HS Alliance
University of Strathclyde forges strategic partnership with engineering company
International engineering company Babcock and the University of Strathclyde have established a new strategic partnership to develop and deliver innovation through world-class projects.
The alliance is a recognition of the growing importance of academic-industrial relations. Babcock and Strathclyde have worked together for over 30 years. The formalization of the partnership will strengthen the existing educational programs for degree apprenticeships and internships in industry and will build on existing innovative research projects in nuclear, advanced manufacturing, space and security-related technologies.
This includes projects such as the Prosperity Partnership, a five-year collaborative research project co-funded by the Engineering and Physics Research Council (EPSRC). Nearly 30 researchers have worked on the development of advanced inspection techniques, biotechnology solutions for infrastructure repair, operational intelligence and data science, as well as new products and processes for lifelong management. life of complex nuclear assets. This has helped customers deliver improved plant uptime and extended life.
Other projects include an Executive Education program, established in 2013, which includes the Babcock Senior Leaders MBA program, with Strathclyde Business School.
A major collaboration between the two parties was the creation of Maritime Research & Innovation UK (MarRI-UK) in 2012 to address the challenges of technology and innovation. It is now an industry-led, government-backed initiative in partnership with Maritime UK. Hosted in Strathclyde, it has attracted research and industry partners from across the UK, allowing industry to coordinate its activities with the UK government and successfully secure funding.
Babcock is also a Level 1 founding member of the Strathclyde Advanced Nuclear Research Center and leads an industry-university consortium for the AWESIM – Automated Welding Equipment System Inspection and Monitoring project.
Dr Jon Hall, Babcock Director of Innovation and Technology, said: “For Babcock, a successful collaboration underpins a lot of what we do. Being able to work with academic partners such as the University of Strathclyde means that we can integrate and deliver real innovation that will make the difference for some of the most significant engineering challenges facing us and our customers today and across the globe. ‘to come up.
“It’s not just about technology though; this partnership will support training and digital skills as well as broader innovation and knowledge management – and build on our current successes. We have a range of new topics on our agenda and I look forward to seeing what our already successful partnership can offer in the future. “
Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, said: “I am delighted that we are formalizing our extremely successful and rewarding partnership with Babcock.
“As a leading international technological university, we pride ourselves on our strong relationships and connectivity with industry. The launch of this strategic partnership with Babcock means that we can now explore new areas of research and co-invest to accelerate the delivery of world-class innovative and technological products.
“It also means that we can provide students and staff with valuable industry experience through internships, placements and secondments, as well as providing Babcock with a critical source of future talent who can not only meet the change but can drive that change. “