EPC Stafford Congress

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Industry Links - A Path for the Future
Dr. Derek Pinches MSc, PhD, C Eng, FIEE
General Manager High Voltage Products Areva TD
UK Ltd Stafford

• EPC Stafford Congress
• 5th April 2006

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Topics

• Introduction
• Changes in the UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry
• Changes to Industrial Links
• Vision of the Future

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Introduction

• What Industry Needs
• excellence in engineering and technology in
  higher education
• industry links considered as a two way process
• service offered by colleges and universities to
  industry to provide higher education and research
  facilities
• industry to provide feedback to ensure colleges
  and universities are kept up to date with new
  technologies, processes etc
• identify changes in UK industries in particular
  heavy manufacturing
• review links between industry and academia for
  current and future needs

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Changes in the UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry

• UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry to early 1970s
• UK world leader in heavy manufacturing for
  traditional industries, electrical, mechanical
  and chemical industries etc
• factories self supporting, many components
  manufactured in house, (ie machine components,
  sub assemblies and testing, less outsourcing)
• own research facilities often linked to
  Universities
• traditional craft and student apprenticeships

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Changes in the UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry

• UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry to early 1970s
  (continued)
• skill required tended towards silo process
• design engineer narrow field of responsibility
  but specialist in that area
• Higher Education tailored to this field
• Industry generally had extensive research and
  test centres
• research work was often carried out in joint
  cooperation with Universities.
• Higher Education was part time (day/evening) and
  full time courses

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Changes in the UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry

• UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry from 1970s to
  present day and future
• decline of heavy engineering industries in UK to
  overseas
• mergers, factory closures
• relocation to overseas mainland Europe, third
  world countries, China, India
• technology retained in UK and Europe

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Changes in the UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry

• UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry from 1970s to
  present day and future
• remaining industries reduced scope
• design
• outsourcing for components and sub assembly
• final assemblies
• limited test facilities
• traditional skills in decline
• changes in industry links

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Changes in the UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry

• UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry from 1970s to
  present day and future
• skill requirements tending towards non silo
  process,
• engineering becoming less specialised (with the
  exception of research)
• engineers need to cover wider scope and become
  interdisciplinary
• application engineering
• CAD
• supply chain management
• project management
• contract law

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Changes in the UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry

• UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry from 1970s to
  present day and future
• skill requirements tending towards non silo
  process
• reduced size of manufacturing companies
• reduced range of skills and activities
• engineering becoming less specialised (with the
  exception of research)
• engineers taking on more and more duties outside
  the traditional engineering duties
• distinction between commercial and engineering
  work becoming less defined
• engineers now taking responsibility for Project
  Management

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Changes in the UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry

• UK Heavy Manufacturing Industry from 1970s to
  present day and future
• change is consistent with visions with the
  formation of the new IET by IEE and IIE
• interdisciplinary engineers no longer work
  within boundaries of traditional disciplines
• global generate acquire and distribute knowlege
  globally
• inclusiveall stages of the engineering lifecycle
  need to be interlinked

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Changes to Industrial Links

• Training Engineers to meet the future
• future engineers need to be trained in
  multi-disciplined subjects, technical and non
  technical subjects
• academia and industry needs to continue to
  develop suitable academic courses to include
• application engineering
• CAD
• supply chain management
• quality
• project management
• contract law

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Changes to Industrial Links

• Training Engineers to meet the future
• continuing professional development (CPD)
• colleges and universities offer top up courses
  for mature students
• industry provide interface between academia and
  industry with short bespoke courses
• post graduate courses, eg project based MSc/M
  Phil courses as a catalyst for research projects

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Vision of the Future

• Plan today for the Future
• need for academia and industry to work together
  to move technology forward
• industry to utilise resourses of academia to
  carry out/ assist in research projects
• encourage continual professional development for
  young and mature students
• academia to work with industry to create
  appropriate courses to train and qualify multi
  disciplined engineers for the future
• there is a future in engineering which is vital
  for the UK economy

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• Thanks For Your Attention

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