Industry News Round-up 25/09/17

£65m project kicks off first-ever UK-US Science & Tech deal
Wednesday 20 September marked a first-of-its-kind UK-US Science and Technology agreement, outlining a commitment to collaborate on world-class research and innovation.The UK government has been clear in its commitment to collaborate with countries around the world in science, research and innovation. Signed by Science Minister Jo Johnson and US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Judith G Garber, the treaty builds on existing successful research co-operation in recognition of the value of open data to further scientific research and strengthen the UK-US economies……Read more

North of England and Scotland Global Leader in Offshore Energy
North of England and Scotland at the heart of globally important offshore renewable energy sector. A new audit of the offshore renewable energy industry in the North of England and Scotland published today, demonstrates the strong contribution the region makes to the UK’s position as a global leader in innovation in offshore renewable energy.  The report highlights the area’s world-class research in the field of offshore renewable energy, the strong supply chain, and the many innovation programmes and strong collaborations between industry and academia.It also found the number of people directly employed in offshore wind in the UK could double between 2017 and 2032…..Read more

'Death of diesel' blamed as 7 in 11 carmakers forecast to miss emissions targets
The 'death' of diesel engines and a rapidly approaching deadline mean more than half of major carmakers will miss emissions targets, an expert has said. Of 11 manufacturers, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot Citroen – including Opel/Vauxhall – and Hyundai-Kia will not meet EU 2021 emissions targets, according to an annual forecast from PA Consulting Group. By 2021, the fleet average for all new cars must be 95g of CO2 per kilometre or less…..Read more

Half of British public would support coal plants with CCS, survey finds
Half of the British public would support the construction of new coal and gas-fired power plants if they had the ability to capture and store emissions. That is according to a new report published by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), which surveyed more than 2,000 people in July. Jenifer Baxter, head of energy and environment at the IMechE, said carbon capture and storage (CCS) offered “huge potential” for retroactively decarbonising the UK’s existing fleet, as well as offering the potential to build new low-carbon power plants fuelled by gas……Read more

Major new study urges acceleration of decarbonisation
A new wide-ranging study from the Policy Forum in Science is calling for a sociotechnical, holistic approach to facilitate the rapid and deep decarbonisation required to avoid dangerous climate change. Published in the journal Science, the report features research from academics at the universities of Oxford, Manchester, Sussex and Aarhus. According to the authors, in order to have a reasonable chance of limiting global temperature rises to below 2 degrees Celsius, fundamental changes need to occur simultaneously across electricity, transport, heat, industrial, forestry and agricultural systems……Read more 

Kids Keen to Meet Their RFFs (Robot Friend Forever)
The traditional BFF (best friend forever) is set to be replaced by a robot equivalent for many young people, according to new research.One in five 9-18-year-olds believe a robot could one day become their friend, and 8% admit they already speak to their voice-activated personal assistant like a pal.The research, commissioned by EngineeringUK ahead of Tomorrow’s Engineers Week, reveals how school children feel about living and working with robots…..Read more