Communications Briefing: 25 to 29 June 2018

Institution in the News

The Press Office issued a number of statements this week: a response to the government’s decision not to back the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project, a response to the government’s new nuclear sector deal. We also issued a press release to promote the report “Engineering and Dementia: the use of Intelligent Assistive Technologies”. On social media, our campaigns included promoting the Railway Challenge which is being held this weekend. We have also been promoting Formula Student with the news that Jenson Button will be attending this year’s event.

• 28/6/2018 £40 million Nuclear Project for Wales – BBC News

  Engineering Policy Adviser Matt Rooney quoted as saying North Wales could become a “new world-leading industrial cluster” if a number of nuclear projects planned for the region go ahead. The new thermal hydraulics facility in Anglesey will bolster the UK’s nuclear research and development capabilities. Along with the likely construction of the Horizon nuclear power station at Wylfa and the potential for a small modular reactor at Trawsfynydd, North Wales could become a leading nuclear hub. Matt’s comments were also quoted in The Chemical Engineer and World Nuclear News.

  Head of Engineering Dr Jen Baxter was interviewed by BBC Wales Today and BBC Radio Good Morning Wales about the nuclear announcement.

• 25/6/2018 Swansea Tidal Lagoon Rejected by Government – Western Mail

  Jen Baxter is quoted as saying the government’s decision is disappointing and a missed opportunity for encouraging innovation and manufacturing in Wales. The Institution supported the project on economic and environmental grounds. Dr Baxter was also quoted by the South Wales Evening Post.

• 28/06/2018 Smart virtual assistants should involve dementia patients in development – electricaltimes.co.uk

  In a new report “Engineering and Dementia: The Use of Intelligent Assistive Technologies”, the Institution recommends great involvement by patients, their carers and the NHS in these technologies. Well-designed tools can help people stay in their homes for longer.

  These technologies are becoming increasingly important as the range of help they can offer expands and the need for support threatens to overwhelm purely human-provided help.

  However, there has been little research into the development and systematic deployment of these tools to support patients and their carers.

• 26/6/2018 Queen’s launch their new formula car ahead of student racing challenge – Belfast Telegraph

  Queen’s University Belfast is among the team’s taking part in next month’s Formula Student competition at Silverstone. This is the 20^th anniversary of the event, which will be celebrated by the attendance of Jenson Button.

  Also to mark the 20th anniversary, the Institution is holding a one-off race at Silverstone on Qualifying Day of the Formula One British Grand Prix. The 100m acceleration race will see the winning car from the first event in 1998, from The University of Texas Arlington, go wheel to wheel against last year’s winner from Cardiff University.