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Nottingham gets £9.4M for New Power Electronics Research Center

July 12, 2017 by Paul Shepard

The University of Nottingham has been awarded 9.4 million Pounds by the Higher Education Funding Council for England through the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF), which provides funding for capital projects that can attract significant investment from private partners.

The funding will go towards to the development of the University’s new Research and Innovation Centre for Power Electronics and Machines, which is set to be a global Centre of Excellence in Power Electronics, Machines and Control. The initiative will bolster the University’s Beacon of Excellence in Propulsion Futures to achieve its aim of becoming a world leader in the electrification of transport. This will see the further development of strategic research priority areas covering Energy, Aerospace and Transport Technologies, while creating a wider engineering cluster on Jubilee Campus.

Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Knowledge Exchange said, "I am delighted that HEFCE has awarded the University this funding grant, which bears testament to the pioneering, outstanding research being carried out by the internationally renowned Power Electronics, Machines and Control Research Group.

The new Centre will enhance a critical mass of power electronics and electrical research while addressing key industry, scientific and societal challenges. It will also reinforce the UK’s standing as a world leader in power electronics and deliver transformative and exploitable new technologies that will strengthen our global competitiveness."

Prof Patrick Wheeler, Professor of Power Electronic Systems added, "We are extremely happy to have been awarded this funding from HEFCE. The grant highlights the importance of our research and expertise in power electronic enabled systems, transport technologies, electrical machines and power electronic integration. The new Centre will also play a crucial role in developing the next generation of high power density and low-loss electrical machines that are able to drive the propulsion systems of the future. In addition, we will address the growing demand for power electronics and electrical machines, smart electricity networks and increase the efficiency of industrial processes."

More importantly, the new Centre will address the shortage of skills in a key technology domain in a number of ways. These include the development of two new higher level skills programs to support the research base and industry at large, along with the growth of three new major research centers in collaboration with key industrial partners.

This is one of nine projects announced as part of the current round of UKRPIF funding. David Sweeney, HEFCE’s Director of Research, Education and Knowledge Exchange and Chief Executive Designate of Research England, said: "I am delighted that we are able to support these nine projects that will deliver high class facilities and world leading research, enabling UK universities to continue to tackle major national and global challenges, and make a significant contribution to economic growth."