Academics, industrialists and policy makers will address issues such as: how new ways of using robotics and autonomous systems can restore the balance between engineered and natural systems in the cities of the future; how to understand the nature of meta-materials and advanced materials for use in electronic systems and the manufacture of new devices; and how to understand the complexity and interconnectedness of systems, identify critical and vulnerable dependencies, prevent their failure and improve their resilience and reliability.
The research consortia will involve 19 UK universities and 80 partners with £21million of funding secured by the EPSRC. They will begin work in December and are supported by an additional £11m investment from industry, bring the total level of support to £32m.
Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson said: “As a One Nation Government we are investing in world-class science and engineering across our country. We want the UK to be the best place in Europe to innovate and this £21m investment will bring together the nation’s researchers to address some of the most pressing engineering challenges we face. From ground-breaking work with robotics to advanced air-flow simulators, this investment will help tackle our aging water infrastructure and air pollution in cities to improve the lives of millions of people around the world.”
