Communications Briefing: July 2019

INSTITUTION IN THE NEWS

In July, the press office issued news releases to announce the winners of the Home Automation Challenge and Formula Student, the last two of the Summer Challenges. We promoted the competitions to the press as well as on social media. Jensen Button came to Formula Student for the second year running, with his comments of how F1 would be transformed if a female driver took part in the competition covered in the national press and many regional newspapers. The launch of Formula Student’s first competition for autonomous cars also attracted considerable attention on social media and in the motoring press. 

BBC Northampton came to Silverstone and did a live interview for the breakfast programme with head judge Terry Spall and the leader of the Bath University team. Bath was the only team to enter three cars in the competition -- internal combustion, electric and AI vehicles. There were also features on the event throughout the day’s news programmes, which included an interview with Team Primus from Bangladesh who faced huge challenges in building their car and then bringing it to the UK.

This year we have also focused on creating videos to promote the Challenges on social media, emphasising the engineering innovation seen in the competitions as well as the enthusiasm of the students, apprentices and volunteers.

The videos have been posted on the Institution’s YouTube channel – take a look!
Railway Challenge
Home Automation Challenge

There are also great videos of this year’s FS competition on Formula Student’s own YouTube channel 

Formula Student 

Italy’s University of Modena and Reggio Emilia won Formula Student 2019, beating over 100 undergraduate teams from more 20 countries at Silverstone. This year we saw four UK universities taking part in the first autonomous car competition, which was won by Edinburgh University. A team from Hong Kong came for the first time to the event and were runners up in Class 2 Design.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jenson-button-says-female-f1-18498484
https://www.thestar.co.uk/must-read/jenson-button-says-a-female-formula-one-world-championship-driver-would-revolutionise-the-sport-485737
https://www.theengineer.co.uk/bath-formula-student-three-categories/
https://www.theengineer.co.uk/modena-formula-student-2019/
https://www.tctmagazine.com/3d-printing-news/oxford-brookes-racing-university-formula-student-3d-printing/
https://www.racetechmag.com/2019/07/bangladesh-team-primus-win-spirit-of-formula-student-award/
https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/education/student-teams-enter-formats-formula-student-85308/

Railway Challenge 

Students from Germany’s Aachen University of Applied Sciences won the Railway Challenge 2019, beating teams from the UK and Poland in the competition which took place in late June at the Stapleford Miniature Railway in Leicestershire. The runner-up was the team from Transport for London, while Ricardo Rail took third spot.

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/europe/single-view/view/aachen-students-scoop-imeche-railway-challenge.html

Home Automation Challenge 

Team Prodigies from the Manufacturing Technology Centre won this year’s Home Automation Challenge with their automated irrigation system, which will help plant lovers look after their gardens and hanging baskets.

https://pwemag.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/3687/Manufacturing_Technology_Centre_team_wins_Home_Automation_Challenge_.html
https://www.themanufacturer.com/articles/home-automation-challenge-2019-engineering-prodigies-scoop-top-prize/