Industry News

Dstl:  As part of its quest to find the very best armour solutions for UK forces, Dstl’s Armour & Protection Science and Technology Centre (A&P STC) is providing access to test facilities for SMEs who have developed armour materials or systems, but who are having difficulties in putting them through their paces.

Dstl Scientists are used to testing armour materials & systems in rigorously controlled ways as part of the development & acceptance of armour for armed forces.  Dstl uses weapons & explosives that are not generally available and must be carried out safely & in well characterised conditions.  It is also not cheap, but the cost to SMEs is just the cost of supplying the material or system.

Press release & links

GeoPlace:  GeoPlace has developed an INSPIRE compliant view service to publish data from the National Street Gazetteer (NSG) as part of the INSPIRE Transport theme. Through this publishing service local authorities will meet the INSPIRE publishing requirements for the transport theme.

Press release & links

DECC:  The Government has recently launched its eagerly awaited £20m Marine Energy Array Demonstrator scheme (MEAD), which will support up to 2 pre-commercial projects to demonstrate the operation of wave and/or tidal devices in array formation over a period of time.   Generating energy from the power of waves or tides could provide up to 20% of current electricity demand.

Organisations can apply to the MEAD scheme online via the DECC website. The closing date for applications is 12 noon on 1 June 2012.  DECC will host an event on 2 May 2012 for anyone interested in applying and would encourage anyone planning to submit a bid to attend to learn more about the requirements of the scheme.  Projects must be up & running by the end of March 2016.

Press release & links

ScotGov:  Dutch renewables company 2-B Energy has joined forces with Scottish Enterprise to deliver cutting-edge offshore wind technology with the potential to reduce costs by up to 45%.  The organisations will work together to support commercialisation of 2-B’s unique two-bladed offshore turbine concept through development of offshore test & demonstration facilities in Scotland – potentially by the end of 2014.

The 2-B concept bucks the trend toward the more conventional three-bladed horizontal axis onshore wind technology currently being deployed offshore and its design significantly reduces the number of components required throughout the lifetime of the turbine, which should result in significantly lower operation & maintenance costs.

Press release & links

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