Networks 20

NETWORKS T h e S c i e n c e E n g i n e e r i n g & Te c h n o l o g y M a g a z i n e

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FOREWORD It’s been five short years since I penned my first foreword for NETWorks and seven since the North East Technology Park (NETPark) was launched with the opening of the NETPark Research Institute, commissioned by Durham University. The Institute was closely followed by the NETPark Incubator, with the first tenant being a Durham University spin out company called Durham Scientific Crystals. In 2008, a design, development and prototyping facility for the emerging printable electronics industry was located at NETPark. A number of other businesses have also moved into the Incubator and gradually increased their office and laboratory space.

During subsequent years, we’ve seen some pretty far-reaching changes take place, both in terms of the national and regional infrastructures which support innovation and growth, and in terms of the health – or otherwise – of the national and world economies.

Throughout these changes though, one constant has remained, and in many cases proved to be immune from the effects of change. That constant is the thread of innovation which is woven not only into the ethos of NETPark, but throughout County Durham’s and the Region’s economies.

Very simply, those companies, established or new, which place innovation at their core, have demonstrated that they can not only survive but prosper through difficult times, and history has shown that such organisations are in pole position to take advantage of more favourable market conditions when the economic climate improves.

Conversely we only have to look at the sad case of the once-dominant force that was Kodak to see that failure to innovate – in their case not establishing a foothold in the digital photography revolution - can place even the biggest players in danger of commercial failure.

Here in the North East we’re fortunate that the gospel of innovation has been well and truly taken to heart, as the successes of the last seven years have shown.

The benefits of NETPark have been extended to a wider community of over 300 companies via NETPark Net. A virtual support network, NETPark Net enables companies to link-in with innovative, like minded businesses who aspire to flourish and grow.

Durham Scientific Crystals has since become Kromek, who are world leaders in advanced X-ray technology for security and health applications. Two years ago, Kromek moved into their own building on NETPark and now employ over 50 technicians and researchers.

The national flagship for the development of printable electronics, PETEC (Printable Electronics Technology Centre) has doubled in size as a consequence of the industry that continues to grow.

PETEC is also part of the recently opened High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centre, which has innovation at its heart.

These two organisations are not the only success stories, but are shining examples of what can be achieved through hard work, dedication and…innovation.

Long may it continue.

Stewart Watkins Managing Director, County Durham Development Company (CDDC) CDDC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Durham County Council, encourages innovation and strategic investment in the County and is driving the development of the North East Technology Park (NETPark) and the virtual innovation environment NETPark Net.

NETWorks is published by Distinctive Publishing Ltd, Aidan House, Sunderland Road, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE8 3HU Telephone 0845 884 2385 Managing Director John Neilson Creative Director Martin Williamson For all enquiries including editorial, subscription and advertising please contact Distinctive Publishing.

With thanks to all our contributors.

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CONTENTS 14

TEC .A HNO L O G Y CA T A P U LT C E N TRE

6.

NEWS NOT TO BE MISSED

8.

NETPARK - TWELVE YEARS AND STILL GROWING

10.

County Durham is a place to do business

11.

Science park community expands

12.

GARETH PUGH’s NAME UP IN LIGHTS

14.

A TECHNOLOGY CATAPULT CENTRE

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Circuits project moves to production

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NORGREN BUILDS AFFINITY WITH NETPARK NET COMMUNITY

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WATCH THIS SPACE

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SPREADING THE INNOVATION GOSPEL

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INNOVATION - A CATALYST FOR SUCCESS

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INVESTING IN INNOVATION

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PROJECT C IS OUT OF THIS WORLD

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NASA ASTRONAUT TOUCHES DOWN IN COUNTY DURHAM

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BISHOP HAS A BRAINWAVE

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Process Industry - Globally Significant FOR THE REGION

36. Small-scale Anaerobic Digestion takes A BIG step forward

32. BISHOP

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INSTITUTE OF PROCESS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

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GAS2 SECURES £5.5M FOR GAS-TO-LIQUIDS TECHNOLOGY

42 . NETParsk Ambassador programme launched by

NASA Astronaut

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THE SCIENCE ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

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Where brilliant ideas grow.

The NETPark Incubator doesn’t just provide space to work, it provides a total-support environment in which science and technology businesses can develop and grow.

If your business is based on the research, design and development of new technologies, and displays the potential and ambition for growth through innovation, then why not join us? If you have a product to develop, we’ll help you turn it into a business.

To find out more, visit us at:

www.NorthEastTechnologyPark.com Or contact us at: The NETPark Incubator, Thomas Wright Way, Sedgefield, County Durham TS21 3FD

e-mail: netpark@wherebusinessgrows.com

NETPark enquiries: +44 (0)1740 625180 NETPark is developed by:

INCUBATOR where business grows

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NEWS NOT TO BE MISSED Hitachi on track for next open day Following confirmation by the Government that the deal with Hitachi to build and maintain the new generation of trains for the Great Western and East Coast Main Lines would be signed soon, Hitachi has confirmed that planning for the next supplier Open Day is now underway.

Hitachi and developer Merchant Place Developments are now working with Durham County Council through County Durham Development Company to organise an Open Day event similar to the one held in May 2011, to take place in June of this year, this time focussing on the construction phase of the £4.5 billion project.

Last May’s event attracted over 1,200 representatives from UK businesses, predominantly from the north-east, and it is anticipated that the next event will be equally popular.

Among speakers at the event last year Geoff Hunton, Technical Director of Merchant Place Developments, outlined plans for the construction of the 465,000 sq ft state-of-the-art factory at Newton Aycliffe. This year’s event in June will focus on this aspect of the supply chain requirements.

Wild early lives of today’s most massive galaxies revealed Astronomers from Durham University have helped find the strongest link so far between the most powerful bursts of star formation in the early Universe and the most massive galaxies found today.

The galaxies, flowering with dramatic starbursts in the early Universe, saw the birth of new stars abruptly cut short, leaving them as massive - but passive - galaxies of aging stars in the present day.

The astronomers also have a likely culprit for the sudden end to the starbursts - the emergence of supermassive black holes.

The Durham scientists were part of an international team of astronomers who combined observations from the LABOCA camera on the ESO-operated 12-metre Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope with measurements made with ESO’s Very Large Telescope, NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, and others, to look at the way that bright, distant galaxies are gathered together in groups or clusters.

Durham University to share £9m investment in postgraduate training in biosciences Durham University is to share in a £9m investment for postgraduate training and development in biosciences.

Durham is part of a joint Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) with Newcastle and Liverpool universities which will benefit from the investment announced by the Universities and Science Minister David Willetts.

The award will further strengthen research links and support 15 PhD studentships plus five undergraduate summer bursaries between the three institutions in areas of research including food security and health.

The Durham/Newcastle/Liverpool collaboration will receive £4.5million from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and another £4.5million from other sources.

Professor Tom McLeish, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), at Durham University, said: “Each year the University invests millions of pounds in funding opportunities to enable the most talented postgraduate students from across the world to realise their potential with us.

THE SCIENCE ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

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“Research and teaching is at the core of what we do at Durham and this announcement will allow us to continue to invest in world-class bioscience skills and training, in collaboration with our partners.”

Report shows that CPI is playing a vital role in the development of industrial biotechnology A report from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) into Industrial Biotechnology (IB) in the UK highlights the great work being carried out by The Centre for Process Innovation and underlines the need for continued government investment to ensure a sustainable future.

NESTA commissioned the report to look at the state of financing in the UK’s IB sector and to suggest ways in which early-stage and growth funding might be improved. It details the importance of IB but also suggests why the UK has been faltering in relation to the US and other European rivals: the estimated cost of successfully entering the sector is £75-100m, with returns taking 4-8 years. This is a substantial barrier to entry and major negative for potential investors, but demonstrates the vital role of The Centre for Process Innovation’s (CPI) National Industrial Biotechnology Facility (NIBF).

The Government’s Industrial Biotechnology Innovation and Growth Team (IB-IGT) has identified IB as a key driver of wealth creation, estimating that IB could add £4-12 billion per year to the UK economy by 2025. The NESTA report underlines the importance of utilising existing development and scale-up facilities to encourage the development of IB technologies and entry into this key market. Both the report writers and customers of the facility cite CPI’s NIBF as an excellent example that is key to the UK, stating, “The £12 million National

Industrial Biotechnology Facility (NIBF) at the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) was built in order to capture these benefits and is widely applauded as an excellent use of public funds.”

New project to speed up the development and proving of small scale anaerobic digestion technologies Anaerobic digestion has been cited by the government as a way of reducing carbon emission, providing energy security and generating green jobs. It is a vital tool in achieving a low carbon future, and feasibility studies confirm the market demand and acceptance of anaerobic digestion (AD) technology. The potential of this technology has only been within reach of large, profitable organisations, but a new project aimed at bringing cutting-edge AD technologies to rural and smaller scale businesses is being launched to combat this.

The Small Scale Anaerobic Digestion Technology (SSAD-TECH) platform provides underpinning process technology for the development of a series of commercial products for the local treatment of organic waste to produce energy (either as biogas, heat or electricity) and digestate, which can be considered as a non-fossil fuel derived fertiliser.

A five-strong consortium is led by The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and comprises CNG Services Ltd, Lyvennet Renewable Energy, Wardell Armstrong LLP and Field Science Limited. With grant funding from the government-backed Technology Strategy Board, the project works with a total budget of £880,000 and will run over two years.

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NETPARK - TWELVE YEARS AND STILL GROWING

2000

2001

2002

2003

Arrangements are completed to transfer control of the site of Winterton Hospital in Sedgefield from NHS Estates to Durham County Council .

Demolition of the Victorian buildings of the closed Winterton Hospital is completed, clearing the way for site preparation for the North East’s first specialist science & technology park.

The site of NETPark is cleared of all rubble, and the central roadway – later to become Thomas Wright Way, is in place.

In May, the ground is broke for the first time to herald w commencing on NETPark’s building, The NETPark Rese Institute.

2007

2008

2009

Plans are finalised and approved for Phase 2 of the NETPark Incubator – made necessary by growing demand for high-quality Incubation facilities. The Printable Electronics Centre is complete and ready for its complex fit-out.

Work gets underway on Phase 2 of the NETPark Incubator during the early part of the year, and preparations are made for Kromek (formerly DSC) to move into additional temporary accommodation to cope with their rapid expansion. Fit-out work is complete at the Printable Electronics Centre.

In March, the Printable Electronics Centre is formally opened by Lord Mandelson, then Secretary of State for Business & Enterprise.

In May, work commences on a new building which will ultimately be occupied by Kromek, and in July CPI announces a further £20m investment in the Printable Electronics Centre to nearly double its size. Project C NETPark’s outreach programme, is launched.

NETPark Net, the virtual science park, opens for business.

THE SCIENCE ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

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3

2004

2005

2006

the ground is broken rst time to herald work ncing on NETPark’s first , The NETPark Research .

In July The NETPark Research Institute is complete and ready for occupation by advanced research groups from Durham University. Work also commences on the construction of the NETPark Incubator – designed to set new standards for technology incubation.

Construction of the NETPark Incubator is complete and is formally opened by Prime Minister Tony Blair, in whose constituency it is located. Work begins on the construction of Centre for Process Innovation’s forward-looking Printable Electronics Centre.

The NETPark Incubator’s first occupiers – Durham Scientific Crystals (later to become Kromek plc) move in and enter a new phase of the development of their unique technology. They are followed by several other hi-tech companies during the year.

2010

2011

2012

In June Dr Arnab Basu, CEO of Kromek signs the lease which gives his company occupation of its own 1600m2 HQ and production facility after just 5 years of rapid growth at NETPark. Also in June, NETPark again hits the headlines when the crew of Space Shuttle Mission STS 132 touch-down to formally open Phase 2 of the NETPark Incubator, with the help of local schoolchildren.

In February, a ground breaking ceremony takes place to launch work on two new ‘Grow-on space’ units to provide additional space for expanding technology companies. In July: CPI announces that the expanded Printable Electronics Centre will “… work directly with the UK’s design, print and packaging industries to deliver cutting-edge electronic functionality into manufacturable printed products”.

Later in the year it is announced that the centre will become a high value manufacturing ‘Catapult’ centre.

March: Discovery 1 and Discovery 2, the two new ‘Grow-on space’ units are complete and ready for occupation, with strong interest already being expressed by prospective tenants. And NETPark again hosts a visit from a NASA astronaut – Col. Ron Garan.

NETPark Net membership hits 300.

Project C engages with 22,000 people in 3 years.

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County Durham is a place to do business The North East Technology Park (NETPark), which is managed

by County Durham Development Company (CDDC) on behalf of Durham County Council, has added two more facilities to its offering in order to help meet the demand for high quality laboratory, office and cleanroom space for companies operating within the science and technology sectors.

The NETPark Discovery Centres are a development of two new buildings, each of approximately 2,000m2 (nearly 20,000 sq. ft), providing space for expanding technology companies.

Built to the same high standards as other buildings on the park, each Centre can offer a choice of office, laboratory and for clean room space facilities, in self-contained suites which are ideal for established companies or large research and development groups.

NETPark’s simple and flexible approach to working with high growth companies means that both Discovery Centres are available to lease with flexible occupancy terms and generous incentives.

Stewart Watkins, managing director of CDDC said “NETPark at Sedgefield, County Durham, has rapidly become one of

the leading locations for innovative emerging sciences and technology in the UK and for the commercialisation of cuttingedge Research & Development.

“It is imperative that we have facilities, such as the NETPark Discovery Centres, available to offer to these growing companies to ensure the future success and prosperity for County Durham” Catherine Johns, Director for Innovation Development at CDDC added “NETPark offers a range of options for the growth of developing or established companies, from individual units combining high-quality office and laboratory space in a range of sizes to development sites of up to 4 acres.

“The Discovery Centre facilities are just one part of the NETPark community. As we see businesses grow and develop, they will find no shortage of room to grow into larger space on the park.”

For more information on the NETPark Discovery Centres, please visit www.northeasttechnologypark.com or e-mail enquiries@ northeasttechnologypark.com or contact John Hildreth, Innovation Development Executive at CDDC on 0191 370 8680.

THE SCIENCE ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

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Science park community expands The North East Technology Park (NETPark), where worldclass science and technology companies come together, is celebrating further expansion to its growing business community.

“I firmly believe that the unique support and facility packages we provide at NETPark are key to NETPark’s continuing success and growing reputation national and internationally as an excellent place from which to do business.”

The Combustion Engineering Association (CEA) is relocating its operations from Cardiff to the technology park near Sedgefield. It’s a move which sees NETPark strengthen its main focus of supporting companies that are developing technology and products in the physical sciences.

David Kilpatrick, director of The Combustion Engineering Association (CEA) said: “The dedication and professionalism of the support staff at NETPark, combined with the quality buildings and facilities for science and technology organisations, really drove the decision to relocate our operations to NETPark.”

Owned by Durham County Council and managed by the council’s business arm, the County Durham Development Company, NETPark provides access to a business community designed to promote talent, generate ideas and offer businesses the support and resources to compete with the best in the world.

Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, Cllr Neil Foster, said: “Welcoming an organisation such as The Combustion Engineering Association is a really important milestone for our developing science and technology park.

Stewart Watkins, managing director at the County Durham Development Company said: “We are delighted to welcome The Combustion Engineering Association to the growing NETPark science and technology community– I’m sure they will add value to the NETPark cluster.”

For further information about the North East Technology Park (NETPark) and the how it could help your business, please visit www.northeasttechnologypark.com

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GARETH PUGH’s NAME UP IN LIGHTS A dress made of light is a designer’s dream and it’s fair to say that fashion designer Gareth Pugh’s dream came true when he started working with Richard Kirk, CEO of Polyphotonix.

Richard spent his early life as an artist in France and has a unique insight into the crossover between technology and art – just as the evolution of painting is dependent on the development of chemistry in the form of new paint products, Richard’s thorough understanding of the creative process has paid dividends in the development of new forms of light.

In his previous role as managing director of Elumin8, an electroluminescent (EL) manufacturing company, he championed the integration of printed electronics in architectural, automotive and product design. He is credited for many world’s first’ applications using EL lighting – the collaboration with Gareth Pugh resulting in the dress pictured is one such example.

Now Richard is pioneering the early adoption of organic light as the CEO of Polyphotonix. The first generation of products integrating organic light components are becoming available to consumers – some cameras and small television screens are already using organic light because of its superior visual quality, improved colour rendering and pixel definition. Organic lights are flat, flexible, and remain cool while in operation – a major energy saving characteristic and therefore a big green tick for this new type of lighting.

However, all new technologies have a number of barriers and technical issues that have to be resolved – where there

are challenges, there are opportunities in this new sector for companies that can overcome them and Polyphotonix is rapidly becoming a major player. It has formed a number of close strategic partnerships with organisations that share a similar technological focus. This includes Sanko-Gosei, manufacturer of automotive components; CPI, the Centre for Process Innovation; Invertec, manufacturer of interiors for transports; and Northumbria and Durham Universities.

Polyphotonix starts from the user requirements for any new project – innovation driven by customers is highly effective at meeting client needs and developing products that will be successful in the market.

Polyphotonix has been based at NETPark for nearly 2 years – originally in London, the company was drawn here by the Printable Electronics Technology Centre which is the UK national flagship for this new technology. At a recent event, Richard commented: “What we didn’t realise before we made the move was how hard the NETPark team works to help your company. It’s like joining a club – everyone supports you and the company, you meet great people and get many opportunities to showcase your technologies. It says something about a place when you can get introduced to NASA’s Senior Medical Advisor, investors and the head of R&D at Tata Steel!”

Like all good technology companies, Polyphotonix is rapidly moving towards manufacturing and volume production, creating jobs for the future in County Durham.

THE SCIENCE ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

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BELIEVE IN IDEAS Northstar Ventures is a trading name of NorthStar Equity Investors Limited. NorthStar Equity Investors Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

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A TECHNOLOGY CATAPULT CENTRE NETPark is now a major location in north east England linked to the national High Value Manufacturing ‘Catapult’ Centre through the Centre for Process Innovation’s (CPI) national flagship facility for printable electronics. This, and the presence on-site of two of Durham University’s most advanced research groups combine to offer any technology business investing in NETPark the opportunity to co-locate with two of the UK’s major technology drivers.

CPI manages the Printable Electronics Centre at NETPark. It works closely with industry, from multinationals to high-tech start-ups, investors, government agencies and leading researchers to stimulate and manage market-led innovation.

CPI is a technology innovation centre serving the chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, biotechnology, printable electronics and energy markets. It uses its market knowledge and technology understanding to develop and prototype products and processes, quickly and efficiently, with minimal risk to its public and private sector partners. The unique £55m asset base allows its partners to test, develop and prove their products and processes cost effectively.

CPI has national centres in Industrial Biotechnology, Printable Electronics and Anaerobic Digestion and is considered to be a world leader in these areas. The company employs over 170 scientists, engineers and commercial staff, including over 45 PhDs, with over 1700 years of commercial experience.

In 2011 CPI was named as the process element of the government’s elite network of Catapult Centres. This awards CPI direct involvement in UK and EU strategy alongside substantial sustained investment to ensure its staff and facilities are at the cutting edge of product and process development.

The High Value Manufacturing Catapult brings together individual centres of collaborative research to create something even greater than the sum of its parts – a single network covering high-value sectors from pharmaceuticals to power generation, where knowledge gained in one area can be transferred to others.

The High Value Manufacturing Catapult provides the industry the ability to influence government investment in innovation, shape and drive the UK and EU research agenda, de-risk investment in innovation and inspire, train and up-skill staff.

The HVM Catapult brings together individual centres of collaborative research to create something even greater than the sum of its parts. As a key member, CPI is partnered with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Rotherham), Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Rotherham), Manufacturing Technology Centre (Coventry), Advanced Forming Research Centre (University of Strathclyde), National Composite Centre (University of Bristol) and the Warwick Manufacturing Group (University of Warwick).

THE SCIENCE ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

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Circuits project moves to production PragmatIC Printing Ltd, the pioneer in imprinted logic circuits, has announced plans to move its technology to pilot-scale production under an agreement with The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI).

As well as supporting commercial production for low volume applications, the pilot line also provides a platform for the collaborative PragmatIC Pilot Production Program (P4).

Building on PragmatIC’s highly successful prototyping activities throughout 2011, P4 will involve the entire value chain, including licensees for high volume production, complementary technology providers, systems integrators such as converters and labellers, and end users including major brand owners.

A key advantage of PragmatIC’s approach to printed logic is that it delivers unrivalled density and performance in a unique form factor, while employing mature, proven processes and readily available equipment.

This approach enables a rapid transition to commercial production, with the pilot line intended to commence operation by the fourth quarter of 2012.

Scott White, Chief Executive Officer of PragmatIC Printing, said: “We are hugely excited at taking this next tangible step towards commercial deployment of our unique technology for imprinted logic. We welcome interest from all those in the industry who want to make printed electronics products a reality, and encourage collaborative participation in our P4 initiative.”

Tom Taylor, CPI’s Director of Printable Electronics, said: “We are keen to leverage our extensive facilities and expertise to assist PragmatIC Printing in moving to commercial production. The P4 initiative is also highly complementary with other activities at CPI, in particular the Integrated Smart Systems line which is ideally suited to combine PragmatIC’s imprinted logic with other printing and electronics technologies to deliver innovative finished products.”

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NORGREN BuILDS AFFINITY WITh NETPARK NET COMMuNITY NETPark Net, one of the fastest growing innovation networks in the UK, is expanding further as engineering experts Norgren Ltd becomes the latest company to join its Affinity membership programme.

Affinity membership provides a structured platform for a limited number of professional services companies to provide a wealth of expertise, advice and support for the region’s science and technology companies.

NETPark Net, which is delivered by County Durham Development Company on behalf of Durham County Council, already has nearly 300 active member companies and organisations operating in the science, technology and engineering fields.

The latest Affinity member to join this network is Midlands based multinational Norgren which specialises in motion and fluid control, providing a range of technical and engineering services for companies across the world.

Phil Doncaster, Senior Business Development Manager for Norgren, said: “It was clear from our first visit to NETPark that it is a place where world class science and technology companies and individuals come together.

The Affinity package provides Norgren with a great opportunity to contribute to the community with our specialist expertise and technical skills. We have experience of working with companies at all stages, from those looking to develop new products and ideas or helping more established manufacturers gain greater efficiencies.

Norgren will be providing in-depth engineering and technical expertise to NETPark tenants and members of NETPark Net as part of the Affinity programme which will include best practice and knowledge sharing within the network by writing articles and blogs for tenants to keep them up-to-date with news technical innovations.

Phil added: “Norgren’s vision is to create competitive advantage for its customers and we believe that there is a great wealth of opportunity to build long lasting working relationships with other NETPark Net members ”.

NETPark Net is already realising the benefits of the expertise provided by the Affinity programme which is becoming a valuable support to the network’s members.

Stewart Watkins, CDDC managing director, said: “The Affinity programme provides NETPark Net members with access to professional services expertise which is vital for companies looking to grow and take new products to market. By bringing in new members with specialist knowledge in business-critical areas, we are providing the tools to allow innovation to develop at a faster pace”.

“The Affinity package provides the ideal platform for professional service companies such as Norgren to interact with the North East’s science and technology community. It also means that companies can now start to access this expertise and knowledge on demand.”

For more information on the Affinity programme, www.uknetpark.net/Partners.aspx

THE SCIENCE ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

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WATCH THIS SPACE The space industry may be heading off to places millions of miles away from the Scotch Corner services, but that doesn’t mean businesses and organisations from the North East can’t potentially get involved in this exciting field. John Hill, Science & Technology Editor of the Newcastle Journal learnt a bit more about the opportunities at last month’s Spacetech event in Durham.

No matter what you told yourself when you were eight, the chances are few of you will ever go into space.

If you’re the sort of person who can herd up a few hundred thousand pound coins in reasonably quick time, you may one day be able to drag your aged frame on to a commercial space shuttle.

But for many of us, the closest we’ll get to staring into the seemingly infinite, twinkling expanse is that time when we pushed our palms against our eyelids to pass the time on the bus home.

However, it’s not such a stretch of the imagination to think you can play your own small part in mankind’s quest to observe or explore the stars. It might be that you are a relatively simple nut or bolt in the giant machine, or it may be an intriguing new technology. But a contract in the space industry isn’t necessarily just something that happens to other companies.

At least, that was the message at Spacetech, an event organised by County Durham Development Company in association with the Institute of Physics. Spacetech took place at NETPark in Sedgefield on February 9 and featured industry experts, representatives from international space agencies and companies involved in the sector.

CDDC has held conferences such as the photovoltaics event Solar Flair in recent times. It arranged an event on the space industry back in 2009, and believes 2012 is a good time to make companies aware of increased interest in the sector.

Europe’s largest space, science and technology centre – The European Space Agency Centre – opened in Harwell in Oxford in 2009, and is home to 4,000 researchers. Also, the project office for the Square Kilometre Array Telescope initiative is based at Jodrell Bank Observatory near Manchester.

The line-up for Spacetech was put together to allow experts to lay out what they’re after in the industry, and let companies in the sector share their stories.

For example, Dr Saralyn Mark spoke about science, technology, engineering and medicine in space exploration and the UK Space Agency’s assistant director Saleh Ahmed was on the bill as conference chair.

The Technology Strategy Board’s head of special projects Michael Lawrence talked about space technology’s importance to the UK economy, while Tim Stevenson outlined the opportunities offered by the Square Kilometre Array telescope project; a £1.2bn initiative that aims to create the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope.

“Something like 90% of the jobs are in the South,” says Johns.

“We think we’ve got extremely capable people here that can provide the same opportunities.

“I’ve had more speakers volunteer for this event than anything.

I’ve had to turn people away. There’s a good range of Government speakers on there, but we’ve also got companies that are working in the sector such as AWS, TWI and Tekdata.

It’s important companies see others that are already winning contracts and hear what they’ve done.”

For example, Staffordshire-based Cryoconnect shared the story of how they got to provide wiring harnesses for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope; the successor to the Hubble telescope which will be sited 1.5m kilometres from Earth.

“While we’ve been concentrating on energy recently, the space sector has been building a lot in our minds”, says Catherine Johns, CDDC’s director of innovation development. “You only have to look at a shuttle to see how many bits and pieces there are and how many people go into getting it up-and-running.

Among the North East companies running in space industry circles is Durham Precision Engineering. The Newton Aycliffe company makes precision parts for automotive firms such as Jaguar, Nissan and Land Rover, but is comfortable making problem-solving products for deep sea and aerospace.

“There can be a perception that it’s all just hi-tech whizzy stuff.

But there’s concrete and software and data-handling and welding in there too. There’s a large supply chain.”

While no firm contracts have been signed, it’s also a space player, working with engineers and scientists at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics to create insulation boxes for the antennae needed for the Square Kilometre Array.

There’s also a bit of a push to make Britain into a more active player. The Space Innovation and Growth Strategy published in 2010 said around 100,000 hi-tech jobs could be created if the UK increased its share of the global market in space products and services from 6% to 10% by 2030.

According to a report from the Oxford Economics consultancy, the UK space market grew by an average of 10% a year from 2007. The industry has a turnover of around £7.5bn, with encouraging growth.

“We’ve done samples, which are on trial and performing fairly well as far as we know”, says DPE business development manager Geoff Mason.

“The insulation boxes protect the antennae from background noise. These things have to last for quite a while, and if you put them in the desert you’re going to get condensation which will rust the components, so they’ve got to be pretty corrosionproof.

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“Every antenna on the dense array has to have an insulation box and there are about 19 million of them.”

Mason first made the all-important contacts in the industry at a CDDC space networking event in 2009, at around the time when the company was looking to diversify due to a dip in the automotive market.

“The volumes were good. They were roughly equivalent to automotive volumes. It was something new to us as a business, but there were lots of things we could access in terms of R&D funding for that type of product.

“I think people get nervous about dipping their toe in other areas. Sure, there’s stuff we can’t do within the space industry as you’re limited by the cost of machinery you need to make certain things en masse, but there’s work there and it’s obtainable if you go about it the right way.

“Someone once told me that if you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

“This will either create jobs or maintain the employment we have, and that’s the aim. You’ve got to be willing to broaden your horizons.”

Another group that had their eyes opened to the potential of the space industry was Consett-based Core Technology Ventures Services. Back in July, it announced one of its portfolio companies had received a new round of financing that included a million dollars from Space Florida.

Cella Energy had developed a low-cost and safe hydrogen storage technology which perked up the ears of the space industry.

It ended up picking up $2.5m that will allow it to develop its projects at both the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford, and at a new facility in Florida’s NASA Kennedy Space Center.

“Prior to our involvement with the company – and that’s going back a couple of years – we hadn’t done anything in the space industry”, says CoreTec partner Simon Robeson.

“But we’ve now met a lot of the key protagonists in the fields of technology development in the industry, as well as a lot of people in the UK and the US.” CoreTec specialises in clean technology, but also now offers a service helping companies to make contact with the likes of NASA and the European Space Agency.

“Having done a deal we hope will have significant impact on the space industry, what we want to do is to work with companies that might be interested in breaking into these networks. We’ve had numerous approaches from people, including technical people from universities.”

Robeson says companies in the UK space sector range from those with a turnover of around £10,000 to over £3bn.

Government space budgets in 2005 were $36bn in the USA, $2bn in France and $300m in the UK. He added there is a “serious need” for new technology in the industry, but that for some products it can take as long as seven to 12 years to get technology in place; a characteristic similar to the automotive industry.

However, he argues the market is potentially “hugely accessible” for the right person. He says: “The technology is terrifying, but the areas they’re interested in are fairly clear.

“They want to make spacecraft lighter, safer and less expensive to get into space. They’re looking for everything from new materials – such as carbon nanotubes which are lightweight and strong – down to novel types of fuel.

“When they’ve got people up there, they want them to be safe. One of the things that threatens astronauts – for example – is proton radiation emitted from the sun, and if you’re up there bobbing around in your shuttle or outside and the radiation hits you, it would certainly make you very sick or kill you.

“This hasn’t affected any astronauts, mostly through flukes of timing, but satellites have sensitive circuitry and NASA has lost about $2bn worth of equipment since 1989 to satellites damaged by radiation.

“It has very high margins because we’re talking about the safety of life or of an expensive satellite. There are lots of players and opportunities and we for one would be delighted to help other companies that want to understand the opportunities better.”

As more companies understand opportunities, the hope is more will be able to turn their talents to the stars. There are whispers of at least one Sedgefield company looking at how its groundbreaking expertise may apply to space.

Copyright: ncjMedia Limited 2012

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SPREADING THE INNOVATION GOSPEL How it all started….

Confidence and backup for Latent Serial Entrepreneurs

When County Durham Development Company (CDDC) opened NETPark’s doors in 2004, it was with a clearly defined plan that NETPark would be where world-class science and technology companies and individuals come together.

In just a few years, NETPark Net grew to a community of over 300 science, engineering and technology companies, with many members making good use of its interactive facilities.

Talented technology companies, excited by its vision came knocking on the door, and once they had their bespoke laboratories and offices established, the NETPark team at CDDC wanted to do more than just provide good quality functional space.

Relevant, tailored business support came as a part of the package. In 2007, CDDC offered the business support packages to a wider community, supported by ERDF funding, when the online innovation support network NETPark Net was launched to make innovation tools readily accessible to aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs.

In its portfolio were tools for finding finance, funding for equipment, access to free membership of professional bodies, finding new tendering opportunities, contacting industry experts and submitting marketing intelligence enquiries. The possibilities were endless. So what made NETPark Net so special for its members?

Dr Anwar Bashir, formerly of Teesside University, originally joined NETPark Net while developing a novel electronic attendance recording system, has now taken up a virtual office at NETPark to develop a second idea - Xpressbooks as a direct result of having participated in NETPark Net’s ‘Innovation Management Academy Programme’.

Dr Bashir said: “The Programme has enlightened the company to areas such as; IP landscaping, Blue Ocean Thinking; Innovation Strategy. Knowledge gathered is being “bedded” into the companies’ operations and will enable the company not only to sustain current operations, but develop and grow into new markets.

He added; “I joined the NETPark community in January 2011, established a virtual office and began a journey that has led to the imminent launch of Hypersmart, and subsequently, Xpressbooks. The decision in August 2011 to leave my job and concentrate on my business was in part due to the support that I had received from the NETPark Net team. I participated in their Innovation Management Academy.

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“I soon found myself thinking about blue ocean strategy. I now have a clear vision on a not just one but a number of projects that exist within my business. The importance of developing businesses cannot be overstated, developing successful businesses is no walk in the park, but I have found NETPark Net to be an invaluable resource”.

The success and effectiveness of the services that are delivered through NETPark Net have undoubtedly spurred other companies to start additional businesses – one such company, run by Alex Hunter, initially a NETPark Net Member, accessed our NETIntel service, to scope out a market strategy and the potential for a particular business idea in 2010. Our NETIntel study explored various routes to market, and outlined a number of potential clients which could show strong interest in such a product.

Sharing our Expert Partners NETPark Net’s connectivity to expert partners remains one of the primary reasons why its members get best value out of their memberships. Its network of knowledge partners – particularly the region’s Centres of Excellence and five Universities provide excellent opportunities for potential collaboration partnerships online, but equally important has been its ability to share connections to its partners in industry.

There are often done on a referral basis, but can be most effectively achieved through conference and networking events –where conversations for striking up new business relationships begin.

It was at a recent Space Technology networking event that Durham Precision Engineering (DPE) was first introduced to the experts at Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, and are now in the process of developing insulation boxes for the radio telescopes’ antennae.

DPE business development manager, Geoff Mason said, “Someone once told me that if you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve got...You’ve got to be willing to broaden your horizons.”

CDDC has successfully run annual conferences like the national photovoltaics event ‘Solar Flair’ for several years, and there has been no shortage of experts sharing their knowledge and offering advice. These experts have hailed from multinational as well as well-respected national organisations such as the European Space Agency (ESA), Spectrolab Boeing, Circadian Solar, Sanyo and Romag.

The recent Spacetech12 conference introduced speakers from the Technology Strategy Board, the Departmant of Business, Innovation & Skills, the UK Space Agency, the Knowledge

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Transfer Network for Aerospace, Aviation and Defence, and the Square Kilometre Array project.

All were there to share their knowledge and advice with companies with manufacturing capabilities, eager to do business with the £7.5 billion space sector.

High-Value, Challenging Workshops Over the past couple of years, workshops driven by experts, were offered to members of NETPark Net, all designed to give entrepreneurs a real edge to their business practices, helping them compete in the toughest of economic environments.

With NETPark Net’s strong reputation, and help from ERDF funding, courses like the one run by Jack Goodman, VicePresident of Employee Communication at Thomson-Reuters on Effective Communication, NETPark Net has been able to provide these courses free-of-charge.

Other workshops run during the last year include Agile Project Management and the ‘Leadership with Impact’ workshops run by Barbara Dennis, OBE. These workshops were designed to challenge even the most seasoned of entrepreneurs, all of whom re-emerge with a fresh outlook on their activities: Julian Pearson of Roman Showers commented “This Programme has been an inspiration in terms of our business focus. By taking time out of the business and sharing experiences, it provides other perspectives and alternative

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views. We have used process models learnt during the course and implemented in to the business to improve performance.

The Programme has been a useful source of information and knowledge for us to use with our own business”.

And Lucy Carr-Seaman of Airowear Ltd thought they created “ a stimulating environment with like-minded innovative people to explore business needs and explore solutions common to our roles and in our businesses. It has broadened my outlook and approach to innovation”.

Steve Todd of Windpressor Ltd found that “By applying the techniques and methodologies I have learnt on the IMA course, I have been able to fast-track my product to market and take a more structured approach to research and development. I’ve found it very useful and eye-opening.”

At the time of NETPark Net’s launch, CDDC was, and still is, committed to growing the industries of the future, creating high-quality sustainable employment both on NETPark itself and throughout the wider County. At launch of the project, the marketing line for NETPark Net was “Create your own science park”. This message is as relevant now as it was 5 years ago, as 300 members will testify.

If you would like to know more about NETPark Net and how you can benefit from it, please contact Jenny Kwok or John Hildreth, Innovation Development Executives, on 0191 370 8680 or email admin@uknetpark.net

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NETPark Net Membership Join our Innovation Community

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INNOVATION - A CATALYST FOR SUCCESS A little over 130 years ago Sir Joseph Swan first demonstrated the incandescent light bulb to the chemistry society of Gateshead. Even before then, north east engineering innovation opened an era of tremendous wealth and creativity which continues today.

And to underline this, electronics and engineering giant Hitachi have chosen County Durham as the home of their UK manufacturing facility for a new breed of high-speed passenger trains, after the world’s first steam-hauled passenger train service travelled from Darlington to Stockton in 1823.

This was followed just a few years later with the foundation of England’s third oldest university, after Oxford and Cambridge, in Durham.

Like the train-building heritage of Stephenson being re-awoken

by Hitachi, Sir Joseph Swan’s invention came full circle when Thorn Lighting, with their UK headquarters in Spennymoor announced in 2008 a new technology that would revolutionise and transform the environmental impact of lighting.

And there was no better place for them to announce the collaboration formed to realize this aspiration than here in County Durham, where the Centre for Process Innovation(CPI) was developing at NETPark radical new technologies in printed electronics which would help make a new generation of energy-efficient lighting commercially viable.

NETPark -the North East Technology Park at Sedgefield - was established to blaze a trail for science and technology commercialisation in the North East of England.

NETPark stands as a symbol of County Durham’s commitment to the knowledge-driven industries that are the future of business. Innovative processes, new tools and methodologies

are making existing products more efficient. And dramatic new technologies are creating new products previously not thought possible.

But innovation doesn’t start and finish at NETPark, or indeed any science park, just as it isn’t all to do with technicians in white coats and advanced sciences.

Durham is a County that puts business competitiveness and economic performance at the top of its agenda and a key part of that is the way in which it supports and nurtures a core of companies which put innovation at the heart of their culture – and gain a sharp competitive edge as a direct result.

Take the CA Group of Evenwood, near Bishop Auckland. With a history of innovative thinking, CA Roofing Services pioneered the use of safety nets in industrial roofing and insist on the use of sequential sheeting on their projects due to their contribution to site safety and installation speed. CA Building Products offers the complete metal building envelope, including flashings, specialist fabrications, access hatches and the innovative Caskade® HYDRA ‘evolved siphonics’ rainwater management system.

Their SolarWall® Transpired Solar Collector (TSC) is an innovative solar air heating system, which has been independently proven by BSRIA to produce heating cost savings of 50% and an independently thermally modelled report proves SolarWall® can provide up to 20% of a building’s total energy requirements.

The theme of energy efficiency is what is what’s driving Thorn Lighting’s innovation programme too. We all know that the days of the 60 watt pearl lightbulb – which wasted power generating as much heat as it did light - are all but gone,

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replaced by the often curiously-shaped low consumption – and cool – alternatives we’ve become familiar with over the past few years.

say their systems can dramatically extended durability without compromising other key features of the system. All achieved through research and innovation.

But Thorn are convinced there’s a long way to go yet on the energy efficient lighting road, which is why a large part of their research is focussed in County Durham, where they can work closely with CPI on the next generation – and the one after that.

Equally innovative in what’s often regarded as the ‘conventional’ sector of engineering is Altec Engineering at Bowburn, just south of Durham City. Altec relies heavily on investment in research and people to maintain its place as a recognised supplier to the demanding aerospace, automotive, defence, medical and oil & gas industries.

Elsewhere in this issue of Networks we talk about Durham Precision Engineering, the Newton Aycliffe company which makes precision parts for automotive firms and their move into developing problem-solving products for deep sea and aerospace.

Business development manager Geoff Mason summed it up: “It was something new to us as a business, but there were lots of things we could access in terms of R&D funding for that type of product.

It’s a simple equation: innovative thinking plus supportive infrastructure equals opportunities for success.

To remain competitive in the defence industry, innovation has to be a ‘given’. Astrum, headquartered in Stanhope in the west of the County is a world leader in the design and manufacture of track solutions for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) with state of the art manufacturing facilities and invests significantly in leading edge research & development and testing.

Using innovative design and materials technology, Astrum claim their track solutions will improve performance, weigh less, be more durable, generate less noise and vibration and require less maintenance and thereby reduce cost of ownership. They

Put simply, they develop and make – to a high degree of precision and quality - the sort of things few of us think about, like the Warrior LIP Gun Programme ammunition in-feed and spent case exit systems which it is developing. Their range is as impressive as it is wide, as is their application of innovative products and processes to stay at the top of the pile.

Of course these are just a few of the companies building County Durham’s reputation as an innovation County. There are many, many more throughout the county like Romag, which has invested £2m in hi-tech machinery and has secured a 3-year supply agreement with Bombardier for train windscreens; Lamplas with their innovative polymer moulding techniques, even Tanfield Foods with their mould-breaking ‘Look What We Found’ range of prepared meals – almost too many to mention in one article.

All are constantly innovating in their products and processes to stay ahead of the game, and it is these companies which make the business outlook for the County and the north east a lot brighter – and more competitive – than it otherwise would be.

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Curar – L-R Richard Exley (Northstar), Helen Floyd (Curar), Simon Green (Newcastle Science City) and Geordie the Jack Russell.

INVESTING IN INNOVATION Northstar Ventures is a Newcastle-based venture capital firm that specialises in turning promising ideas and innovations into commercially successful businesses. As well as financial backing, Northstar offers fledgling firms in the North East the management support and professional know-how to help them flourish.

Northstar manages two funds as part of the £125m Finance for Business North East programme: The £15m Finance for Business North East Proof of Concept Fund, which supports the very early stages of business creation within the technology sector, with investments of between £20k and £100k The £20m Finance for Business North East Accelerator Fund, which invests in high growth, early-stage businesses with individual investments ranging in size from £100k to £750k in a first round of finance.

Both funds are backed by the European Regional Development Fund and the European Investment Bank.

Northstar has been inspiring local entrepreneurs with financial backing and the expertise of a highly experienced team since 2004 – investing in over 250 pioneering, high potential enterprises across a wide range of sectors, including digital media, healthcare, biotech, energy & environment and mobile communications.

Through backing new products and processes, Northstar has invested in many ground breaking, innovative technologies that serve as the basis of a sustainable, knowledge-based regional economy. Northstar’s funds provide an exciting opportunity for North East enterprises to access the capital they need to get started and grow.

Case Study The Finance for Business North East Proof of Concept Fund Curar Animal Therapeutics An animal healthcare company from Gateshead, which is a spin-out company from Newcastle Science City, has secured

£100,000 from Northstar’s Proof of Concept Fund. The investment will be used to develop and launch a new line of products aimed at the veterinary market, that stimulates the repair of soft tissue and bones in injured pets, such as dogs and horses.

Curar specialises in investigating the potential for transferring human medical devices into the veterinary field, and was founded by Dr Helen Floyd. She launched the business in 2010 with Dan Martin and Peter Masters of Octo Design, who wanted to put their business, medical devices and product development experience together to improve animal welfare.

Helen said: “We are thrilled with the investment we have received, and we have already begun with our new products.

This funding will enable us to build our existing networks and customer base to grow the company.”

Richard Exley, of Northstar Ventures, added: “We are delighted to be working alongside Curar and Newcastle Science City.

We consider Curar is a great company to invest in, and is our first investment in a veterinary healthcare business. This is a potentially important opportunity, as at present the treatment of limb injuries in animals lags behind human medicine. We look forward to watching this company grow and develop its products further.”

Powerhouse Biologics North East company Powerhouse Biologics is founded on the knowledge of experts at Newcastle University. Using the latest technology, they are able to analyse an individual’s genetic make-up to determine which foods they should eat to get the most benefit.

The setting up of the ground-breaking personalised nutrition and healthcare service business has been kick-started with a £100,000 investment from Northstar Ventures’ Proof of Concept Fund.

Set up by Professor Mark Birch-Machin and Dr Georg Lietz, the company has developed out of their cutting-edge research at Newcastle University.

Antioxidants, found in a wide variety of food ranging from

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The Wood Heating Company – L-R Alex Buchan (Northstar), Simon Cross (TWHC) and Mike Blakeley (TWHC)

asparagus to walnuts, have the ability to prevent damage to the DNA inside the mitochondria – the powerhouse – of cells.

Tissues in the body are exposed to stress both externally, from environmental factors such as sunlight and pollution, and internally from the diet including alcohol, all of which can produce free radicals, highly damaging to our cells. To prevent free radical damage, the body uses a defence system of antioxidants provided from our diet.

However, genetic differences in individuals mean that not everyone is able to efficiently process certain antioxidants to prevent cell damage.

Powerhouse Biologics is in the first stages of developing a testing kit which can analyse someone’s genetic differences and, based on that finding, offer a bespoke dietary advice service.

Dr Lietz explains: “Powerhouse Biologics combines our expertise in mitochondria and nutrition and genetic variation. It’s the first time these two areas have come together to produce such a test. We know this works in the lab, and now the investment means we will be able to take the first step in developing it.”

Powerhouse Biologics combines two previously unrelated world-beating technologies – measuring free radical damage to cells, and identifying genetic variations in relation to diet. The company will be aiming products at both the consumer and corporate markets.

Within two years, testing kits will be available in retail outlets offering customised dietary anti-oxidant advice for individuals.

They also hope to offer testing of the efficiency of antioxidants in food and drinks for larger commercial companies.

The Wood Heating Company (Biomass) was set up in July 2010 to separate the company’s biomass boiler activities from its existing wood-burning stove operation. The company has a long track record in the biomass sector, and over recent years has acquired the necessary technical knowledge, relevant accreditations and a customer base ranging from small domestic installations to entire rural estates.

The Wood Heating Company (TWHC) will use the funding to recruit new staff to help cope with a growth in sales brought about by the forthcoming extension of the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) to domestic properties.

The RHI provides long-term support for renewable heat technologies, of which biomass is a popular choice for larger, and particularly rural, properties. It provides payments to owners of eligible renewable heating equipment for every kWh of heat produced. The first phase of the RHI was restricted to nondomestic installations, and the second phase of the RHI is due to commence in October, when domestic installations will also be covered by the scheme.

Managing director, Mike Blakeley, has been involved in supplying and installing wood burning appliances for the past 30 years and is one of only a handful of experienced biomass engineers in the country. He said: “To date, it would be fair to say that the main customer base for biomass boilers has been committed environmentalists.

“We believe that now the RHI is in place, more and more people are going to realise the benefits of purchasing a biomass boiler – both environmental and financial. The investment from Northstar is going to help us greatly in coping with the increasing interest in our products and services.”

Case Study The Finance for Business North East Accelerator Fund The Wood Heating Company (Biomass) New Government subsidies and a £150,000 investment from the Accelerator Fund have assured a bright future for a North East biomass boiler company.

For more information, please contact us on 0191 229 2770 or Sophie@northstarventures.co.uk

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Over 2,000 people attended Celebrate Science, Durham University’s science festival on Palace Green in 2010 and 2011.

Project C staff helped people build their own inventions for the future.

The NETPark Connector project contributed to the Stanley School Forensics Project with Derwentside Enterprise, Algeo Training, Complement Genomics and Teeside University.

Dr Lewney, AKA the Rock Doctor, uses a guitar to explain string theory at Brainwave@NETPark 2011

PROJECT C IS OUT OF THIS WORLD Through Project C, County Durham Development Company (CDDC) and Durham University have delivered an amazing variety of science education and community outreach activities, helping people of all ages to get stuck into science, with over 22,000 people having taken part in events and activities since the programme’s inception in 2009.

The activities have included: Brainwave - NETPark’s very own Summer Science Festival, bringing school groups amounting to 600 plus students and over 1,000 members of the public to NETPark each year. From robots and explosions to rock doctors and slinkies the events made science fun for everyone.

Space Camp 2011 showed 68 people how to run their own space science activities with The International Space School Educational Trust (ISSET) . The groups included Cub scout leaders, science graduates and undergraduates, church group leaders, library staff, teachers (all levels), astronomy societies/

observatories, community/adult learning, St Johns Ambulance and training agencies.

Brainwave @Bishop was a spin off from Brainwave at NETPark. In January at Bishop Auckland Town Hall 60 students and over 70 members of the public enjoyed workshops and shows presented by the Science Museum Outreach Team. Amazing bubbles, exploding rockets and incendiary jelly babies were just a few of the spectacular demonstrations on offer.

NASA Visits NETPark hosted the Space Shuttle Crew from Mission STS 132 and spacewalker Col Ron Garan, who shared their experience of space exploration, the amazing inventions NASA is responsible for and have helped inspire what CDDC hope will be the next generation of space explorers.

Appliance of Science events in the community that show the real-life application of science and inventions. Sport, Fashion, Science in a Nightclub, the Chemistry in your Shopping Basket and Building Bridges – Project C has pretty much covered it all!

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NASA ASTRONAUT TOUCHES DOWN IN COUNTY DURHAM A NASA astronaut inspired hundreds of County Durham youngsters in January as he revealed details about his life in outer space at the start of a two-day visit to the North East.

Flight engineer Colonel Ron Garan, who was selected by NASA in 2000 following a successful career in the US Air Force, visited St Bede’s School in Lanchester as part of a mission to encourage youngsters to take up careers in science and engineering.

The visit was during the first day of a two-day tour which saw the former fighter pilot speak to hundreds of children across the region and deliver a public lecture at Durham’s County Hall.

The pupils at St Bede’s watched a DVD which documented the astronaut’s life on board the International Space Station and featured amazing footage of Earth before they got the chance to quiz him themselves.

Said Col Garan: “One of the main messages I want the children to take away is that anything is possible and that they can choose whatever career they want – no matter how out of reach that may seem.

“Visits like this help take science out of the classroom and show that maths and science subjects can lead to all kinds of stimulating careers, like being an astronaut. I’m also keen for them to have a better understanding of our planet.”

Colonel Garan completed his first spaceflight in 2008 on Space shuttle STS-124 during which he accumulated over 20 hour of space walks and completed 218 orbits, travelling nearly 6 million miles in just under 14 days.

Expedition 27/28, to the International Space Station,was Colonel Garan’s second mission. It began on April 4, 2011, with a launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in a Soyuz spacecraft dubbed “Gagarin.” The launch was from the same launch pad that Yuri Gagarin launched from nearly 50 years prior as the first man to travel in space.

The astronaut has taken part in four space walks totalling more than 27 hours in the hostile environment outside the spacecraft as well as being involved in the installation of major components of the International Space Station.

Chris Saunders, head of science at St Bede’s School, said: “Ron’s visit makes science feel more real to the children. They watch science fiction programmes on television but this is about reality.

Hopefully they’ll think ‘I can do that’ rather than simply be an observer.”

Rob Burleigh, 17, who is studying physics, chemistry and maths A Levels at St Bede’s, said: “He was really inspirational and some of the pictures he showed were amazing. It just shows you what you can achieve. It’s taken what we learn in the classroom from textbooks and given it real life perspective.”

Ross Williamson, 17, who is studying maths, further maths and physics, said: “It’s great that you can see that careers like being an astronaut come from maths and science. The possibilities are endless.”

Col Garan’s visit was organised by the International Space School Educational Trust (ISSET) in partnership with County Durham Development Company (CDDC).

During the second day of his visit Col Garan visited Durham Gilesgate Sports College before meeting Sedgefield Primary School pupils at NETPark and visiting Bishop Barrington School near Bishop Auckland.

Catherine Johns, director of innovation development at CDDC, said “While the children could think careers in space may be a remote possibility, there are great opportunities for young people who study the sciences at school right here in the County.”

Chris Barber, director of ISSET, said: “Ron Garan is an absolutely fantastic role model and has shown how hard work and study, particularly in maths and science, can lead to a brilliant career.”

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BISHOP HAS A BRAINWAVE Earlier this year dazzling displays and science spectacles are came to County Durham as part of a three-day programme designed to bring technology to life.

Brainwave@Bishop, a series of events held during January and February, brought a string of exciting shows and presentations to Bishop Auckland to inspire and excite young people with science.

Schoolchildren in were set a series of challenges as an education team from The Science Museum, London, descended on Bishop Auckland in January to lead a number of fun events.

Pupils from Bishop Barrington School, near Bishop Auckland, had to work out how to carry a litre of water from one side of a room to the other while using only a few simple props during one of the events at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on

Friday, January 27th. Later another set of students from Tudhoe Grange School were set the challenge of making a seat out of cardboard which could take a person’s weight but without using sticky tape or glue.

Bishop Auckland Town Hall was the venue for two free family events which showcased everything from the science behind bubbles to demonstrations of how to make instant ice cream.

Further family events during the February half term holidays included solar powered car displays and the chance to build geodesic domes, large spherical structures similar to those at the Eden Project in Cornwall and the Epcot Centre in Disneyland in Florida.

Brainwave’s flagship event is an annual free science festival for children which has taken place at NETPark, the North East Technology Park in Sedgefield, for the past three summers.

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Ann Deary-Francis, NETPark’s community engagement officer, said: “This is the first time the Science Musuem team have been in the North East so it’s fantastic that they’ve been able to run these workshops and help young people see that science can be fun and engaging.

“We know from our annual Brainwave festival that these events are really popular so it’s great to be able to go on a Brainwave roadshow and take these workshops to places like Bishop Auckland for even more children to enjoy.”

The workshops were part of a series of science spectacles the Science Museum team were running in a three day

programme called Brainwave@Bishop, which is designed to bring technology to life for young people, and was organised by the County Durham Development Company (CDDC), the business arm of Durham County Council.

Brainwave@Bishop is part of the NETPark Innovation Connector (Project C) project, funded by ERDF. It’s a partnership between County Durham Development Company, Durham University and Durham County Council which aims to use NETPark as a tool to engage and interest North East and County Durham people in science and technology, hopefully inspiring the next generation of NETPark scientists and innovators.

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Process Industry - Globally Significant FOR THE REGION The combined strength of the chemistry using industries in the Northeast of England not only makes it important to our regional economy, it is absolutely vital to the well being of the UK economy as well. In fact it is the only industry sector in our region that is of such a global significance that it is recognised all around the world. It has a turnover of more than ÂŁ10 billion and exports in excess of ÂŁ6 billion this representing 60% of our regional exports. These industries also have strong centres in Humberside, Merseyside Grangemouth and in Scotland. Together these northern locations produce 80% of the UKs chemicals by volume. This important industry is the last remaining net export industrial sector in the whole UK economy and that is why it must be nurtured if we are to rebalance the UK economy towards manufacturing.

Stan Higgins CEO of NEPIC discusses some Global issues that impact on the future of these industries in our region.

Ethylene - a Key indicator of the health of the Petrochemical Industry The health of the whole petrochemical sector can be measured by the state of the economics of the global ethylene market.

NEPIC has reviewed this complex global scene.

A wide range of downstream products are derived from ethylene. The major industrial uses include processes such as polymerization into low and high density polyethylene, oxidation to ethylene oxide, glycol and also acetaldehyde via the wacker process, halogenation or hydrohalogenation into chlorinated hydrocarbons, alkylation to create materials such as ethyl benzene and stryrene, hydration to ethanol, hydroformylation (oxo reaction) of ethylene results in propionaldehyde, a precursor to propionic acid and n-propyl alcohol.

In the USA and Europe 90% of ethylene is used to produce three chemical compounds, ethylene dichloride and ethylbenzene plus a variety of kinds of polyethylene. Here in the Northeast of England at Wilton for example, most of the ethylene produced in the SABIC cracker is primarily used to make low density polyethylene (LDPE) in their adjacent, state of the art manufacturing unit. This is the biggest LDPE unit in the world, since it opened 3 years ago it has made the UK into a net exporter of the product.

In January 2012 a report into the global polyethylene market noted that the global LDPE usage is projected to increase by 4-4.5% annually through to 2017. This increase in demand occurs due to the packaging and construction industries. Furthermore the capacity additions scheduled for the developing markets, are also expected to further drive industry growth. Similarly, it has

also been reported recently that Global demand for ethylene glycol (EG) increased 12.1% in 2010, to about 19.5 million tonnes, and it is forecast to grow about 5.4% per year through to 2015, driven by increased demand for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyester fiber in China and other emerging markets.

These various reports show that in the short term the total demand on the global ethylene market is expected to demonstrate healthy sustainable growth. However there are large, globally significant, production expansions coming on stream in China and the Middle East, which will bring ethylene production volume to exceed 150 million tonnes by the end of 2012. This will force some cracking capacity to close whilst the most flexible units in feedstock terms may need to be revamped to maintain the economies of scale that will be needed to compete. This picture demonstrates that these large scale, high tech petro/base/commodity chemical process industries like those on Teesside are key to a modern manufacturing economy. Although they are making products that are decades old they are still in high demand for products of the future and the key to success is to continue to rejuvenate the production facilities, debottlenecking and expanding if possible, to keep them at a world scale in order to maintain economies of scale that enable them to be competitive in global commodity markets.

Today, the global petrochemical industry is steadily coming out of the demand side downturn that happened as a result of the recent economic recession. However it is clear that the increased manufacturing capacity that is coming on stream will result in an over-supply situation which will have an impact on the profitability of ethylene production. This will make further capacity rationalisation inevitable. Like all commodity markets the ethylene market is cyclical and it is expected that by 2013 margins will begin to rise again towards the next peak in the cycle. It has been a tough ride for petrochemical companies through this last trough but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Polymers are the future and the future is Sustainable Low Carbon, green and sustainable polymeric materials have been in development for many years. Yet the adoption of such materials can seem like a pipedream for such a long time. The relevance of such materials in the commercial world takes on greater importance when a global brand bases its future on such materials. In December 2011 Coca-Cola said that it had started to base the plastic bottles, in which its main brands Coke and other drinks are sold, on 30 percent plant-based polymeric material. The world’s most iconic brand has said the future is sustainable polymeric packaging materials.

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The Coca-Cola Company will call their new packaging “PlantBottle” and will promote this to consumers as the first-tomarket plant based PET plastic bottle in the industry. PlantBottle is already on the shelves in eco-conscious Denmark will be introduced in Canada in December 2011, San Francisco, LA and Seattle in January 2012 and is expected to be the only Coke packaging available within the surrounding area of the London Olympic Stadia during the 2012 Olympics. Coca Cola aimed to produce 2 billion PlantBottles by the end of 2011. Muhtar Kent, Coke’s Chairman and CEO called PlantBottle “the bottle of the future” and “a first step towards achieving the Company’s vision of bringing to market plastic bottles that are made with 100 percent renewable raw materials and are still fully recyclable.”

The PlantBottle packaging polymer is currently made from PET manufactured with raw material derived from ethanol manufactured from sugar cane and molasses. But the company recognizes that its goal is to use non-food, plant-based waste, such as wood chips or wheat stalks to produce recyclable PET plastic bottles.

NEPIC is working on a wide range of projects that are making the Northeast of England a leading location in the low carbon economy and the future of polymeric materials. This region not only hosts the manufacturing centres for Lucite International (Acrylics), technical & research unit of Dupont Tejin Films (Speciality PET and PEM) and the UK National Printable Electronics Development centre managed by CPI. We have also had the announcement of doubling of PET manufacturing capacity through expansion and further investment by Lotte Chemicals. The building of a syngas unit based on societal waste has been announced by Air Products. There is bioethanol and biodiesel production by Ensus and Harvest Energy and developing chemistries based on by-product glycerol. Solvert Limited have announced their intention to build facilities to produce Acetone, Butanol and Hydrogen (ABH) from sustainable raw materials. While the production of carbon black and reusable oils from automobile tyres will be underway soon by PYReco. Furthermore there are developments that could lead to sustainable production of glycol, propanediol and biomethanol. All of this activity shows an increasing trend towards the greening of the chemical and polymer industries.

NEPIC‘s Supply Chain Strength Outstrips the UK and Europe as a whole A key historical legacy of industry in the NE of England is the infrastructure and skills that enabled world leading developments in mining, ship building, railway and bridge building. These industries have declined over the last century to be replaced by chemicals, pharmaceuticals, polymers

hi-tech engineering based manufacturing and more recently biotechnology and healthcare. Such technological leadership has resulted in one of the most remarkable regional strengths that is continuing to enable the NE of England to rejuvenate, grow and remain as a globally significant hi-tech manufacturing base.

How is it that the NE of England can be home to Europe’s most productive car manufacturing unit, Nissan in Sunderland, and also be one of the first locations to build electric cars? Why has Hitachi decided to build its high speed train manufacturing unit in the region? Why do we have the largest low density polyethylene manufacturing unit in the world here? Is it a coincidence that this region is taking a lead in low carbon green energy and products? How have we become home to the UK’s National Industrial Biotechnology Facility, The National Plastic Electronics Facility and the Sustainable Processing Unit all managed by CPI? How does this region support 35% of the UKs Pharmaceutical industry and over 50% of the petrochemical industry? What is it that is attracting over 60 investment projects worth over £5 billion of new process industry investment to the region before 2020? Apart from the excellent infrastructure and skills base here, a recent study has shown that one of the main reasons is the historical legacy of engineering and scientific support businesses to be found locally. These businesses are still here and have a strength that is not matched anywhere else in the UK, Europe or in any other part of the World.

A recent study of architectural, engineering activities and related technical consultancy such as technical testing and analysis businesses in the Northeast of England has shown that such businesses have over 2800 workplaces and employ 13,400 employees all based here. These numbers are the highest for any English region revealing “a considerable regional strength” that is “nationally and possibly globally strong and competitive”.

In architectural, engineering, technical consultancies, technical testing and analysis “the choice in Northeast England is greater than the rest of Great Britain.” There is considerable capacity and choice in these businesses and it is clear that the services from these industries are exported nationally and globally says the report.

This strength is shown by the membership of NEPIC which has a wide range of support industries as supply chain members. Their details can be found on the NEPIC Website www.nepic.co.uk.

If you want your company to participate in this exciting sector and be part of its future then call Paul Butler on 01915 164 400 or email paul.butler@nepic.co.uk. www.nepic.co.uk

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AD diverts waste from land filling

Small-scale Anaerobic Digestion takes a big step forward A project has been launched in the North East to help develop small-scale anaerobic digestion plants.

CPI, based at the Wilton Centre, near Redcar, is already home to existing anaerobic digestion development facilities.

Anaerobic Digeston (AD) has been highlighted by the Government as a way of reducing carbon emission while also providing energy and generating jobs.

The small scale AD system will be designed to generate income and power for farms and food manufacturers. The project’s aim is to reduce capital costs of a small AD plant, while delivering a process capable of accepting biomass feed streams, saving significant land fill tariffs and generating revenue from the sale of power.

It has exploited by large UK organisations so far but the new project is aimed at bringing AD technologies to rural and smaller scale businesses.

The Small Scale Anaerobic Digestion Technology (SSADTECH) platform provides process technology for developing commercial products for the treatment of organic waste to produce energy, either as biogas, heat or electricity, or digestate, a fertiliser.

A five-strong consortium led by the Teesside-based Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and including CNG Services Ltd, Lyvennet Renewable Energy, Wardell Armstrong LLP and Field Science Limited has received grant funding from the government-backed Technology Strategy Board, bringing the budget for the two-year project to £880,000.

The SSAD-TECH project will look at how various feedstocks behave in AD reactors and bring through new technologies.

CPI Director of Sustainable Processing and Advanced Manufacturing, Dr Chris Dowle, said: “CPI is delighted to be leading in this project, which represents an excellent opportunity to drive the evolution of this key technology.

Anaerobic digestion will play an important role in achieving a low carbon future, and the SSADTECH project makes the technology an achievable goal for smaller scale or rural businesses.”

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INSTITUTE OF PROCESS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Established in 2008, the Institute of Process Research and Development (iPRD) at the University of Leeds offers a unique set of facilities and expertise for product and process development.

Our team has over fifty year’s combined experience of working in the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries and are able to offer companies focused contract-based services for problem solving, process understanding, development of new process technologies, small-scale manufacture, high level training and consultancy.

We have internationally-leading expertise in: n Route design, synthesis and catalysis n Physical organic chemistry and process design

n n n n

Process engineering, scale-up and improvement Batch and flow process operation Crystallisation and crystallisation modeling Formulation design and development

Our research is supported by grants from the Technology Strategy Board and UK research councils and is driven entirely by challenges in chemical manufacturing, including: n n n n n

Process, Environmental and Worker Safety Process Efficiency (throughput, energy, waste) Product Cost Sustainability (raw materials and feedstocks) Consistent Product Quality

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iPRD has delivered projects to many satisfied customers and have enabled our industrial partners to successfully: n n n n

Resolve immediate issues relating to product manufacture Test their own ideas at minimal risk and resource burden Undertake proof of concept/pilot projects Take the first steps towards new product commercialisation

to your challenges in product and process development, now and in the future.

Prof. John Blacker (iPRD Director) E: j.blacker@leeds.ac.uk T: ऀ+44 (0)113 343 6451 www.iprd.leeds.ac.uk

iPRD is positioned to work with both large companies and SMEs and our Regional and European funding allows us to offer some services free of charge to SMEs in Yorkshire and The Humber.

Please contact us for further information or to discuss how iPRD may be able to support your company in providing solutions

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GAS2 SECURES £5.5M FOR GAS-TO-LIQUIDS TECHNOLOGY Gas2 has secured £5.5 million to further the development of the next generation of gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology, including the construction of a pilot reactor plant.

The company’s proprietary technology enables the conversion of natural gas to liquid hydrocarbon more economically and cleanly than has previously been possible with conventional large scale technologies.

Mike Fleming, co founder and managing director of Gas2, said: “We are entering a new and exciting phase with the build of the pilot plant which will validate on a larger scale the commercial viability of the Gas2 process. We have a unique technology and process, and the commercial prize is great for a successful outcome.”

It can be used for

A Scottish company with an operation at The Wilton Centre on Teesside, Gas2 has developed a catalytic ceramic based porous membrane that is used in its gas reforming reactors and fluid forming reactors to create liquid hydrocarbons.

n stranded gas: transforming the economic viability of smaller,

The approach is expected to result in considerably lower operational expenditure as well as a smaller environmental footprint compared to conventional GTL technologies.

Simmons & Company International Ltd were corporate finance advisors to the fundraising, including money from existing shareholders such as Lime Rock Partners LLP, Robert Gordon University and a group of private investors with interests in the oil, gas and hydrocarbons processing industries.

The investment will leverage further funding that will enable the construction of a pilot reactor plant to further test and demonstrate the technology on a 0.4 acre site at the Wilton Centre and further laboratory work and computerised modelling in Aberdeen.

The company has increased its employee numbers to 16 people in Aberdeen. A further four jobs will be created in Wilton as the plant is commissioned. Existing Gas2 staff will work between the pilot plant and the operations in Aberdeen.

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more remote gas reserves as well as shale and unconventional reservoirs;

n offshore ‘associated’ gas: offering a ‘gas disposal’ solution

for unwanted associated gas thereby preventing flaring and enabling the development of remote oilfields where flaring is prohibited and/or gas re-injection wells are expensive or detrimental to reservoir performance;

n gas conversion to alternative end products including

gasoline, diesel, waxes, ammonia, methanol, hydrogen and ethylene for industrial use.

Saad Bagach, managing director of Lime Rock. said: “Gas2 has a new technology that has the potential to fundamentally disrupt the gas-to-liquids market. The global demand for new solutions is vast and the ability of Gas2 to secure this level of funding in today’s economic climate is a powerful indicator of confidence in the company and the potential of its technology.”

The pilot plant will be constructed this year with testing under way by the end of the year. The commercialisation phase will commence in 2013.

18/5/12 10:32:45

NETPark Ambassador programme launched

by NASA Astronaut The North East Technology Park (NETPark) ambassador programme got off to a ‘flying’ start when it was officially launched by Colonel Ron Garan, the NASA Astronaut who recently visited County Durham.

The NETPark Ambassador scheme has been launched by County Durham Development Company (CDDC). It creates a common “science and technology citizenship” for exceptional individuals who have actively helped to promote the NETPark ethos of innovation.

The first twelve NETPark Ambassadors are: n Professor John Anstee DL, former Scientific Director of

NETPark, Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences at Durham University

n Dr Alex Brabbs, Regional Officer, Yorkshire & North East, The

Institute of Physics

n David Coppock, Regional Trade Director, UK Trade &

Investment

n Danny Eason, Headmaster Fishburn Primary School n John Hamilton DL OBE, Founder Director, Lamplas

n Dr Matthew O’Keefe, Business Development Director, U2T

Photonics

n Professor Roy Sandbach, Research Fellow, P&G. n Andrew Turner, Innovator, Quality Hospital Solutions n Professor Sir Arnold Wolfendale FRS, former Astronomer

Royal, Emeritus Professor of Physics at Durham University

Catherine Johns, Director for Innovation Development at CDDC said “NETPark actively encourages a collaborative culture, bringing together scientific research & development and business and innovation support.

It creates an effective environment for would-be inward investors, existing companies and people looking to start their own companies at NETPark. This goal is only achievable through close partnership working. The NETPark Ambassador scheme is designed to formalise these relationships and to support NETPark”.

For more information on the NETPark Ambassador scheme, please visit www.northeasttechnologypark.com or e-mail enquiries@northeasttechnologypark.com or contact John Hildreth on 0191 370 8680.

n Richard Kirk, CEO, Polyphotonix n Dr Saralyn Mark, Senior Medical Advisor to Nasa n Phil Murray, Customer Service Director, Harlands THE SCIENCE ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

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