Researchers recognised with new Royal Academy of Engineering industry-academia partnerships

UCL researchers have secured two of the five new joint industry-academia research partnerships announced by the Royal Academy of Engineering to address complex engineering challenges facing society. Professor Dan Brett and Professor Adrien Desjardins (both UCL Engineering) have each been appointed Research Chairs, which are prestigious five-year positions co-sponsored by an industrial partner that allow awardees to establish a world-leading research group in their engineering field. Professor Brett (UCL Chemical Engineering and the Electrochemical Innovation Lab) will develop measurement tools to support the fundamental change needed in the way vehicles are powered. Electric mobility is one of the fastest-growing industries on the planet and is essential to meet the UK government's legally binding commitments on climate change, including a ban on new diesel and petrol car sales by 2030. There is a seismic shift away from conventional piston engine powered propulsion to electrochemical solutions such as batteries, fuel cells and supercapacitors. Collaborating with HORIBA MIRA and the National Physical Laboratory, Professor Brett's research aims to make the UK a world-leader, both scientifically and commercially, in metrology for electrochemical power systems. Professor Brett said: "This Research Chair combines fundamental engineering innovations from the Electrochemical Innovation Lab at UCL and the National Physical Laboratory's world-leading metrology with a route to market for our innovations, instruments and services in the form of HORIBA MIRA.