Research showcase addresses future of aerospace propulsion

How academia and industry can solve the challenges of future aircraft propulsion was the focus of an annual showcase held at a major centre for aerospace research at the University of Nottingham this week. The Institute of Aerospace Technology (IAT) used the day-long event, held on 27 November, to highlight successes from the last two years and to introduce the new IAT Director, Professor Serhiy Bozhko. The event bought together prominent stakeholders from academia and industry, with almost 80 delegates from multinationals including Airbus, Rolls Royce and Siemens, as well as smaller and mid-sized companies active in the aerospace supply chain. Key academics from the IAT, the University of Nottingham's Future Propulsion Beacon and the Faculty of Engineering were also in attendance. Professor Bozhko explained: "Our showcase offered us a platform to share the IAT's five key research areas and to hear from industry experts where the challenges lie around future propulsion. We also discussed how we intend to address these through our links within the University of Nottingham, our various funded programmes and our industry partnerships and outreach." The day began with welcome speeches from Professor Sam Kingman, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Engineering and Professor Serhiy Bozhko. Delegates also heard from aerospace industry keynote speakers, including Dr Mykhaylo Filipenko, Head of Center of Competence 'Electric Machines High Power' at Siemens; Mark Scully Head of Technology from the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) and John Salmon, Project Engineer, Technology Integration and Vision 20 Future Programmes from Rolls Royce.