THE JOURNAL FOR SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY IN
wales
ISSUE 62 ■ WINTER 2009
advances
New genetic links to
Alzheimer’s 16
Pyrolysis produces energy
from waste 18
Maximising daylight with a new
surface treatment for glass 24
Minds that matter
How innovating through
technology gives businesses in
Wales the competitive edge
contents and editorial
advances
wales
special feature
Innovating through technology: you’re
not alone
10
communications
No excuse for missed lectures
14
information technology
Digital archive browsing made easy
15
biotechnology
Major breakthrough in understanding
Alzheimer’s
16
energy
Pyrolysis technology reduces waste and
fossil fuel use
18
engineering
Certain measurement in any environment
Reinventing the wheelchair
20
22
materials
Here comes the sun – without glare
Good things come in bio packages
A brighter future for solar power
COVER IMAGE Using technology to bring new ideas to
commercialisation (see p.10).
24
26
27
THE JOURNAL FOR SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY IN WALES
Would you describe yourself as an explorer? Have you been the first to climb a
mountain by a new route? Or cycle across the Andes? Or perhaps cross the Atlantic
in a rowing boat?
Read this issue and you may discover that actually you are. Wales is home to
many business and academic explorers: we just call them innovators. Innovation is
a voyage of discovery.
All organisations can innovate, whether public or private, large or small.
Innovating is a strategic choice. In this issue we feature (p. 10) the integrated
support system available to Welsh businesses wishing to innovate through
technology.
Innovation is not necessarily the same as invention. Innovation is about ideas.
It is not just doing things a little differently. Innovation drives radical change.
However, you don’t have to come up with a new product to be innovative.
Your innovation could be a new process that reduces production cost, causes
less damage to the environment, uses less toxic materials, creates less waste or
consumes less energy. All these are examples of innovative ways to do business.
Read the features on Cardiff University’s breakthrough in understanding
Alzheimer’s disease (p. 16), Solve Metrology’s use of cutting-edge technology
(p. 20) or Nomad’s new approach to wheelchairs (p. 22) – these are stories
of success brought about by innovative thinking. The benefits that accrue
from innovation are diverse and typically include quality and productivity
improvements. Similarly, creating new products or entering new markets are often
characterised by innovative thinking.
Innovation will succeed with good teamwork. It will succeed if you set proper
objectives and measure results. But most of all it will succeed if you listen. Listen
to your customers, suppliers, colleagues and employees. Innovative ideas can come
from anywhere.
In Wales we believe that we are good at listening. We have a track record of
listening. Witness the cross-fertilisation of ideas, products and services from
academic institutions and business organisations described in any issue of this
magazine. Witness the investment from the private sector mentioned in the news
items in the following pages. Witness those who explore the uncharted territory
of science or engineering from Welsh academic institutions. Wales may be a small
country, but it is full of explorers.
Catriona Vernal
Editor, Advances Wales
PHOTOGRAPHY Sourced from organisations featured, their
representatives and iStockphoto.
Advances Wales is a high-quality, quarterly ‘transfer of technology’ journal produced by the Welsh Assembly Government to showcase new developments in science, engineering and technology from
Wales. Devoted to concise reports and commentary, it provides a broad overview of the current technology research and development scene in the Principality. Advances Wales raises the profile of the
technologies and expertise available from Wales in order to facilitate collaborative relationships between organisations and individuals interested in new technologies and innovation.
To receive free copies of Advances Wales or to change your mailing details please contact Advances Wales, Welsh Assembly Government, Plas Glyndŵr, Kingsway, Cardiff CF10 3AH,
Wales, UK (tel +44 (0)29 2082 8735, fax +44 (0)29 2036 8229, email alyson.smith@wales.gsi.gov.uk).
Editorial board Dr David Bembo, Luc Brown, Julie Cunnington-Hill, Dr Alastair Davies, Peter Francombe, Dr Peter Hodges, Marcia Jones, Jon Merrey, Alyson Smith, Nick Ward and Dr Gwion Williams.
Commissioning Editor Alyson Smith.
For information on how to contribute features contact the editor, Catriona Vernal (tel +44 (0)1738 450494, fax +44 (0)870 164 0124, email catriona.vernal@prepress-projects.co.uk).
Advances Wales is published on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government by Prepress Projects Ltd, Algo Business Centre, Glenearn Road, Perth PH2 0NJ Editor Catriona Vernal
Lead Designer David MacDonald Publisher Helen MacDonald. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Welsh Assembly Government or its employees. The Welsh Assembly
Government is not responsible for third-party sources cited such as web sites or reports. ISSN 0968-7920. Printed in Wales by Zenith Media Ltd, Cardiff. Crown Copyright.
advances wales
2
news Gas turbine research investment at Swansea
Swansea University is to be involved in a £50m research initiative
with Rolls-Royce
research into the development of
is being driven through a
strategic partnership between Swansea
University and Rolls-Royce.
The £50m project, focusing on
structural metallic systems for advanced
gas turbine applications, will underpin
the research in structural materials
carried out at the Rolls-Royce University
Technology Centre (UTC) at Swansea
University.
It will harness key academic expertise
via a three-way collaboration between
Swansea, Cambridge and Birmingham
universities, and is also receiving funding
from the Engineering and Physical
Science Research Council (EPSRC).
Over the next 10 years, the UTC at
Swansea will undertake fundamental
materials research necessary to improve
gas turbines
the efficiency and environmental
sustainability of gas turbine engines and
help train the next generation of materials
scientists and metallurgical engineers in
structural metallic systems.
This strategic partnership builds on the
long-established collaboration in the
field of advanced structural materials
and will enable Swansea University to
expand its applied research strengths
in engineering materials, which in
turn will help support many small and
medium-sized companies across
South West Wales.
Professor Richard Davies
Vice Chancellor, Swansea University
www.swansea.ac.uk
Wales’ first low-carbon town
is set
to become the first low-carbon town in
Wales and one of the first in the UK.
The latest renewable energy
technologies and energy efficiency
measures – such as low-energy sreet
lighting and energy performance checks
– will be championed in Aberdare as part
of a wider initiative to establish the region
as one of the largest low-carbon zones in
the UK.
Environment Minister, Jane Davidson,
said: ‘By becoming Wales’s first lowcarbon town, Aberdare will now be at the
forefront of bringing about a new way of
living within our resources, whilst also
ensuring communities and businesses
can succeed and grow.’
This innovative move is being driven
forward by the Heads of the Valleys
strategic regeneration programme and
designed to create economic benefits
– including the development of a new
a town in the south wales valleys
industry base with new job opportunities
– as well as social and environmental
benefits.
Ambitious targets have been set for
the 15-year Low Carbon Zone project,
which initially include assessing 65,000
homes for energy efficiency measures
and developing the largest concentration
of renewable energy businesses in
Europe.
The Heads of the Valleys programme
has already invested substantially in
a number of pilot projects throughout
the region and funding is now being
concentrated on Aberdare.
In the first year of the Aberdare project
500 of the 1500 social housing properties
in the town will be targeted, with around
300 renewable energy systems installed.
These will include solar thermal hot water
heating systems and solar photovoltaic
panels for electricity.
The recently announced British Gas
Green Skills Centre in Tredegar – the only
one of its kind in the UK – will support
training contractors to gain the necessary
skills.
The long-term aim is to create a
new industry base in the region
linked to job creation, skills, training
and the development of indigenous
businesses. Investment in renewable
energy provides real opportunities
for Welsh businesses in the design,
manufacture, distribution, installation
and maintenance of renewable
technologies and energy-efficient
measures and employment.
Leighton Andrews
Deputy Minister for Regeneration
issue 62 ■ winter 2009
3
news
Cardiff healthcare firm in global drug discovery alliance
GE Healthcare funds significant stem cell research programme
ge healthcare and us biotechnology
have
announced an exclusive global
agreement to commercialise stem cell
drug discovery technologies.
GE Healthcare, based in Cardiff,
South Wales, will work with Geron to
develop and commercialise cellular
assay products derived from human
embryonic stem cells (hESC) for use in
drug discovery, development and toxicity
screening.
The combination of GE Healthcare’s
Cell Factory (featured in issue 57)
capability for cell reproduction and
manufacturing with Geron’s hESC
technology will make it possible to
generate a large-scale supply of hESCderived cells which retain normal cellular
functions and could address bottlenecks
in new drug research and accelerate the
drug development process.
Cells derived from hESC have
similar attributes to their counterparts
in the body, and can therefore be
used to predict many pharmacological
characteristics of a drug candidate.
This alliance aims to develop cellular
assay products derived from hESC that
could be used in early in vitro screening
of drug candidates to allow earlier
detection of toxicity problems and reduce
firm geron corporation
overall drug development costs and
potentially harmful exposure in clinical
trials.
GE Healthcare will fund the R&D
programme and will be responsible for
manufacturing, sales and distribution
of products developed under the
agreement.
Under the terms of the agreement,
intellectual property rights arising
from the alliance programme research
will be shared, with GE Healthcare
receiving rights for the development
of drug discovery technologies and
Geron receiving rights for cell therapy
applications.
Combining GE Healthcare’s reach
into the drug discovery and research
markets, as well as our expertise
in cell manufacturing, with Geron’s
expertise and intellectual property in
hESC means that together we will be
able to accelerate the development
of hESC-derived products for drug
discovery and development.
Konstantin Fiedler
General Manager, Cell Technologies
GE Healthcare
www.gehealthcare.com
Biowales 2010 to focus on stem cell research
will be held at the Vale
Hotel, Golf and Spa Resort near Cardiff
on 17 and 18 March.
Now in its eighth year, BioWales has
grown from a standalone conference to
an international event comprising a major
exhibition and an expanded biopartnering
section.
The key theme will be stem cells
industrialisation for drug development
and therapy, with a line-up of eminent
speakers including Nobel Prize for
Medicine winner Professor Sir Martin
Evans, Professor of Mammalian Genetics
at Cardiff University; Stephen Minger,
Head of Research and Development
for Cell Technologies at GE Healthcare;
biowales 2010
advances wales
4
and Anthony Davies, Vice President of
Product Development at Geron.
Nobel Laureate Sir Martin Evans was
the first to discover the existence of
embryonic stem cells in mice, and so he
is often considered the ‘chief architect’ of
stem cell research.
Other themes that will feature will
include translational research, point-ofcare diagnostics and cancer genetics.
New for 2010 is a series of workshops
built into the programme, to which
delegates are invited to sign up.
Futurewatch, a regular annual feature
that highlights the ‘next big thing’ in life
sciences, will also be a feature of the
event.
Dr Sharon Thomas, event project
manager, said: ‘We’ve assembled a
high-quality programme of speakers from
some major companies and academic
institutions, covering some very hot
topics at the moment. BioWales 2010
will also feature a vibrant trade fair
and purposeful brokerage event. The
BioPartnering event at BioWales has a
proven track record in bringing people
together in technical match-ups to
do business. It creates a real buzz of
networking and deal making, resulting in
direct business, and that has to be good
news for this sector in Wales.’
www.biowalesevent.com
news Safety at sea
a safety device created in north wales
for cruise passengers at sea has helped
‘save’ hundreds of lives in a major sea
exercise in Alaska.
Seatag tracking technology
dramatically reduced the time taken to
record the whereabouts of survivors
at the mock rescue run by the US
Coastguard.
It works by issuing an ID bar code to
each passenger at the regular muster at
the beginning of a cruise.
Trevor Davies, a safety-at-sea
consultant based in Menai Bridge, has
spent three years developing the product
with Kodit, a hi-tech auditing software
company based in St Asaph.
Meanwhile, a device which can be
used either to rescue a man overboard or
as an easy and safe method for mooring
boats has been launched by a Welsh
inventor.
It has already won a gold medal at this
year’s British Invention Show.
With assistance from the Wales
Innovators Network, sailing enthusiast
Rob Stone developed Cadarn Talon,
a rescue and mooring device that can
be used in hand or in conjunction with
a boat hook for greater reach. The
mechanically closing snap hook can be
used in an emergency to attach a rope
or line to a person in the sea by clipping
onto a strap, harness, ring or belt.
Thanks to these two innovative
approaches, those travelling by sea are
safer than ever before.
www.ctagsafety.com
www.cadarn-solutions.co.uk
A new initiative is offering technology-based
businesses the chance to test the market before
committing to a location decision in Wales.
Companies with high growth potential
looking to expand into the UK are being offered
free accommodation in a choice of 15 Welsh
innovation centres in the Access Wales pilot
project. The package will also include both
general and specialist business support.
Boost for marine
science in Wales
a new web portal for marine science
businesses is to be launched by the
Bridge Marine Science Group (BMSG).
The global portal for cluster associates
to trade their reports and intellectual
property will help members significantly
increase their turnover. It is hoped that it
will allow marine specialists to sell their
expertise to an international market,
furthering the growth of marine science
in Wales.
It will provide potential purchasers
with a summary of the report information
and even a video highlighting the benefits
of the reports before taking them to a
check-out where they can purchase
online.
Paul Freeman, managing director of
BMSG, said: ‘Our research shows that
there is a vibrant market demand for wellwritten marine science reports across the
globe, not just in the oil and gas sector.
‘The BMSG site is visited by
600,000 people a month in addition
to the 250,000 subscribers to our
monthly newsletters. Where there is
an international community visiting
the site and solid content, such as the
reports that will be on offer, commerce is
inevitable.’
BMSG, based in Anglesey, North
Wales, is an independent, not-for-profit
maritime cluster providing global marine
science expertise and offering a range of
support initiatives and network meetings.
www.bridgemarinescience.co.uk
Access Wales is a service offered by
International Business Wales (IBW), which is
part of the Welsh Assembly Government. IBW
is committed to helping companies locate to
Wales and supports new and existing Walesbased companies to sustain and grow through
international trade opportunities.
www.ibwales.com/accesswales
issue 62 ■ winter 2009
5
news
Enfis technology
races ahead
formed part
of the spectacular Formula One course at
the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this
year.
The South Wales-based company,
which manufactures LEDs, provided the
lighting for the 500-room, 85,000-m2 Yas
Hotel – the only hotel in the world with a
race track running through it.
The visual impact of the hotel is
achieved with the help of more than 5300
pivoting diamond-shaped glass panels
lighting produced by enfis
It is a truly iconic structure that will be
admired and enjoyed for generations
to come. It really captures the whole
essence of how to use solid-state
LED lighting for achieving architectural
excellence.
Shaun Oxenham
Chief Executive, Enfis Ltd
which are illuminated via a sophisticated
LED lighting system, providing unlimited
shades and colours.
Enfis specialises in super-bright solidstate LED lighting arrays that allow for
optimum light output and extraordinary
heat management.
The desert climate of Abu Dhabi can
reach 60°C in summer, creating problems
for light sources. Enfis systems were
chosen for the hotel complex because
they were the only ones to pass the
rigorous environmental chamber trials.
A total of 208,800 LEDs were used on
the project, making it one of the largest
LED projects in the world.
www.enfis.com
International award for aerospace project delivery
has won
an international award for best project
delivery.
The work of the Lean Enterprise
Research Centre (LERC), part of Cardiff
Business School, on its ‘Lean Flow’
project with Metal Bond has recently
won the Bombardier Project of the Year
award.
The project involved implementing
a flow system in a complex upstream
manufacturing process in the aerospace
sector. The benefits included a
30% reduction in lead time and a
40% reduction in work in progress,
contributing to making the company
more responsive and flexible, improving
its competitive edge.
Metal Bond was experiencing
difficulties in providing a consistent
supply of parts of the required quality to
its key customers. As a result, inventory
levels were high, on-line delivery to
customers was sporadic and the unit
a collaboration in south wales
advances wales
6
cost of components was exceeding
target.
The Flow project involved around 100
employees and was led by a crossfunctional team. It sought to focus on
a ‘constraint’, or the most challenging
aspect of a production process, and
restructure the management systems
specifically around it. The laserscribe
machine was identified as the constraint
in the process and has been reorganised
to improve flow and throughput.
Davy Mason, Operations Manager of
Metal Bond, is delighted with the results:
‘The first phase of the Flow project
has reduced work in progress by 40%,
decreased significantly the quantity of
raw material in storage and shortened
the manufacturing cycle time from 37 to
25 days. Also, if required, the unit can
now process fast-track components in
10 days.’
www.leanenterprise.org.uk
news Troops to be equipped
with state-of-theart night vision
qioptiq ltd, based in St Asaph, North
Wales, has won a significant contract to
supply equipment for British soldiers.
The defence equipment developer will
supply thermal sights under the Ministry
of Defence’s FIST (Future Integrated
Soldier Technology) programme.
Qioptiq’s night vision equipment
was selected following extensive field
trials and an independent assessment
process.
David Marks, managing director of
Qioptiq Ltd, said: ‘Qioptiq is once again
extremely proud to be involved with the
delivery of an enhanced capability to our
UK forces.’
Benoit Bazire, chief executive officer,
added: ‘This significant contract is
evidence that Qioptiq is a truly global
player in the development of night vision
products for land forces.’
www.qioptiq.com
Inauguration of
university president
professor sir martin evans has recently
been inaugurated as the 22nd president
of Cardiff University.
The special ceremony also recognised
the outstanding contribution of his
predecessor, Lord Neil Kinnock.
The president is the most senior of the
university’s honorary officers.
Professor Sir Martin Evans won the
Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2007, the
most prestigious honour in world science,
for his work in identifying embryonic
stem cells – a breakthrough which is
transforming medical medicine.
He said: ‘I am delighted and deeply
honoured to accept my new role as
president of Cardiff University.’
www.cardiff.ac.uk
Plant scientists’ work is recognised with special award
aberystwyth
in
Mid Wales has
been awarded
the Queen’s
Anniversary Prize
for Higher and
Further Education
in recognition of the
work of scientists
at the Institute
of Biological,
Environmental and
Rural Sciences
(IBERS).
Scientists at
the IBERS have
successfully
combined
fundamental
research on plant
genetics with
plant breeding
techniques to
develop commercially viable plant
varieties that go some way towards
meeting the challenges of food
supply, water and energy security, and
environmental sustainability which are
facing communities across the world.
Plant varieties include high-sugar and
more digestible forage grasses, more
persistent and consistent white clovers,
high-quality oats, improved turfgrasses
and disease-resistant pearl millet which
has been developed in collaboration with
breeders in India.
Professor Wayne Powell, director
of IBERS, said: ‘I am delighted to
receive this most prestigious award
on behalf of all the talented and hardworking scientists and staff at IBERS.
It recognises the commitment and
dedication of high-calibre visionaries
working in plant breeding at Aberystwyth
over the last 20 years, who in turn have
built on work that extends over the 90
years since the Welsh Plant Breeding
Station was established by the University
in 1919.’
The award also recognises the way
in which postgraduate teaching and
research in plant breeding and the
biological sciences at IBERS, which
university
combines practical skills and advanced
genetic techniques, is helping to produce
the next generation of plant breeders.
Professor Noel Lloyd, Vice Chancellor
of Aberystwyth University, added: ‘The
university is committed to addressing the
important issues in land-based science,
and to do so it is necessary to assemble
a wide range of expertise. There is a
seamless connection between scientific
research and innovation, and the transfer
of scientific and technological know-how
to support land-based industry and
the development of public policy is an
important objective.
‘IBERS is privileged to be building
on this platform of knowledge, skill and
achievement to embrace both discovery
and solution driven research to solve the
most pressing needs of our planet.’
The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes
for Higher and Further Education are
awarded every two years to institutions of
higher and further education across the
UK for work of outstanding excellence.
They celebrate world-class achievement
and capture the remarkable diversity
and quality of the work going on in
our universities and colleges of further
education.
www.aber.ac.uk/en/ibers
issue 62 ■ winter 2009
7
news
Pharma thriving in Wales
two pharmaceutical companies have
made significant expansions in Wales.
Penn Pharmaceuticals, based in South
Wales, has completed the first phase of
its £12 million expansion programme by
investing £315,000 in upgrading its site
and improving transport access. The
expansion plans will be rolled out over
the next five years.
Penn Chief Executive Officer, Peter
George, said: ‘By heavily investing in
our Tredegar site it strengthens our
commitment to the local community
and as a leading Welsh company we will
endeavour to pay back the Assembly
Government’s faith in us by driving
sustainable growth and employment.’
Meanwhile, Quay Pharmaceuticals
is to create 54 new jobs in North Wales
in a £2.7 million investment in a new
headquarters and manufacturing facility.
Operations at the site will
include early-stage R&D and clinical
trials manufacturing for the global
pharmaceutical and biotechnology
industries.
It is expanding and moving operations
to a new facility on Deeside Industrial
Park that is four times the size of its
current premises, in a move that will also
safeguard 30 relocated jobs.
Ieuan Wyn Jones, Deputy First
Minister and Minister for the Economy
and Transport, remarked: ‘Quay Pharma
is a welcome addition to the vibrant
healthcare and bioscience sector we
have in Wales.’
He added that many of the new
jobs created will be graduate and
postgraduate posts in R&D.
www.pennpharm.co.uk
www.quaypharma.com
Pingar searches for postgraduate
has signed
an R&D deal with the University of Wales
and New Zealand’s University of Waikato.
The Prince of Wales Innovation
scholarships, managed by the University
of Wales, is providing funding for a
University of Waikato postgraduate to
work as a placement PhD student on
a research project for Pingar in Wales
software company pingar
advances wales
8
for up to three years. The student will
be given the opportunity to research
advanced algorithms for Pingar’s search
engine, which works differently from
traditional search engines. Rather than
using key words and presenting a list
of links, Pingar’s solution goes inside
data documents, finds the content the
user is seeking and then places it into
a dynamically generated PDF. Peter
Wren-Hilton, managing director of Pingar,
said: ‘Pingar’s ongoing commitment to
further enhance the functionality of our
search engine algorithm means that we
will actively pursue collaborative R&D
ventures like this one with the University
of Wales.’
www.pingar.com
news At a glance…
Blizzard Protection Systems has expanded its business,
workforce and premises by 75% over the last nine months.
The company, based in Bethesda, North Wales, makes
hi-tech survival blankets, sleeping bags and clothing for the
outdoor sector, the military and emergency services and for
medical use. It now employs around 50 people, up from 12
a year ago. Around 5000 blankets, bags and some specialist
items of clothing used in mountain rescues are now being
sold each week, and are used as far apart as Snowdonia and
Afghanistan. The company is also looking to explore potential
new global markets, such as blankets for disaster relief and
the use of material to insulate field hospitals.
An ambitious scheme to create more than 1000 jobs with the
help of Wales’s network of Techniums® has been unveiled.
The £17 million programme to strengthen the performance
of the innovation centres was announced by Deputy First
Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones. The All Wales R&D Network is
designed to increase the growth of high-tech businesses
through increased collaboration between Technium® tenant
firms and academics to bring new products, services and
technologies to market. It aims to create 1200 new jobs in
150 collaborative projects.
Semiconductor wafer maker IQE has acquired a Bath
University spin-out company. The Cardiff-based company
is taking over NanoGaN in a deal worth an initial £400,000
with performance-related add-ons pushing the price up to
£3.6 million. NanoGaN has established a range of processes
and intellectual property relating to gallium nitride (GaN)
materials and devices. Dr Drew Nelson, IQE chief executive
officer, said: ‘The acquisition of NanoGaN represents a major
milestone in our technology roadmap, and reinforces our
strategy of being a powerful IP-based technology leader
in the supply of advanced semiconductor materials to a
multitude of high-growth markets.’
Engineering firm Celtic Process Control has seen turnover
rise by £3 million (25%) in the last year and has expanded its
workforce by 25. Based in Newport, South Wales, the firm
manufactures control panels and automated systems that
provide engineering process control solutions for the water,
petrochemical and paper industries.
South Wales-based Asset International has had record sales
in October. The manufacturing firm is part of the UK-based
infrastructure, building and construction products group.
It says the reason for the strength in sales is the increase
in demand for its patented high-density polyethylene pipe
system, known as Weholite.
Fordberry, based in South Wales, has been announced as
the fastest growing business in Wales this year. It supplies
giant, off-road tyres – used especially by the international
mining industry – and saw its turnover rise from £740,000
in 2005 to more than £13 million in 2007 – an increase of
1666.4%.
Aberthaw Power Station could host the UK’s biggest carbon
dioxide capture pilot project connected to a working power
station. RWE, the power station’s owner, has applied for
planning permission to construct a plant capable of testing
the capture process on emissions direct from the power
station. At 3 MW in size, the plant will be at least eight times
the size of existing post-combustion projects in the UK
and will operate for twice as long. It would be capable of
capturing up to 50 tonnes of carbon dioxide per day.
Cardiff University has received the Athena Swan Bronze
Award in recognition of its success in recruiting, retaining
and promoting women in science, engineering and
technology. Jane Hutt, Assembly Minister for Children,
Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, said: ‘It is particularly
encouraging to see successes like this in a field which was
once male dominated. This sort of gender bias may have
deterred some women from entering science, technology,
engineering and maths in the past. In Wales, we are
committed to promoting and developing STEM subjects to
all, including groups which are under-represented. Cardiff
University’s support towards this important goal has been
duly recognised and I commend the university for its
excellent work.’
Award for innovation in tumour syndrome therapy
innovative research on therapy for
tuberous sclerosis has won Cardiff
University’s Dr Mark Davies, of the
Institute of Medical Genetics, the Welsh
Livery Guild’s Merit Award for 2009.
The Guild promotes education,
science and fine arts in Wales and its
awards are for excellence and innovation
by individuals in these fields.
Professor Julian Sampson, Head of
Department at the Institute of Medical
Genetics, said: ‘The recognition of
Mark’s work is very well deserved.
Understanding the genetic basis of
inherited disease is increasingly providing
opportunities to develop novel treatments
and our team has taken up this exciting
challenge.’
Tuberous sclerosis is an inherited
disorder which leads to the development
of tumours in many organs including the
kidneys.
www.cardiff.ac.uk
issue 62 ■ winter 2009
9
special feature: innovation
Innovating through
technology:
you’re not alone
With heavy investment in technology and R&D,
accompanied by a fresh approach to supporting
businesses, it’s a great time to be innovating in Wales
Why innovate?
One thing is certain in life: the world won’t stay the same. It
constantly evolves and moves in different directions, and for
a business to succeed it must stay ahead of change. A business
must innovate to protect its future.
Put simply, innovation is new thinking. It is about spotting
opportunities and applying new ideas to all areas of a business
to gain the competitive edge it needs for success. Innovative
technology, in particular, is more than just good technology: it
has the advantage of having unforeseen applications.
Support at all stages
In Wales an environment has been established that is ideal for
technology innovation. A new ‘Business Innovation’ package of
support – a truly holistic programme of innovation support for
businesses – is now accessible.
Support is routed through a team of Innovation Managers,
Design Managers and Manufacturing Managers, who, at all
stages of the innovation process, provide impartial advice and
access to funding. This funding, supplied as innovation vouchers, aims to help businesses procure third-party expertise from
private sector experts or universities. It is anticipated that over
£1 million worth of innovation vouchers will be handed to
businesses in Wales each year, as well as additional longer-term
R&D funding.
Technology support in Wales, accessed through the Business
Innovation team, encompasses partner organisations, including
universities and colleges, to help businesses – small and large
– maximise their development opportunities. For established
manufacturing businesses, for example, business innovation
can help create the next generation of products, introduce new
processes and help the firm hold onto its competitive edge. The
support is also there for individual inventors through the Wales
Innovators Network – at the moment, Wales has over 6000 lone
inventors developing their new ideas.
Making connections, collaborating, and sharing knowledge
and expertise are vital for a company to stay ahead of the game.
advances wales
10
Various networking
organisations unite
specific technology
sectors – such as
MediWales, which
brings together,
promotes and
supports the Welsh
bioscience industry.
Universities and
colleges are also
being supported to
work with businesses. Companies are encouraged to approach
universities if they have a problem to be solved or a new idea
to exploit. By applying a university’s R&D to industry, the
benefit of academic institutions to the economy is maximised
through Knowledge Transfer Centres, which cover the five main
R&D priorities for Wales: ICT, low-carbon economy, health
and biosciences, advanced engineering and manufacturing, and
cross-cutting/enabling technologies.
For example, the Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC)
at Cardiff University promotes the introduction of new manufacturing technology and practice to industry, collaborating with
industrial partners to develop competitive instruments, machines
and products. Since 1996, the MEC has completed over 4000
projects with local companies.
Wales is also trialling a new shorter graduate placement programme for businesses (short Knowledge Transfer Partnership)
with great success.
The Welsh Assembly Government also assists companies in
searching for and identifying opportunities in commercialisation, business collaboration and R&D partnerships, providing
access to European and global opportunities.
Support and business advice for start-ups is provided in the
form of the Technium® network – 10 incubation centres across
Wales that provide not just office accommodation but also
an environment where science and technology businesses can
special feature: innovation
flourish. Technium’s® extensive connections, for
example with leading national and international
companies and academics, allows for many
opportunities. Technium® centres also act as a base
for international companies looking for a foothold
in the UK market.
Innovation Managers
At all stages of development, businesses can call
on advice from a team of technology business
advisors, all with industrial experience. Covering
all of Wales, the 11 Innovation Managers are
specialists in innovation who provide support and
advice, highlight opportunities for collaboration,
and keep companies up to date with technological
innovations.
Innovation Managers come to businesses to tie
together the support available and advise on the
best direction to follow. On visiting the business,
the Innovation Manager will perform a technology review to identify opportunities for business
improvement and growth through innovation
and technology support and provide access to the
appropriate funding. This involves using sound
technical expertise to analyse the issue and come
up with creative and viable solutions.
Case study: Firefly Medical
Firefly Medical Ltd was formed in Mountain Ash, South
Wales, in 2008. The key staff at Firefly have considerable
expertise in the design, development and approval of medical
equipment. In addition, the company acts as a distributor
of medical devices, pharmaceuticals and complementary
products into the primary and secondary care market. It has
a direct sales force, active marketing campaign throughout
the UK and a website with e-commerce and search engine
optimisation.
The company was encouraged by the initial assistance of
Innovation Manager Paul Havbro, who was able to map out
the assistance available for the company, tailoring his advice
and available funding streams in line with the business plan.
As Ian Mortimer, General Manager, explains, ‘We had
many parallel activities in the first year: setting up distribution, sourcing products, producing marketing campaigns, and
setting up accounts and e-commerce in combination with
gaining regulatory approval and designing a leading medical
product. The expert advice from Paul Havbro ensured that we
Profile
Product
Innovation through technology
Applications Advice and support to develop
businesses
Contact
Flexible Support for Business, Welsh Assembly
Government
Tel 03000 6 03000
Web www.business-support-wales.gov.uk/innovation
Each Innovation Manager is qualified in intellectual property
(IP). Ideas are a business’s most valuable asset and remain at the
core of the entire innovation process, but many businesses have
little knowledge on the subject of IP. Innovation Managers advise
on how to protect IP and exploit its value, e.g. advising how to
obtain funding towards filing a patent application and answering
queries regarding copyright, design and licensing.
Innovation Managers work alongside Manufacturing and
Design Managers, who help to maximise design within the
manufacturing process and streamline that manufacturing. With
all aspects of innovation covered, companies can feel confident
in tackling the challenge of implementing new ideas while
keeping the business running smoothly day to day.
If ever there was a time and a place to innovate, it is now and
in Wales. The support is waiting for you. n n n
understood time frames for assistance in advance and who
to contact, ensuring that we project managed our activities
efficiently.’
The company’s design department has developed
and manufactured Puraspec™, the strongest disposable,
independently tested, plastic vaginal speculum available in
the UK. As Ian says, ‘We received grant funding on tooling
design and developed rapid prototypes with help from the
Manufacturing Engineering Centre at Cardiff University. We
also received initial funding to assist in paying wages during
the R&D phase. This assistance accelerated our activities;
Puraspec™ has recently won a major tender and has been
accepted by the NHS in England.’
The support is ongoing, too. ‘As members of MediWales,
we were supported in attending Medica as part of the
International Business Wales stand. This allowed us to meet
potential international distributors and new suppliers in
a professional manner. We also had funded assistance in
identifying international distributors.’
www.fireflymedical.co.uk
issue 62 ■ winter 2009
11
special feature: innovation
Case study: Concrete Canvas
Concrete Canvas initially moved to Wales in 2007 to set
up a new production facility on the Treforest Industrial
Estate in Pontypridd, South Wales. This was a big step for
the company as it involved developing, installing and commissioning bespoke production
equipment to manufacture its two
product lines, Concrete Cloth and
Concrete Canvas Shelters (featured
in issue 58 of Advances Wales). Both
products were completely new
technologies and required a novel
manufacturing approach. As Will
Crawford, Co-Director, says, ‘The
Welsh Assembly Government was
incredibly supportive in helping us
meet this challenge, both in terms of
filling a funding gap through a grant
and also through support and advice
at all stages in the process.’
The key step for Concrete Canvas
in taking its ideas to commercialisation has been the development and
installation of efficient and costeffective production equipment that
has enabled the company to manufacture its products competitively. ‘As a start-up SME we have
extremely limited resources and we have had to steer a fine
line between growing sales and increasing our production
capacity to meet demand,’ Will explains. ‘Funding support
has made that job easier by allowing us to develop both sides
of the business in parallel. The result is that we have grown
rapidly, trebling in size since our move to Wales.’
The supportive environment in Wales has been greatly
beneficial to Concrete Canvas. Support has come in many
forms, from manufacturing consultancy through export
support to research and development funding. The company
works closely with its Innovation Manager, who has been
Innovation Manager in profile
Gwion Williams is the Innovation Manager for North West
Wales, acting as the ‘middle man’ for industry to access the
resources and support available from the Welsh Assembly
Government. He works with a wide range of companies,
but because of his location, he deals largely with start-ups
based at Technium® CAST (Centre for Advanced Software
Technology) and spin-out companies from Bangor University.
Gwion is highly qualified in electrochemistry, and his
industrial experience as a senior engineer has allowed him to
advances wales
12
instrumental in providing focused advice at many different
stages, such as critical information on intellectual property
and tapping into and applying for funding routes.
With the production line up and running and sales
growing to include exports to Europe, the Middle East and
America, the company is now looking to increase its market
share by developing new product variants – but the support
doesn’t stop there. It is currently in the process of applying
for support to develop a new Concrete Canvas Shelter variant
which will meet the specific needs of its customers.
Will believes Wales is the perfect environment for innovation and support: ‘Wales is an excellent place to set up and
grow a business. There is plenty of available factory space,
skilled labour and access to major road transport routes. The
support encourages innovation like nowhere else in the UK –
plus it’s a great place to live!’
www.concretecanvas.co.uk
gain experience in managing R&D projects, commercialising
technology and handling intellectual property issues. Now,
as an Innovation Manager, Gwion distributes his specialist
knowledge to benefit the entire technology sector in Wales.
‘My specific areas of expertise are new product development for SMEs, intellectual property, commercialisation
of electrochemical technologies, advanced charge storage
devices, commercial use of conducting polymers, technology
commercialisation, product development process and R&D,’
he says.
special feature: innovation
Case study: Gwefr Cyf
Gwefr Cyf is a software company offering expertise in
computer modelling and simulation, engineering consultancy
and contract R&D. It specialises in applying scientific and
engineering methods to create computer models of physical
systems. These models improve understanding, predict system
performance and help to visualise detailed action, leading to a
shorter design iteration cycle and reduced costs.
Computer simulation and modelling have been around
for a long time – they are staple activities for scientists and
engineers of all disciplines. The trend in many large and
hi-tech companies is to develop new products by means of
simulation-based design, but recognition of the benefits of
computer simulation is now leading to its use by smaller
companies and those that have not previously considered
adopting it.
Following previous careers in industry and academia, Dr
Dewi Jones established Gwefr Cyf in 2007 to build on his
expertise and background in control systems engineering and
robotics.
The company’s initial focus is on the electricity supply
industry. It is building up a selection of generic simulations
that provide an affordable introduction to simulation for
smaller companies and a bespoke service for those who prefer
not to maintain the required software and expertise in house.
The first two packages are a long-term simulation of an offgrid wind generation system and a simulation of hydroelectric
generation control systems.
Gwefr is located at Technium® CAST (Centre for
Advanced Software Technology) in North Wales, which
provides a comprehensive infrastructure for business
incubation. ‘Access to free training courses was invaluable in
setting up the company,’ remarks Dewi Jones. ‘Furthermore,
a business development grant provided by the local council
allowed us to buy our core software tools at an early stage of
development.’
There are also other benefits to being part of Technium®.
‘Being a member of the Technium® network also provides
marketing opportunities, such as the forthcoming open day at
CAST and the first Technium® business exhibition, planned
for summer 2010,’ says Dewi.
Dewi has close ties with Bangor University, which helps to
further develop the business. A university background means
that Gwefr’s staff are experienced in performing applied
research and running R&D projects bringing together
industrial and academic partners. ‘In future, Gwefr intends
to strengthen its links with research programmes at Bangor
University by sponsoring a PhD student at the School of
Computer Science by means of a Knowledge Economy Skills
Scholarship, funded by the European Social Fund and the
Welsh Assembly Government.’
Gwefr aims to extend its range of expertise in computer
simulation and engineering consultancy and will be looking
for suitable academic and industrial partners to participate in
hi-tech research programmes. ‘The supportive environment
provided by Technium®, and the joined-up technology
support available in Wales, will definitely help with this,’
remarks Dewi.
www.gwefr.co.uk
issue 62 ■ winter 2009
13
communications
North Wales-based Orgatise has developed
a cost-effective two-way SMS education
portal to improve communication between
staff and students at academic institutions
No excuse
for missed
lectures
W
hile studying at university, David Evans, now Director
of Orgatise, spotted a business opportunity from missed
lectures. ‘You would turn up and there would be a notice on
the lecture theatre door that today’s lecture was cancelled,’ he
remarks. Realising the significant communication deficit that
existed between tutors and students allowed him to plug that
gap: ‘Orgatise was created out of necessity, really.’
Based in North Wales, Orgatise has developed a two-way
communications system to improve interaction between staff
and students at academic institutions. This SMS (short message
service, aka texting) can also be applied elsewhere, e.g. businesses
who wish to connect directly with their customers.
Academic SMS system
many other benefits soon unfolded, such as reminders to staff
about meetings and to students about exams and library book
returns. It also emerged as a good way to keep in touch with
potential students.
The digital connection allows relationships to form, improving the student learning environment by motivating and
inspiring. Lesson attendance and retention rates improve, as does
speed of communication, while administration is minimised.
Orgatise has new developments for its system under way,
geared towards mobile marketing at universities. This will be
facilitated with Bluetooth technology and it is hoped that it will
be able to generate revenue for universities. ■
No other product has the ability to do two-way
The success of the Orgatise system is down to the code that the
SMS communication so cost-effectively. Instead
company has developed. Rather than, for example, having 500
of 500 tutors each having a mobile phone
separate communication paths, with Orgatise’s code, two-way
SMS communication can be done comprehensively, directly,
(which would be very expensive), the Orgatise
conveniently and at a low cost.
system allows two-way communication with one
The system encourages students to communicate with their
completely comprehensive system – one mobile
university, college or school through regular mobile contact with
number can maintain an unlimited number of
the tutor. Each tutor links to individual students, without the
totally separate tutor accounts.
ethical issues (it would be unethical for a tutor to text a student
David Evans
directly, or vice versa, using personal phone numbers).
Director, Orgatise Ltd
It works on the basis of a diary system,
and sends a text to students when classes
Profile
are changed or cancelled or to parents
Product
Two-way SMS communication system
to remind them of forthcoming events.
Applications Improved communication between parents, tutors and
A relevance engine filters information to
students in academic institutions
ensure that it reaches only the relevant
people. The system was successfully
Contact
David Evans, Director, Orgatise, 4 Ddol Terrace,
trialled at Llandrillo College, which has
Cwm Penmachno, Betws-Y-Coed LL24 0RP, UK
led to orders from many further education
Tel
+44 (0)7515 994150
institutes in North Wales.
Email
d.evans@orgatise.com
At Llandrillo, it was initially taken on
Web
www.orgatise-education.co.uk
as a way of informally contacting students
to improve attendance and retention, but
For more information please circle 6201 on the reader reply card
advances wales
14
information technology
Digital archive browsing
made easy
A South Wales-based software company
has developed an innovative archiving
solution for the creative industries
W
ith the advance of digital technology, the film and video
industries are increasingly challenged when it comes to
archiving data. Traditionally, digital assets would be archived
on tape, but as the demand rises for instant access to current
and legacy content, the creative industry is increasingly moving
towards a ‘tapeless’ workflow.
The challenge to protect digital films that have historical or
future re-use value is becoming more difficult as the sheer size of
content grows with the mainstream adoption of high-definition
and digital cinema technologies. There is a risk of data corruption with digital archiving, and archives often cannot be accessed
instantly on demand.
What is the MatrixStore?
The MatrixStore, developed by South Wales-based Object
Matrix Ltd, is a long-term archiving
solution for digital assets, which
eliminates the need for a physical
tape library. It is an object-based
clustered storage platform which
provides highly secure protection
for archive content that needs to
be available on demand. It runs on
low-cost commodity disk drives and
it is scalable, meaning that it can
just as easily back up 12 terabytes as
multiple petabytes of data.
As the creative industry begins to rely more
on rich media content in projects, storage
requirements also become more advanced and
demanding. With file-based workflows becoming
more common, the scalable nature of the
MatrixStore makes it an ideal and cost-effective
alternative to tape libraries, while enhancing the
workflow by delivering on-demand access to
archived content.
Nick Pearce
Sales and Marketing Director, Object Matrix Ltd
Automatic protection
The MatrixStore runs on the principle of hardware redundancy.
It consists of a cluster containing a minimum of three duplicating nodes (connection points). If one node should fail, another
will carry on its work, and this is done in a self-managing and
self-healing manner – the system itself reorganises data to ensure
preservation of the user’s assets while maintaining availability.
This includes protection against hardware failure: should this
occur, data are copied either to
independent hardware or to an
off-site location.
Furthermore, additional storage
nodes can be added as the storage
requirements increase, providing
users with an easily expandable
digital archive.
Profile
Product
MatrixStore object-based clustered storage platform
Applications On-demand access to digital archive for creative industries
Contact
Nick Pearce, Sales and Marketing Director, Object Matrix
Ltd, Orchard House, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly
CF83 3GP, UK
Tel
+44 (0)29 2088 8015
Email
nick@object-matrix.com
Web
www.object-matrix.com
For more information please circle 6202 on the reader reply card
The advantages
The biggest advantage to the
MatrixStore is that, because of its
ease of installation, operation and
maintenance, it allows businesses to
continue with the creative process while
the longevity, authenticity and availability
of their content are taken care of.
It has a total cost of ownership which
challenges tape libraries while ensuring
all content is available 24/7. Another
major advantage is that it is searchable, so
allows data to be found instantly.
This combination of inexpensive server
hardware and powerful software could
make the media industries’ transition to
tapeless workflow much smoother. ■
issue 62 ■ winter 2009
15
biotechnology
Major breakthrough in
understanding Alzheimer’s
An international research group, led by a Cardiff University neuroscientist,
has established new genetic links to Alzheimer’s disease
A
lzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in the elderly.
It is a devastating, terminal disease in
which the symptoms become more severe
and debilitating over time. It is incurable:
no treatments to delay or halt progression
are currently available, only those that
relieve the symptoms.
It is likely that a combination of risk
factors are responsible for Alzheimer’s,
such as age (> 65 years) and diet. Genetic
inheritance is one such possible risk
factor, and researchers have made a great
advance: for the first time in more than
15 years, new genetic links to Alzheimer’s
have been established.
Research like this is changing
our understanding of what
causes the common form
of Alzheimer’s disease and
provides valuable new leads
in the race to find treatments
and possibly cures.
Professor Julie Williams
Professor of Neuropsychological
Genetics, Cardiff University
The study
Certain genes were already known to be
associated with Alzheimer’s disease, but a
very large sample was required to confirm
these links. So, the largest ever genomewide association study of the disease,
involving 16,000 people, was undertaken
by an international group of researchers,
led by Professor Julie Williams, Professor
of Neuropsychological Genetics at
advances wales
16
Cardiff University School of Medicine in
South Wales. The research was funded by
the Wellcome Trust, Medical Research
Council, Alzheimer’s Research Trust and
Welsh Assembly Government, and the
results were published in Nature Genetics,
one of the highest impact journals in
any field. It took place at the Centre for
Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics
at the University – the only Medical
Research Council centre of its type in
Wales – which is aimed specifically at
biotechnology
harnessing the genetics revolution for
research in mental disorders.
The genes
One gene was previously known as a risk
factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s: APOE4
(apolipoprotein E). But by looking for
common variants of other genes – singlenucleotide polymorphisms (single-letter
differences in the DNA) – the study also
found two further genes related to lateonset Alzheimer’s – CLU and PICALM.
As Professor Williams explains,
‘Both CLU and PICALM highlight
new pathways that lead to Alzheimer’s
disease. CLU is a clusterin – a type of
protein – which normally protects the
brain in a variety of ways. Variation in this
Profile
Product
Discovery of new genes linked to Alzheimer’s disease
Applications Potential to influence diagnosis and prevention of the
disease
Contact
Professor Julie Williams, Professor of Neuropsychological
Genetics, Cardiff University Institute of Medical Genetics,
University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff
CF14 4XN, UK
Tel
+44 (0)29 2068 7075
Email
williamsj@cf.ac.uk
Web
www.cardiff.ac.uk
For more information please circle 6203 on the reader reply card
gene could remove this protection and
contribute to Alzheimer’s development.
‘PICALM is important at synapses
– connections between brain cells – and
is involved in the transport of molecules
into and inside of nerve cells, helping
form memories and other brain functions.
We know that the health of synapses is
closely related to memory performance in
Alzheimer’s disease, thus changes in genes
which affect synapses are likely to have a
direct effect on disease development.’
A valuable new lead
The findings of the study have important
potential future outcomes. New pathways
and drug targets can be determined,
therefore impacting on the development
of treatments and cures for the disease.
This can play a significant part in the
knowledge of the diagnosis and prevention of Alzheimer’s, which in turn could
affect public health policy – we could
be more certain of risk factors, allowing
better risk profiles to be established so
that authorities can issue informed advice
on lifestyle changes to help prevent the
development of the disease.
It also shows that other genes can be
identified using this method, and the
team is already planning a larger study,
involving 60,000 people, which is on
target to be achieved within the next
year. ■
issue 62 ■ winter 2009
17
energy
Graveson Energy Management Ltd, a South Wales-based advanced
conversion technology company, is striving ahead in the fields
of landfill diversion and renewable energy production
Pyrolysis technology
reduces waste and
fossil fuel use
T
he standard of living we enjoy today has brought unquestionable benefits to our society, but we are now paying
the price for a lack of attention to the environmental impact.
The mountain of waste created every day by households and
businesses has saturated our landfill facilities. Our obsession
with convenience transport, global travel and consumer goods is
fast exhausting our fossil fuels and having a significant negative
effect on our environment.
Graveson Energy Management (GEM) Ltd, based in Port
Talbot, South Wales, has developed a patented technology
for the processing of waste into renewable energy in order to
reduce both the requirement to landfill and our dependence
on fossil fuels. Its innovative thermal process, based on the
well-established principles of pyrolysis, takes prepared waste and
converts it to synthesised gas which can then, if required, be
used to produce heat and electricity.
Ltd) to construct a fully integrated plant. Scarborough Power
was commissioned in early 2009 and is the first known fully
integrated pyrolysis waste-to-energy plant of its kind in the EU.
The successful operation of the plant has proven the viability of
the GEM technology, and the company is now receiving a huge
amount of interest from around the world.
The facility
The technology
GEM has continuously developed its core technology over 12
years, trialling numerous carbon-based materials considered
waste in our society. In 2006 the GEM technology was selected
to be part of the Defra New Technology Demonstrator programme. It formed, with Yorwaste Ltd (an established regional
waste operator), a special-purpose vehicle (Scarborough Power
The GEM technology is designed to recover energy from carbonbased waste materials (including municipal solid waste, waste
oils, tyre crumb, wood wastes and sewage sludge). A pre-treated
fuel is converted to a high-quality synthetic gas capable of
powering either a reciprocating gas generator or potentially a gas
turbine on a continuous basis.
advances wales
18
The GEM principle is designed to maximise the
amount of energy produced from waste products
– it is not simply a system to destroy waste.
Huw Davies
Business Development Director
Graveson Energy Management Ltd
energy
The ‘converter’ is based on the principle of pyrolysis. Fuel
is fed into a chamber, where it is rapidly heated to over 800°C,
causing flash pyrolisation of the fuel into a syngas. The temperature conditions within and geometry of the converter produce
high conversion rates with relatively low quantities of byproducts and waste streams. Any material that does not convert
is collected as a char at the base of the converter. Gas clean-up
is achieved by a multistage cooling and separation process to
ensure that a dry, particulate-free gas is supplied to the engine or
turbine powering the generator.
The temperature and speed of reaction are critical to producing the gas quality and conversion rates required; GEM aims for
its process to produce a significantly high volume of gas with a
high calorific value and low environmental impact.
The opportunities for GEM are enormous; by way
of example the UK alone produces 340 million
tonnes of waste per annum, much of which is
suitable for energy recovery.
Huw Davies
The waste and power markets
GEM is ideally situated to penetrate both the waste and power
markets and already there is much interest from utility and waste
companies and local government bodies. GEM’s technology does
not simply divert waste from landfill: it can be seen as a valuable
fuel to create power; a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels in the
impending energy crisis.
GEM targets not only the municipal solid waste market, but
also the trade waste, sewage sludge, agricultural and industrial
markets. The GEM process is well suited to all of these sectors
having successfully trialled waste materials from each in its pilot
plant over the last 10 years.
Owing to its modular nature and adaptability, the technology
is also suited to businesses that either produce a lot of waste
or require a lot of power, or both. For example, there has been
much interest from companies in the food and packaging sector,
which are looking to dispose of waste and produce power, and
also from companies operating in the tile industry which want to
replace their use of natural gas with syngas.
In addition to the electricity, a large amount of heat is also
produced. This heat can be sold into district heating systems
or directly to industry. The technology is also ideally suited to
auxiliary generation via waste heat recovery steam generation.
A number of private businesses are looking at utilising the
Profile
Product
Pyrolysis-based waste to energy conversion technology
Applications Landfill diversion and renewable energy production
Contact
Huw Davies, Business Development Director, Graveson
Energy Management Ltd, ECM², Heol Cefngwrgan,
Margam, Port Talbot SA13 2EZ, UK
Tel
+44 (0)1639 864611
Email
huw@gem-ltd.co.uk
Web
www.gem-ltd.co.uk
technology as they require both heat and electricity in their daily
operation.
Full commercialisation
GEM aims to be the market leader in providing waste-to-energy
solutions. GEM is now focusing its R&D effort on further
optimisation of the fully integrated system. In conjunction,
it plans to utilise academic and industry partners to develop
even higher conversion efficiency from
the GEM converter. For the next stage
of commercial development GEM will
seek UK contracts for the processing of
municipal solid waste/industrial waste
as both the equipment provider and
operating company; advanced discussions
are currently being held with a number of
clients. ■
For more information please circle 6204 on on the reader reply card
issue 62 ■ winter 2009
19
engineering
Certain
measurement in
any environment
Solve Metrology, a specialist company based in North
Wales, is at the cutting edge of measurement technology
with the use of precise photogrammetric equipment
T
he science of measurement is known
as the field of metrology. Engineers,
manufacturers, scientists and quality control technicians utilise measurement technology in their own unique disciplines.
Photogrammetry is a three-dimensional
coordinate measuring technique that uses
photographs as the fundamental medium
for metrology. The basic principle of this
technique is triangulation. By taking
photographs from at least two different
locations, so-called ‘lines of sight’ can be
developed from each camera to points
on the object. These lines of sight are
mathematically intersected to produce
the three-dimensional coordinates of the
points of interest.
What is photogrammetry used for?
Photogrammetry is used in a
wide range of industries – including aerospace, automotive, ship
building, telecommunications, space
transportation, construction, nuclear
and power generation – primarily for
inspection and quality assurance, allowing companies to maximise efficiency
and minimise risk. Other uses include
panel alignment, jig health checks,
part assembly, rapid measurement and
deviation checks.
Solve Metrology, based in Technium®
OpTIC in North Wales, is the UK
specialist in large-volume enhanced
metrology. In conjunction with technology developed by Geodetic Systems
in America, Solve Metrology provides
specialist consultancy and 3D measurement service work for clients such as
Airbus, Audi, BMW, Land Rover, NASA,
Toshiba and the United Kingdom Atomic
Energy Authority, proving the international reputation of its technology.
Specialist equipment
The flagship system used by Solve is the
VSTARS Inca3 portable 3D coordinate
measurement system, which is the
most accurate metrology
system for largevolume inspection.
Inca3 is a digital
photogrammetric camera.
The actual
measurements
are taken not
directly at the
object, but
advances wales
20
from digital images taken from various
angles. It is suited particularly to in-place
measurement and inspection of large
objects – there is no size restriction of the
part to be measured. Users can unobtrusively shoot field measurements with
minimal downtime to others working
concurrently on an assembly such as a
large aircraft.
The system combines a high-resolution
charge-coupled device sensor with a
powerful, compact industrial PC-based
We use technology that
was designed to work in
very demanding industrial
environments, where harsh,
unstable conditions like
vibration, movement and
extreme temperatures
are often found and pose
problems for other types of
metrology instruments.
Heidi Dobbs
Marketing and Communication Manager
Solve Metrology Ltd
engineering
computer to accurately capture field
measurements.
Once the Inca3 has captured the
photographs (via either hand-held
operation or remote control), the software
automatically inspects the collected digital
images and extracts the required 3D data.
After processing, the 3D data can be
aligned into the object coordinate system,
compared with previous measurements or
analysed further.
Wing measurement
Solve Metrology and its Inca3 single
camera system were brought on board to
assist Airbus in the construction of the
A380, the world’s largest airliner. Airbus
UK, based in Broughton, North Wales,
is responsible for sub-assembly and the
manufacture of large components, as well
as wing final assembly and wing equipping, for the whole of the Airbus fleet.
Quality assurance is critical in aircraft
construction, and Airbus required metrology expertise and a system that could
quickly measure the wing dimensions at
the root end.
Inca3 was chosen because it was critical
that the set-up and measurement times
were kept to a minimum (build rates are
approximately 30 wing sets a month and
each wing root end has to be checked).
It had to be useable in a real production
environment, with temperature and
lighting changes, with accuracy guaranteed. The associated software package was
designed to conduct a faster and more
efficient way of processing data – measurement of the wing root end took only
five minutes while the software processed
the data in just three minutes.
The next step is the junction of the
wings to the fuselage, performed at the
Airbus site in Toulouse. A significant
part of this process is the fabrication
of the set of ‘corner fittings’. These are
complex parts – intended to conform to
several freeform surfaces – that must be
manufactured as close as possible to the
existing conditions in order to maximise
the integrity of the wing-to-fuselage
interface. In other words, each aircraft has
its own unique corner fittings that must
be manufactured in a short time.
There are 11 parts on each side of the
plane. Because so many parts need to
be made quickly, a very precise and fast
reverse engineering technique of each
female (concave) corner has to be performed to be able to machine the related
corner fittings within the required period
of time. Twenty-two ‘containers’, or cells,
must be measured in order to facilitate
automated machining and assembly of the
corresponding ‘contents’ of the cell. The
whole process – the 3D measurement,
corner piece design, five-axes tool-path
programming and the fitting of the parts
– must take place in less than 33 hours.
A system was required to perform
the reverse engineering measurements of
several of these cells, which could be used
by the manufacturing operators inside the
very confined environment of the wing
itself, in which vibration and temperature
variation as a result of ongoing manufacturing activities take place. The Inca3
was suitable for this process, particularly
because of its accuracy and speed.
The success of this cooperative effort
has made it possible to implement the
same system with the Airbus A340 and
A320 – just one way in which Solve
Metrology’s expertise has ensured the
quality required in this industry. ■
Profile
Product
Expertise and service in metrology
Applications Measurement in industrial environments for quality
assurance
Contact
Heidi Dobbs, Marketing and Communication Manager,
Solve Metrology Ltd, OpTIC Technium®, Ffordd William
Morgan, St Asaph Business Park, St Asaph LL17 0JD, UK
Tel
+44 (0)1745 535212
Email
heidi.dobbs@solve3d.net
Web
www.solve3d.net
For more information please circle 6205 on on the reader reply card
issue 62 ■ winter 2009
21
engineering
Reinventing the
wheelchair
A young, dynamic wheelchair manufacturer in West Wales
is leading the way in innovative design for wheelchairs
W
heelchairs have been around for
centuries and there are some very
large companies investing a great deal
into research and development. However,
Mark Owen, a paraplegic wheelchair user
for 13 years, felt frustrated that wheelchairs continued to be seen as functional,
institutional products. He wondered
why changes in wheelchairs had not kept
pace with developments in technology,
changes to attitudes towards disability or
the changing desires of today’s wheelchair
users.
Mark teamed up with his brother
Jon and together they formed Nomad
Wheelchairs Ltd, based in Lampeter, West
Wales, which aimed to re-design wheelchairs using new materials and taking
advantage of developments in technology.
A new design
Nomad set about a lengthy period of
research and development. Design
consultancies such as Design Wales were
approached to help quantify the issues,
and to help identify some design agencies
that may be able to help.
The entire design process, including
branding and marketing, took place in
Wales. Three Cardiff-based agencies were
engaged to design a product and a brand
that would help to change the focus of an
entire industry. Studio SDA was brought
in to design a completely new wheelchair
concept, Attic 2 was responsible for the
innovative upholstery and Elfen put
together an industry-leading brand.
Together, these three agencies and Nomad
have set new standards in the mobility
industry.
The wheelchair frame itself was styled
from scratch. While obviously retaining
ergonomics and functionality as the
driving criteria, but thinking outside of
established parameters, Studio SDA gave
a great deal of thought to the look of the
wheelchair, now called the mrk1.
Change in materials
More freedom was given to the designers
by using cast aluminium, instead of
Nomad is doing things very
differently to everyone else
in the mobility market –
proven by our successful
launch in what is a
crowded, competitive and
mature market. We make
innovative use of materials
and processes not usually
associated with wheelchairs,
and the mrk1 is now
considered to be one of the
best-designed chairs on the
market.
Jon Owen
Director
Nomad Wheelchairs Ltd
advances wales
22
engineering
Wheelchairs have always
been engineering solutions
to a medical problem, but
we wanted to change this
perception. We wanted to
design them as lifestyle,
aspirational products, so
people could enjoy them and
be proud of them.
Mark Owen
Director
Nomad Wheelchairs Ltd
relying solely on bending and welding
tubular alloys. This allowed Nomad to
develop a fluid, flowing chassis through
casting innovative, sculptural shapes
for the mrk1, as seen in the front castor
assembly and the rear axle assembly. This
innovative use of a different process has
opened up many possibilities for wheelchair design.
‘Of course, there is a trade-off,’ states
director, Jon Owen. ‘The extra weight
of castings means you have to be careful
where and how you use cast aluminium,
but it does also add to strength and
rigidity – both of which are important in
wheelchair design.’
Nomad is also looking into a titanium
model, which would use another new
process: a bonding agent, used in automotive applications such as lightweight
sports car chassis bonding (e.g. the Lotus
Elise), would help avoid the need for
any welding. Nomad has already tested
this with help from South Wales-based
The Welding Institute (TWI) under its
‘Joining Forces’ project.
Another area for Nomad to make a
difference is in the mrk1’s upholstery.
Traditionally, wheelchair upholstery is an
off-the-shelf unit, always in black. Nomad
has developed, with Angela Gidden of
Attic 2, a bespoke seating system that is
lighter, stronger and far more pleasing
to the eye. ‘We looked at the fashion
industry for direction and style, while
investigating materials and processes in
use in sectors like the military, and sports,’
explains Jon.
The outcome is a seating system that,
while performing as it needs to, also has
the benefit of being removable, washable
and swappable. The covers are easily
removed, allowing users to swap the covers and accessorise them, as they would
their clothes – another industry first.
Recent awards
By thinking outside the box, Nomad has
been able to offer customers a new and
exciting way to look at wheelchairs, which
is reflected in their many design award
shortlists this year, including the Cardiff
Design Festival (for product design) and
Canmol (Wales Marketing Awards). It
was the first UK company to win the
‘Excellence in a First-time Design Project’
at the Design Management Europe
(DME) awards in Holland. This success
is added to by the fact that Nomad is
the first ever mobility company to win a
DME award. The company is delighted
with this win, as Jon remarks, ‘Even to be
judged against such strong mainstream
and lifestyle companies is a huge compliment to Nomad. It is exactly the goal we
had when we started: to move wheelchairs
towards a more aspirational lifestyle
sector.’ ■
Profile
Product
mrk1 wheelchair
Applications New brand for wheelchair users
Contact
Jon Owen, Director, Nomad Wheelchairs Ltd, Lakeside,
Ciliau Aeron, Lampeter, Ceredigion SA48 8DA, UK
Tel
+44 (0)870 487 4674
Email
info@nomadwheelchairs.com
Web
www.nomadwheelchairs.com
For more information please circle 6206 on on the reader reply card
issue 62 ■ winter 2009
23
materials
Here comes
the sun –
without glare
SolaVeil glass technology, developed
by Digital Surface Research in South
Wales, has the potential to make
redundant the use of air conditioning
systems and window blinds in offices
I
t’s a common thing for any office worker: sunlight glares on
his screen so he closes the window blind and switches on
an artificial light. But by doing this he immediately increases
lighting energy costs. And, less apparent, he increases solar gain
(an increase in temperature because of solar radiation), resulting
in higher air conditioning costs.
In the UK alone, buildings account for 40–50% of national
energy consumption. Carbon dioxide emissions from buildings
are double those from cars. A total of 50% of all electricity
is consumed in lighting commercial offices, while 30% of all
electricity is consumed by air conditioning in buildings.
So how can we work with rather than against nature to light
our buildings? One method could be to use smart, innovative
technology, such as the surface treatment for glass developed by
South Wales-based Digital Surface Research Ltd.
SolaVeil
SolaVeil is a digitally generated and manufactured enhanced
substrate which can be applied to existing (as a retrofit) or new
glass surfaces. It increases natural illumination, allowing for a
reduction in the total amount of energy required to light and
cool buildings (both day and night).
In full sunlight, a SolaVeil-treated surface can transmit over
1200 lux of cool daylight into the building interior. In the
winter it insulates, reducing heating bills.
The use of air conditioning systems can be reduced or even
avoided, while glare is totally eliminated, making conventional
window blinds redundant. To add to this, research has shown
that more natural daylight leads to a greater sense of well-being,
which results in greater productivity and health.
SolaVeil has recently been successfully installed in Oxford
County Hall (with planned projected energy savings of 65% for
lighting energy and 60% for cooling energy) and incorporated
into the new Welsh Joint Education Committee building
advances wales
24
materials
in Cardiff, to enable the building
to achieve a BRE Environmental
Assessment Method (BREEAM)
‘Excellent’ rating.
‘Cooling’ light
SolaVeil technology manages daylight
by harvesting and projecting it into a
building so that spaces in the centre
of large buildings can utilise more
daylight and the need for artificial
lighting energy can be significantly
reduced.
Profile
Product
SolaVeil glass technology
Applications Reduced building energy consumption (lighting, heating
and cooling)
Contact
Brian Hughes, Technical Director, Digital Surface
Research Ltd, CBTC2, off Parkway, Capital Business Park,
Wentloog, Cardiff CF3 2PX, UK
Tel
+44 (0)870 143 1961
Email
brian@digitalsurfaceresearch.com
Web
www.digitalglass.co.uk
For more information please circle 6207 on on the reader reply card
Solaveil cools the sunlight passing through it by rejecting,
currently up to 81%, short-wave infrared radiation (solar gain)
and directing and transmitting the cool, harvested daylight deep
into the interior environment.
For every square metre of SolaVeil applied, a threedimensional surface array is formed, which creates a series of
micro-light shelves. The area of these is significantly larger than
the glass area which it covers. The light shelves reflect glare-free,
diffused light into the building, producing comfortable working
conditions for the occupants.
SolaVeil enables existing buildings to maximise
their use of cool daylight, a free natural energy
source, and in doing so allows people to work
in cleaner and healthier environments, while
significantly reducing energy consumption and
associated carbon emissions from buildings.
Brian Hughes
Technical Director
Digital Surface Research Ltd
The three-dimensional array also produces a shading effect for
building occupants who are close to the window. By this means,
comfortable light and heat levels are achieved throughout the
building. These structures, acting together with the substrate,
reject short-wave infrared and 99.9% of ultraviolet energy.
This innovative use of technology could have the potential to
change office environments across the world. ■
issue 62 ■ winter 2009
25
materials
Bangor University’s Biopolymers Centre is developing biopolymers
to help develop environmentally friendly packaging products
Good things come
in bio packages
T
he Industrial Biopolymers Knowledge Transfer Centre,
based at the Biocomposites Centre at Bangor University
in North Wales, helps companies to reduce the global warming
potential of their products by replacing conventional petrochemical polymers with bio-based alternatives.
One company which the Biopolymers Centre has assisted is
Valueform Ltd, a packaging company which invests in R&D
into biodegradable and compostable products that are made
from natural fibres. With the centre’s help, Valueform has set up
and established a pilot-scale manufacturing facility on Anglesey,
North Wales, to aid the development of novel, compostable
pulp-moulded packaging products.
The production line is capable of producing tray products for
packaging applications, and companies interested in developing
natural fibre-based products can hire the facility for proof-ofconcept work and small-scale production.
The trick is finding the right combination of
properties that will help improve shelf life, but
will still pass the bio-degradation standards for
compostability. For example, if you want a longer
shelf life then you would not want to use a polymer
that biodegrades in a number of days.
Dr Rob Elias
Commercial Manager
Biocomposites Centre, Bangor University
its products. Target products are pulp-moulded trays for food
packaging, such as for soft fruit, and disposable medical products, e.g. kidney bowls and bed pans.
Bangor University is helping the company to develop a
range of new bio-based polymers that will improve the barrier
properties of the moulded articles. The Biocomposites Centre
The new pilot-scale facility is allowing us to
is effectively acting as the R&D department for Valueform,
develop our products further and tap into the
providing expertise and access to specialist equipment, and
facilities on offer.
allowing the company to tap into resources that they could not
Prakash Korde
access in house.
Managing Director, Valueform Ltd
www.valueform.biz
As Dr Rob Elias, commercial manager of the Biocomposites
Centre, explains, ‘A key to the performance of the products is
the grease and moisture barrier properties.’ Current products
that improve barrier performance tend to be synthetic and costly
Improved properties
and can only be used in low levels as they are not biodegradable.
Following the set-up of the production line, Valueform has
The novelty of the technologies being developed is that these
teamed up with the Biopolymers Centre to further develop
alternatives will be bio-derived and biodegradable. Therefore
they will have a better life cycle profile
(be greener) and pass the degradation
Profile
standards. ‘We are also developing bioProduct
Compostable polymers
based films and coatings that can be
Applications Environmentally friendly packaging
used in this application,’ he adds. ‘The
whole product must be biodegradable
Contact
Dr Rob Elias, Commercial Manager, Biocomposites Centre,
and home-compostable so it is imporBangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
tant only to use natural material-based
Tel
+44 (0)1248 364829
polymers.’
Email
r.m.elias@bangor.ac.uk
Many non-food packaging applicaWeb
www.bc.bangor.ac.uk
tions have now been proven for use
and are ready for commercialisation. ■
For more information please circle 6208 on on the reader reply card
advances wales
26
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materials
A brighter future for
solar power
Thanks to Corus Colors in Deeside, North Wales, solar
collectors need not be black to absorb sunlight
I
t’s a basic lesson in science: black
absorbs and white reflects light.
Naturally, then, if one was to collect solar
radiation, the collector on the building’s
external wall should be black – which may
not necessarily complement the aesthetics
of the building.
Corus Colors in Shotton, North Wales,
in collaboration with CA Group, the UK
distributors for the SolarWall® perforated
transpired solar collector, has developed
an aesthetically pleasing, highly efficient
method of low-carbon solar heating.
SolarWall® can achieve solar collection
efficiencies of up to 80%, with 1000 m2
capable of generating up to 0.5 MW
of heat, allowing for a 50% reduction
in heating costs in a typical industrial
building.
Corus and Colorcoat®
Corus Colors develops ranges of metallic
coatings and paints that are applied to
steel coils to produce pre-finished steel
products, widely known as its Colorcoat®
range. The company aims to apply its
technology to exploit new sustainable
construction products and manufacturing activities. By combining Colorcoat
Prisma® with CA Group’s SolarWall®,
it has produced a renewable heating
solution that can help building owners
and tenants reduce their space heating
costs dramatically.
The Colorcoat Prisma® product is used
as the basis for the additional skin of the
SolarWall®. Manufactured at the Corus
Colors site in Shotton, this product has
undergone extensive testing at Swansea
University, using a specially developed
solar simulator rig, which has been used
to optimise the solar absorbance of the
coating whilst maintaining the availability
of an attractive colour range.
How it works
SolarWall® is installed as an additional
skin to the southerly elevation of a
building. Thousands of tiny perforations
are uniformly spaced across the full face
of the collector. As sunlight strikes the
surface of the SolarWall® and is absorbed,
solar heat conducts to the thermal
boundary layer of air which lines the
outer surface of the panel. This heated
layer of air is then drawn through the
perforations (by means of a ventilation
fan) into an air cavity, specifically created
between the SolarWall® collector and the
original elevation behind. This air is then
Profile
Product
Colorcoat Prisma® for SolarWall®
Applications Carbon dioxide-free heating and cooling of buildings
Contact
Paul Jones, Technology and Innovation Manager, Corus
Colors, Shotton Works, Deeside, Flintshire CH5 2NH, UK
Tel
+44 (0)1495 335265
Email paul.jones@corusgroup.com
Web www.corusgroup.com
For more information please circle 6209 on on the reader reply card
Mr/Miss/Mrs/Dr/Professor (please state)
Name
Organisation name
Historically, perforated
transpired solar collectors
have been made from very
dark shades, mainly black,
which has limited the uptake
of this type of product as it
is not aesthetically pleasing.
The Colorcoat Prisma®
coating formulation is
optimised to absorb as much
solar radiation as possible,
extending the colour range
available, so impact on
the building aesthetics is
minimal.
What type of organisation do you work for?
❏ Further/higher education ❏ Manufacturing
❏ Research company
❏ Professional institute
❏ Government agency
❏ Other
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How best would you describe your job function?
❏ MD
❏ Manager
❏ Head of department
❏ Sales
❏ R&D
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www.
❏
Paul Jones
Technology and Innovation Manager
Corus Colors
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Please send me a copy of issue number _____________
Reader Reply Card Service 62
Please send further information on the following features
distributed through the building, where
it is used to offset the building’s heating
load and provide the necessary building
ventilation requirement.
As well as providing free heat during
winter periods, the technology is not
wasted in summer. As the SolarWall®
collector is installed as an additional
skin, it effectively acts as a sun screen,
significantly reducing convective heat
gains through the building fabric. During
such periods, the heated air captured
within the cavity naturally rises to the top
of the elevation, where it perspires back
through the perforated collector into the
atmosphere.
A SolarWall® has recently been
installed on the TWI building at the
ECM2 complex in Port Talbot, South
Wales, as a potential replacement for
the existing gas-fired heating system.
This system is being developed to work
with heat storage, using heat gathered
during daytime for use the next day. The
TWI building will be a pioneer project
– making visible a zero-carbon future for
the heating and cooling of buildings. ■
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issue 62 ■ winter 2009
27
advances
wales
Organisations featured in this issue
Bangor University
Cardiff University
Corus Colors
Digital Surface Research Ltd
Flexible Support for Business
26
16
27
24
10
Graveson Energy Management Ltd
Nomad Wheelchairs Ltd
Object Matrix Ltd
Orgatise
Solve Metrology Ltd
18
22
15
14
20
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In the previous issue – Advances Wales 61
New technology jobs in Wales
‘Adam’ gives new meaning to computer
science
Anti-mosquito products trialled in Ghana
18
3
Cardiff University leads on the future of
energy
Cementing a sustainable future
Chemistry professor elected to Royal Society
Evolution – unnaturally
First Welsh mobile phone
8
26
7
16
6
Laser manufacturing lights the way
Sensing erosion from below
24
Sustainability by design
10
Sustainable education at music festival
3
Swansea works on ‘breakthrough’ technology
for sustainability
The best efficiency yet for gasification?
Trade mission to America
6
13
8
7
14
Web technology united
27
20
Welsh Composites Centre
4
Welsh materials company has ticket to ride
5
Wood you believe it?
4
New heights for astronomy at Cardiff
University
22
Wales combats e-crime
Garlic: the secret weapon to combat
climate change
6
Safety first for new forceps design
5