feedback real-world problems to enhance teaching and learning. CUE delivers dozens of support programmes funded by a range of organisations worth thousands of pounds. One of the most recent successes is the Enterprise Europe Network Midlands (EEN Midlands)

22 Innovate I Winter 2012

which is made up of partner organisations in more than 50 countries. EEN Midlands offers access to one of the world’s largest business support networks in the world and is managed in the heart of Coventry. Recently EEN Midlands hosted a brokerage event involving organisations from eight European countries brought together to share their expertise in hydrogen fuel cell technology. Events like this help connect like-minded organisations to work towards achieving common goals. Director of Sustainable Development at Black Country Housing Group, Richard Baines attended the event to find support to achieve sustainability in social housing. He explained: ‘As well as helping us in the field of fuel cell technology, EEN Midlands

introduced us to a German producer of insulation panels. As a result we are now conducting trials for internal application in our housing provision.’ Throughout the year EEN Midlands continues to support companies through local events and dedicated visits to different countries, as well as tailored partner searches using its unique database and specialist sector groups. EEN Midlands Manager, Alex Mauser said: ‘In a business environment where information, technologies and international supply chains are increasingly tied to competitiveness, we play a vital role in helping local businesses develop valuable partnerships and to exploit new technologies and markets on an international level.

EEN has been instrumental in helping local companies establish new technical and commercial partnerships in a range of sectors. Here are just a handful of examples.’ •N emaura Pharma Ltd, a Loughborough-based drug delivery company was introduced to a Greek partner offering novel systems for drug delivery through the skin. • Forensic Pathways Ltd, a Tamworth ICT and forensics company was introduced to an Icelandic partner offering software for identifying illegal images and videos on computers. The company has since licensed this technology and has customised it for use in the UK.

knowledge across Europe case study

•H ealus Ltd in Staffordshire, developer of an innovative running shoe was introduced to the University of MagdeburgStendal in Germany for the testing of robust natural fibre plates in the sole of the shoe. EEN Midlands is part of the Enterprise Europe Network funded under the European Union’s Competitiveness and Innovation Programme. In the Midlands, services are offered through a consortium led by Coventry University Enterprises Ltd comprising Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Derbyshire and Nottingham Chamber of Commerce. For information on how EEN Midlands can support your business contact: een-midlands@coventry.ac.uk

Building a solid reputation – Instarmac Group Plc A multi-award winning manufacturer of products for the construction industry, Instarmac Group, has seen its export sales double in the past 18 months thanks to the WM (SME) Internationalisation project, run by Coventry University Enterprises Ltd. Eight years ago the business took the decision to move away from its dependency on the UK market and develop its international strategy, primarily targeting Europe. The company was introduced to UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) through Coventry Chamber of Commerce. Instarmac started on UKTI’s Passport to Export programme in 2003 and has accessed support through the WM (SME) Internationalisation project, which has been set-up to increase the number and competitiveness of West Midland SMEs operating internationally.

A key element of the project is the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant, which is available to SMEs who are looking to increase their international presence. Instarmac received £2,500, which assisted the company in visiting and researching potential export markets in China and Japan as well as accessing specialist business advice. ‘A market visit to China helped us to understand the market supply chain and provided a scoping opportunity. In Japan, we identified potential routes to market and possible partners,’ says Angus Longward, Export Manager at Instarmac.

‘As a result, export sales have increased significantly and doors have opened for us that wouldn’t have been possible without the support. I would certainly recommend any SME thinking about expanding internationally to research what support is available as exporting is complicated, and entering a country where you are not known is very hard.’ For further information on the WM (SME) Internationalisation project please contact: T: 024 7623 6406 E: wmint@cad.coventry.ac.uk

Grand Challenge Initiatives DIGITAL MEDIA

Giving games a boost

Digital Media

Digital games are big business. It is the fast growing market in the creative industries; contributing more than €3.5 billion to the European economy and employing more than 100,000 people.

igital games could represent a new source of growth for European economy but many regions are still missing adequate policies and funding schemes to sustain the market. The development of strong digital and interactive media strategies is high on the agenda throughout Europe. Coventry University Enterprises (CUE) Ltd recognised this need and worked with industry partners to develop the BOO-Games project. The aim of the project is to boost the European games industry and support regional development authorities in understanding the importance of this industry for the European economy. The project received funding from the INTERREG 4C programme of more than €1.4 million and established a network of 14 expert partners across 8 different European countries. Soizic

Tsin, Project Manager at CUE explained: ‘Coventry University has a long-standing reputation in digital media and serious games and we were fully aware of the need for policy developments and support mechanisms in the games industry. This funding programme from INTERREG gave us the perfect opportunity to exchange experiences across Europe and learn about support available in other regions.’ The project will centre on different elements, like: public funding, private investment incentives, talent incubation, cluster development and improvement of public perception of digital games potential as well as risk management for public authorities in the communication on game related matters.

Soizic continued: ‘CUE will help match together more advanced regions in this field with less experienced regions. The project will promote mutual learning through cooperation, ultimately contributing to the improvement of the effectiveness of local development policies targeting the digital and interactive media.’ BOO-Games will run for three years and in that time

the partners will organise a range of study visits, seminars and two conferences. Soizic said: ‘The first seminar took place in Spain in July and was a great success. It was encouraging to see so many people all working together for the same outcome. Over the next few months we hope to make some real changes and support the digital games industry to reach its full potential.’

The partners: • Coventry University Enterprises Ltd (UK) • Stratford On Avon District Council (UK) • MFG Baden-Württemberg mbH (Germany) • City of Karlsruhe Economic Development (Germany) • Region Ile de France (France) • PREDA - Paris Region Economic Development Agency (France) • European Centre for Business and Innovation of Asturias (Spain) • Sviluppumbria (Italy) • Piedmont Region (Italy) • CSP - Innovation in ICT (Italy) • Utrecht School of the Arts (Netherlands) • Foundation Temi Zammit (Malta) • Applied Research and Communication Fund (Bulgaria) • Innovation and Technology Transfer Salzburg Ltd. (Austria) 24 Innovate I Winter 2012

www.boogames.eu

Bridging the cultural gap the Mandela years

Robben Island, made famous as the location for the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela for most of his 27 years incarceration, is soon to benefit from an injection of serious games technology.

oventry University’s Serious Games Institute is leading a partnership with NorthWest University in South Africa to use the latest technology to help strengthen the cultural connections between Europe and South Africa.

The project, funded by the European Commission’s Education and Culture Directorate, also involves partners Elderberry in Sweden and TCS in Brussels and aims to bridge the cultural gap experienced between South Africa and Europe during Mandela’s imprisonment.

Programmes Director for SGI, Jacqueline Cawston explained: ‘Coventry University has a longstanding relationship with NorthWest University in South Africa. We helped them establish their own Serious Games Institute, which was launched earlier this year. We became aware of the opportunity to work on the cultural project and it seemed a natural choice given our links with South Africa and our expertise in serious games.’ The aim of the project is to develop an e-culture exhibition based on the Robben Island Museum. This will feature a virtual plan of Robben Island and interactive elements for visitors. On entry to Nelson Mandela’s cell visitors will

hear the story of the struggle of Mandela to end apartheid, along the corridor from the cell there will be an interactive map. Visitors will be able to click on a pin in the map and experience around a hundred cultural events which took place in Europe during the 27 years of Mandela’s imprisonment. In the prison yard there will be a serious game about life on the island. Coventry’s Serious Games Institute will build the interactive technology with NW University and the partners will develop the content and webapp. Jacqueline continued: ‘This is a great project for Coventry University; we are delighted to involve North-West University

as their Serious Games Institute becomes established as a centre of expertise. We’re also developing an exhibition based on Mandela’s cell, which can travel across South Africa and Europe showcasing the digital cultural tools we’re using on Robben Island. It’s very exciting to be involved in such an iconic project and something that is such an integral part of world history.’

With the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union

Innovate I Winter 2012 25

Cleaning up The Gulf War oil spill in 1991 was one of the largest oil spills in history and resulted in damage to more than 500 km of the Saudi coastline. Researchers at Coventry University are helping to restore the ecology of the salt marsh and inter-tidal mud flat systems that have been most heavily impacted. 1

ne of the biggest claimants for compensation through the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) was the Saudi government, receiving an award of around $1.1billion. The Saudi Presidency of Meterology and the Environment (PME) has now embarked on a huge operation to help clean up its coastline and restore these ecosystems.

Dr James Bennett, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Studies within the department of GED, and part of Coventry University’s Centre for Agroecology and Food Security, Dr Nigel Trodd, Associate Head of GED, and Professor Raouf Naguib from BIOCORE are part of an ongoing consultancy project that has been secured within Saudi Arabia to support the reestablishment of the ecosystems as well as providing valuable data in mapping the affected areas. James explains: ‘The oil has been sitting in these coastal areas for 21 years and has almost completely destroyed the ecology of some of the critical ecosystems such as inter-tidal mud flats and salt marshes. Essentially we were brought in to help restore function to these key ecosystems.’

26 Innovate I Winter 2012

Biography Dr James Bennett Dr James Bennett holds a BSc in Biological Sciences and an MSc in Ecology from the University of Warwick. He undertook his doctoral studies at Coventry University, researching small scale cattle production systems in communal areas of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Since completing his PhD, he has lectured in Environmental Science at Coventry University. His main research focus has been on rangeland change and management of communal rangeland systems in sub-Saharan Africa but he maintains a broad interest in environmental monitoring and ecological assessment.

Dr Nigel Trodd Nigel is Co-Director of the Environment, Hazards and Risk Applied Research Group. His research is focused on environmental applications of geospatial technologies such as Earth observation by remote sensing, GPS, GIS and image processing. He has contributed to an EU Framework project to model urban air quality and noise pollution, studied lava flows on Tenerife, analysed land degradation of the Kalahari and participated in land cover / land use mapping projects in The Gambia, Nigeria, China and the United Kingdom.

1 Salt-tolerant shrubs designated for protection along an existing channel 2 Signs of regeneration: a crab burrow surrounded by marsh samphire 3 The mudflats at low tide

the coastline The coastline is very shallow; there is only 1-2 metre difference in depth between high tide and low tide. There is also very little wave activity which means there has been little or no disturbance to help shift the oil. Over the years, the oil has created a thick algal mat which is choking everything and suppressing the natural ecology of the system. James explained: ‘The algal mat has created a kind of seal on top of the oil. When the mat is broken residual oil comes to the surface. It’s still a very polluted environment. The ecosystems will only start to thrive again when we have removed the oil and restored the natural hydrology in order to get the water moving along the natural channels within the marshes.’ Along the high water mark on the coastline there are areas where the oil has hardened in the sun and created an asphalt pavement. Part of the project contract involves removing this, but the other part is to re-create ‘channels’ between the coastal waters and the land. By modifying exsiting channels and creating new ones the aim is to improve the flow of water within the marsh system, thereby encouraging the natural recolonisation of animals and plant life in the area. James continued: ‘We’re working on two sites under these contracts. One is 21 hectares and the other is about 160 hectares and split into three separate areas. When you consider a rugby union pitch is about a hectare that’s a pretty big area we’ve got to cover, and we only have a limited time to complete both contracts.’

Dr Nigel Trodd, an expert in Geographical Information Sytems and environmental mapping is working with James to ‘map’ all the existing channels using a highly accurate GPS system. These measurements are essential in working out how the water will flow effectively within the channels. A team of contractors will then work on the main channels to ensure that they are at least 6 metres wide, with any tributaries being 3 metres wide, and dug to the correct depth throughout. This will create the ideal flow and environment to restore the natural ecology of the marsh system. It’s James’s job to ensure that any existing species of plant life are protected during the widening of the channels. Two species of salttolerant shrub (Arthrocnemum macrostachyum and Halocnemum strobliaceum) have survived the oil spill and continue to grow on the banks of the channels in places. These plants will have been there for decades so it is essential they are not destroyed during the process of widening the channels. James has been creating ecological ‘no-go’ zones including a 50 cm buffer around the plants to protect them. ‘It is vitally important they are not damaged. We’re also seeing evidence of marsh samphire (Salicornia europea), an edible plant, which shows that the algal mat is already breaking up in places. This is a really positive sign.’ One of the essential parts of getting the ecosystem working again is to encourage burrowing crabs in the channels and James has already seen

some evidence of that. By burrowing into the sediment the crabs help to aerate the channel banks and encourage plants to grow. Work on the project started in early June 2012, building a base camp for the workers and setting up the site. James and his team have spent long periods of time in the area but the conditions are very hard to acclimatise to. ‘The heat is relentless. It peaks at 50 and never drops below 35 . We’re trudging through the sediment in steel toe cap boots as well, so it’s very physical work and we are also constrained in when we work by the tides. The amount of oil still present is very alarming.’ James has been inspired and delighted to see some wildlife still thriving despite the conditions. ‘We have a resident colony of about 20 Greater Flamingos, on one of sites which are native to the region and seem to be completely unaffected by the oil spill. We’ve also seen plenty of Reef Herons, crab plovers and various species of terns. I have really been struck by the resilience of the ecosystem out there.’ The work that James and his colleagues are carrying out is essential to the future survival of the ecosystem along the Saudi coastline. ‘We’re working in very different conditions to anything I’ve ever experienced before and lots of things can go wrong. It’s a very fine balance between protecting what’s already there and undertaking careful remediation work to help create a system which will thrive for years to come.’ Innovate I Winter 2012 27

Grand Challenge Initiatives LOW IMPACT BUILDINGS

Low Impact Buildings

Sustainability C

oventry University’s Cogent Computing Applied Research Centre has been leading the way in developing distributed sensing and computing systems to inform the provision of solutions to these kind of real-world problems.

Cogent have worked alongside one of the leading providers of social housing in the UK to monitor the largest site of passiv homes in the West Midlands. Director of the Centre, Professor Elena Gaura, is well aware that to truly understand the issues of sustainability, research needs to take place comparing the UK with countries around the globe. Elena and Cogent Computing have recently formed a joint venture to look at the issues of sustainability with colleagues in the University of Indonesia. The two universities have created a ‘virtual hub’, called BuildSense, which is the base for their joint research. Two further partners, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi or IIIT-D, and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have also become an integral part of the team. BuildSense is a collaborative project between these key international academic groups, taking input from government and industry bodies, to build consensus, to foster research, to achieve standardisation, and to facilitate widespread adoption of building measurement systems. The collaboration was borne out of a request for Elena to provide a key-note speech at a University of Indonesia conference in December 2011. Elena explained: ‘During the visit, I met with a number of academics and soon realised that the research taking place

28 Innovate I Winter 2012

on a wo

in Coventry and Indonesia was following a similar pattern, but we would both benefit from the international links. We could claim to be the leading research team in sustainability in the UK but in order to make our research really stand out we need some international comparisons; even if Indonesia’s biggest consumption is cooling for homes, and ours is for heating.’ Current approaches to building technology are evolutionary. Small changes are made and the results tested over many years in the marketplace before widespread acceptance is achieved. During this process huge amounts of money and effort will be put into approaches that ultimately fail. To reduce this wasted effort, more measurement is needed both

in existing buildings and newly designed or improved ones. Measurement should begin with energy consumption but also take into account actual performance alongside human perception ie how warm or cool is the room, how comfortable are the people in the room in terms of temperature? Multi-site periodic measurements are needed to get a full picture and wireless networked sensing systems are key to supporting this process. The collaboration will provide joint PhD programmes delivered in Indonesia and

validated by Coventry University. It will also provide detailed research into the impact of sustainability initiatives and how we can empower people to live sustainably. This will include analysis of the social and cultural aspects of consumption in Europe, Asia and India. A joint, large scale, web-based survey will be deployed in November 2012 which will assess awareness of energy usage and sustainability issues. It will identify attitudes and motivations towards sustainable living in the UK, Indonesia and India, for people aged 18-23. Elena continued: ‘This age group will be the 2020 generation of homeowners. It’s vitally important that they know how to live sustainably. We expect the analysis to highlight motivational factors, knowledge gaps, and aptitudes levels for young people

to conduct sustainable lives from an energy viewpoint.’ Cogent will also share their expertise in wireless sensing technology and common tools for empowerment and assessment which they have developed and refined over a number of years. BuildSense will develop inexpensive, long lived, unobtrusive wireless sensor tags. Such tags are aimed at the mass market to enable environmental and energy consumption data

Reducing carbon emissions and creating sustainable homes is top of the political agenda for both the UK and overseas. Equally important is ensuring that the people who live in these homes ‘learn’ to act in a sustainable way.

orld stage collection in every home. The collaboration will also aim to develop systems to analyse the data and the impact of human behaviour on building system performance. Elena continued: ‘We’re working closely with our industry partners on this project. Housing provider, Orbit are acting as industrial advisers in the collaboration and we’re also in talks with a German building firm. Involving industrial partners helps provide a ‘real-world’ element to the research. It is essential that we maintain the support of industry to ensure the work is cutting edge.’ The benefits of this collaboration are numerous. ‘In order to work towards a common understanding of sustainability and empowerment it is essential that we maintain an international perspective,’ explains Elena. ‘Creating strong links with global partners also helps keep Coventry University and its research ahead of the game.’

Biography Elena Gaura Elena Gaura, Professor of Pervasive Computing. Prof. Gaura specialises in Microelectromechanical Systems based smart sensing systems in general and wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in particular. She is a very active disseminator of research both to the academic community and the industry and is a member of several national and international advisory bodies in the areas of sensing and microsystems, and is the Director of the Cogent Computing Applied Research Centre at Coventry University. Elena is actively working with local government agencies towards the adoption of wireless technologies for fulfilling the ‘low carbon’ agenda for both the automotive and the built environment; additionally she is active in the areas of wireless instrumentation for healthcare and monitoring of personnel working in extreme environments. Innovate I Winter 2012 29

Bring this page to life with the CUview app

Bringing buildings As Coventry University opens the doors to its revolutionary new centre for the Faculty of Engineering and Computing, it also opens the doors to an innovative new way of working.

he £55m building is pioneering inside and out. Its visually stunning, futuristic exterior provides a base for a highly sustainable building. It uses a range of technologies including rainwater harvesting, solar thermal energy and biomass boilers. Inside, it is equally forward-looking. It offers a completely fresh approach to organising spaces so they best support new ways of learning including a 2,000 metre square laboratory which is highly connected, flexible and visible, and has collaborative classrooms where students sit in groups of 6 or 9 around tables with retractable computer screens.

Whilst the building will exceed expectations of staff and students as a high-tech learning facility, it also offers support to local business in a completely different way. This new centre is home to the Sustainable Building Futures (SBF) project, through which businesses from the West Midlands Region will be able to see first-hand demonstrations of how innovative technologies work and test their own new products in a real environment. The facilities will also be used to test the environmental performance of the Faculty building itself. Results will be used to help design and develop new products

to life

and systems which companies in the construction and environmental technologies sector can learn from. This £5.2 million project is 50% co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Andrew Tonks, Business Development Manager from Coventry University said: ‘Through this project, eligible Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) will be able to access innovative environmental technology products and services for use in sustainable construction.’

To find out more about the new facilities and Sustainable Building Futures project, contact Andrew Tonks on 07974984683 or email ATonks@cad.coventry.ac.uk or visit: www.coventry.ac.uk/sbf

30 Innovate I Winter 2012

Aurasma: Coventry University

The SBF project offers not only business assistance in a variety of ways, but also allows SMEs to access the latest technology in this new building. This includes access to an environmental test chamber, solar tracking equipment, building performance data and portable performance monitoring equipment. Andrew continued: ‘We must encourage and help businesses to take advantage of the opportunities that new technology brings. The best way to do this is through demonstrating the benefits and creating an environment suitable to test ideas. This new facility will allow us to do just that.’

Innovation Networks experts in export The Innovation Networks project has already helped over 300 businesses achieve sales of more than £14million. A recent boost of a further £1.9million ERDF funding will enable the scheme to support a further 150 companies in the West Midlands. The project, which has been running since 2003, supports businesses through the provision of grants to assist with the development of innovative new products, processes or services. It helps SMEs raise their innovation levels and increase their competiveness by facilitating the introduction of new products into markets at home and abroad.

Burning ambition One of the Innovation Networks success stories is Games Education Ltd who developed the HotSpot™ – an automated timing device that allows coaches of many sports to create the best training environment through technology. The timing device is now selling well with over 250 units having been bought by a variety of prestigious sporting organisations. Football clubs including Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, the Irish Football association and major clubs in Germany have all bought units to help their players to reach optimum fitness.

The HotSpot™ is also popular in the sport of tennis with sales to the British Lawn Tennis association and the national tennis federations of Switzerland, Belgium Vietnam and Israel. www.hotspottraining.com To find out more about the Innovation Networks project, please visit the website at www.innovation-networks.co.uk or email innovation@cad.coventry.ac.uk

Michael Crooks and Fraser Harban, partners at Games Education Ltd who developed the HotSpot™

Do you need to find an innovative solution to a difficult problem? At Coventry University, our applied research teams work closely with your organisation, applying their knowledge and expertise to devise inventive and original solutions for real-world problems. At a local, national and international level, we work with clients across the public, private and voluntary sectors. From art to design, health to sports, regeneration to human security, mathematics to engineering, computing to communications – we can find a solution that’s right for you. Applied Research at Coventry University www.coventry.ac.uk/researchnet

Printed on Satimat Green from Elliott Baxter, an FSC certified paper which contains a minimum of 75% recycled fibre, together with 25% FSC virgin fibre. The recycled fibre is produced at an FSC accredited mill which also holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Satimat Green is a 75% recycled FSC certified product and meets the latest “quick wins” specification

The University does not warrant or make any representation regarding the reliability or accuracy of the information and materials contained herein. Whilst Coventry University has taken reasonable care to ensure the accuracy of the information in this document at the time of going to print, the precise content is subject to change. In no events will the University be liable for any loss or damage that may arise from the reliance or use of such information and/or materials.