Memorandum submitted by TTXGP—the
eGrandPrix
THE NEXT GENERATION OF MOTORSPORT; ZERO CARBON,
CLEAN EMISSION
SUMMARY
— Engineering and manufacturing need to
be recognised as major contributors to the UK's GDP.
— Motorsports is the vehicle by which the
image of engineering and manufacturing can be changed to attract
more young people into these areas.
— Government needs to be more "entrepreneurial"
in its attitude to supporting projects which showcase entrepreneurs
and innovators who are pioneering new technologies across all
forms of transportation.
— Without an arena in which to perform,
venture capitalism or public funding is hard to obtain. Many of
our engineering innovators are struggling to find backers and,
consequently, markets. Initiatives such as the TTXGP can provide
this platform.
— The levels of funding allocated by the
Higher Education Funding Council for England fall significantly
short of the cost of teaching many engineering disciplines.
— Translate policy into practice—appoint
ambassadors/mentors who can "speak the language", ie
who can relate and support. One of the greatest barriers to innovation
in the UK is that people are not encouraged to "fail".
— The Government's low carbon industrial
strategy, New Industry, New Jobs, published in July 2009,
is not focused or structured to encourage innovation at "ground"
level or SMEs.
— The newly formed independent body Manufacturing
Insight can provide a valuable opportunity to co-ordinate activities
and position engineering and manufacturing at the right level
in terms of both public perception and allocation of funding.
BACKGROUND TO
TTXGP
— TTXGP was founded in August 2008. Less
than 12 months later, in June 2009, it held the world's first
zero carbon, clean emission motorcycle race on the historic Isle
of Man TT mountain circuit. It has had some support from the UKTI.
— 16 teams from across the world took part
in one of the two classes—pro or amateur. University entries
were from Brunel, Kingston and Imperial.
— A technical advisory panel was established
with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and members
drawn from leading academic and commercial organisations. This
panel wrote the rules and regulations working with the Auto-Cycle
Union (ACU) and provided the scrutineering facilities both before
and during the race.
— Members of the technical panel, in particular
Professor Pat Wheeler from the School of Electrical Engineering
of Nottingham University, are using TTXGP as a module for their
final year students.
— Entrants to TTXGP were from a mixed background—from
larger companies to one man bands. The common theme was to drive
technology forward—to take motorsports to the next generation.
— TTXGP has just announced its UK series
of four events at major circuits for 2010. It has also agreed,
with the support of the Fédération Internationale
de Motocyclisme, to run a world championships in 2010.
— Discussions are in place for an educational
programme which would see students "build a bike in the classroom".
Designed to inspire the next generation of engineers, it would
run as a pilot scheme in two schools with a view to introducing
it into the curriculum 2010.
ECONOMY
1. Science and engineering contributes 21%
to the UK GDP and the turnover of engineering and technology is
over £800 billion.[24]
Manufacturing contributes £150 billion towards the UK economy
employing around 3 million people.[25]
2. The Government's low carbon industrial
strategy, New Industry, New Jobs[26]
launched in July 2009, estimated that the global market for low
carbon and environmental goods and services (LCEGS) was already
worth £3 trillion in 2007-08.[27]
As international action on climate change gathers momentum, this
could grow to an estimated £4.3 trillion by 2015.
3. The UK low carbon environmental goods
and services (LCEGS) market is worth £106 billion and employs
880,000 people directly or through the supply chain. It is estimated
that over 1 million people will be employed in the LCEGS sector
by the middle of the next decade. These are skilled jobs, with
the average market value per employee well above the national
average. The UK LCEGS sector is one of the few areas of the economy
expected to maintain positive growth rates through the downturn
and is expected to grow by over 4% per annum up to 2014-15.
4. The strategy states that it is not the
intention "to support particular technologies or sectors
on principle, but to target areas where Britain has the potential
to take a leading global role, and where proportionate government
intervention can unlock long-term competitive potential for British
based firms". This is not a policy which can encourage innovation
amongst SMEs which form the bedrock of any economic recovery.
EDUCATION
5. A detailed study of the costs associated
with engineering degrees was commissioned by the Engineering Technology
Board (ETB) and the Engineering Professors' Council (EPC)[28]
which found that engineering departments were operating with shortfalls
in funding of between 15% and 41%. This is an imbalance which
needs to be redressed if we are to equip ourselves with the technically
qualified people to meet demand.
6. Student fees for degree programmes in
the UK can also discourage students from pursuing the longer programmes
that lead to professional qualification. For example, Chartered
Engineers need to have an accredited Masters level which entails
four years of study. This is consistent with EU Directive 2005/36
which specifies a minimum time of higher education study for Level
E professionals. Financial support for year four of study would
make this a more attractive proposition for students.
7. Career guidance needs to be much more
focused on encouraging young people to pursue careers in science,
engineering and technology. At GCSE level, in 2008, 50% of 16
year olds left school with no science-based qualification. Because
of the structure of the curriculum and/or facilities, many schools
can only offer a "general" science course with no separate
studies in physics, chemistry or biology. Engineering Diplomas
are not being marketed correctly to encourage young people to
take them up; they are seen as a "second best" option
rather than as a real practical alternative to obtain the skills
relevant to today's job market.
8. Programmes such as the Learning Grid
and Formula 1 are already successfully operating in schools and
whilst these are to be commended they are not succeeding in influencing
teenagers sufficiently when they are considering their career
path.
9. Initiatives such as TTXGP "Build
a bike" programme can add another dimension of excitement
in the classroom which can help rekindle interest in the STEM
subjects.
IMAGE
10. There is a fundamental and pressing
need to change the image of engineering and manufacturing from
the "hard hat and spanners" portrayal to that of the
modern day professional.
11. A concerted campaign needs to be developed
to raise the profile of the industry to challenge and change public
perceptions of the sector to ensure that resources, in terms of
expertise, are available to be successful in new and evolving
markets.
EMISSION CONTROL
12. The Climate Change Committee has said
(9 September 2009) that households and motorists have to reduce
emissions by 90% to allow air transport to continue and achieve
the required fall in emissions by 2050. Radical innovation in
engine, airframe and fuel technology is required to reduce aviation
emissions in the period to 2050 and a funding source for aviation
R&D should be identified as part of a deal.
ELECTRIFICATION OF
ROAD TRANSPORT
13. The King review[29]
proposed that if substantial progress is made in solving electric
vehicle technology, an almost complete decarbonisation of road
transport is possible by 2050. This depends upon the provision
of carbon-neutral electricity through nuclear and renewable power
generation.
14. Battery technology needs to be developed
further before it can be applied to the mass market. Estimates
vary from 10 to 20 years as to when this technology could be ready.
15. The TTXGP technical panel estimates
that because of the demands of entries into the TTXGP, battery
technology has advanced significantly, by as much as 40%.
MARINE TRANSPORTATION
16. Emissions from marine transportation
have slipped into the shadow of the automotive sector. The technology
focus on marine propulsion is a fraction of that on its automotive
counterpart. This is now changing as water craft are being banned
for noise pollution and the regulations for carbon emissions are
being looked at by the EU and beyond.
17. Pressure is mounting on the UN's International
Marine Organisation and the European Union to tighten laws governing
ship emissions. The UK-based lobbying group. Campaign for Clean
Air, has publicly stated that "it finds it unacceptable that
shipping remains one of the most polluting industries in the world"
and calls for the UK to take a lead in cleaning up emissions.
18. City Hall has said that for the 2012
Olympics it wants much of the "traffic" to be water
borne. That is a major step up from the present situation and,
if to be successful, needs the involvement of many key influencers
from the Port of London Authority to manufacturers. It needs action
and, for example, whereas London is talking about having an electric
car rental fleet on the streets, Paris is already operating one
... Much of the alternative technologies currently evolving in
the automotive industry could be equally well applied to water-based
vessels.
20 September 2009
www.berr.gov.uk/files/file50253.pdf
www.epc.ac.uk/uploads/presentation/EPC-ETBreportfinalversion.doc
24 Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chairman of the Engineering
and Technology Board, March 2009. Back
25
John Hutton, Business Secretary, announcing Manufacturing Insight,
a new independent body set up by industry and representative bodies
in partnership with Government. Back
26
HMG (2009) Building Britain's Future: New Industry, New Jobs,
www.berr.gov.uk/files/file51023.pdf Back
27
Innovas (2009) Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services:
an industry analysis Back
28
"The Costs of Engineering Degrees", ETB/EPC report Back
29
Julia King (208) The King Review of low-carbon cars. Back
| 
