Past projects

Electronics, Sensors, Photonic Knowledge Transfer Network – ESP KTN

ESP KTN spans the technologies underpinning devices, tools and technologies that are taken for granted today—and that will be taken for granted tomorrow.

ESP is committed to connecting people who don’t usually meet because that’s where the magic happens. Whether this means farmers talking to sensors specialists about sustainable agriculture; or materials scientists talking to laser scientists about 3D printing—we exist to put innovation into practical use.

Action to Support Photonic Innovation Clusters in Europe – ASPICE

The need for on-going international cooperation among Photonic Clusters is pivotal in increasing their overall effectiveness in promoting research and innovation, strengthening the European economy and addressing societal challenges. ASPICE seeks to succeed in this goal by achievingspecific objectives including the development of a reference guide of good practices, profiling of the value/supply chains in specific highly innovative domains, and supporting cooperation and collaboration between relevant stakeholders. Particular emphasis will be given in profiling and leveraging the value/supply chains in two societal challenges where photonics technology will be a key solution provider, namely ‘Healthcare in an Aging Society’ and ‘Safety and security for Europe’s citizens’. Furthermore, ASPICE will actively engage cluster and platform representatives and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the ‘translation’ of the reference guide and the value/supply chain profiles into actionable plans for embedding the more suitable practices into the programmes of Europe’s Photonic Clusters.

Robotics and Autonomous Systems Special Interest Group

Currently much of the required capability in this area is fragmented across universities and companies, and across market sectors, though it is world-class in many aspects. In order to create a vision for an emerging industrial RAS sector in the UK and to identify the programmes needed to realise it, an integrated community of entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers and potential end users is needed. The SIG will support the development of such a community, using existing Knowledge Transfer Network infrastructure, and to enable the relevant knowledge to be shared more readily.

Smart DC Special Interest Group

Smart DC: Sensible use of Power. Join us in making a BIG difference.

How many mains adaptors do you have? Not just the obvious ones, but if you look around your home and consider how many of your devices actually use low voltage DC, there’s more than you think. With local DC power generation, can we do better? What are the implications for the GRID, and for the building industry?

This is not just a green issue, or a convenience issue: it is going to become a critical issue. From 2015 UK power generation capacity will be reducing as power stations are taken off grid, with no plans yet for how they will be replaced.

Internet of Things Special Interest Group

The Internet of Things Special Interest Group aims to provide a forum for the promotion of business ideas and opportunities on the Internet of Things. The Internet of Things (or IoT) describes the revolution already under way that is seeing a growing number of internet-enabled devices that can network and communicate with each other and with other web-enabled gadgets.

Connected Digital Economy Special Interest Group

The main forum for engagement and discussions with businesses and academics and other stakeholders  interested in the establishment of the Connected Digital Economy (CDE) Catapult. The aim of the Catapult is to position the UK to lead in the introduction of radically new applications, services and experiences across the increasing breadth of the internet economy.

ESP is working with the ICT and Creative Industries KTNs to conduct large scale consultation exercises across disparate communities in order to publish advice on the key strategic priorities of the Catapult, and provide input to the Catapult’s business plan on technical priorities.

Energy Harvesting Special Interest Group

Energy Harvesting is a means of powering electronic devices by scavenging many low-grade ambient, or “wasted” energy sources such as environmental vibrations, human power, thermal gradients, or pressure gradients, and their conversion into useable electrical energy. Energy harvesting devices are therefore potentially attractive as replacements for primary batteries in low power applications.

Along with building a supply chain community for energy harvesting, the SIG is advising the Technology Strategy Board on programme scope, and is running brokering activities to build R&D partnerships.

Energy Efficient Computing Special Interest Group

Digital systems are already responsible for a significant demand for power. On a large scale, data centres already consume about 3% of the World’s electricity. On a small scale, there is a pressing need to increase compute-effectiveness per Watt in mobile devices. To address these opportunities, the EEC SIG needs to connect a diverse range of challenges ranging from the design of novel computing architectures to the development of energy-aware software techniques.

Forensic Science Special Interest Group

This special interest group was called for in the output from the Silverman review of forensic science in the UK. As with other domains, funding is scarce, yet the needs for forensic technologies continues to grow. Hence, the FoSci SIG will be working to improve communication between users, academia and industry in terms of identifying future requirements and informing direction for research and development.

The SIG is sponsored by the National Policing Improvement Agency, Home Office Centre for Applied Science and Technology, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the Forensic Science Society.