With the recent acceleration of technologies such as IoT, cloud computing, and big data – people and services have become more connected than ever. In response to this increasing availability of data and digital services the transport sector is undergoing a sizable transformation as a result of the growing need for more sustainable and accessible travel solutions.

This has stimulated a considerable amount of research aimed at improving the connectivity of transport infrastructure and services, developing new business models that package different modes and services together into one mobile application or online platform to make the planning and payment of trips easier for people and businesses.

Such innovation has been termed ‘Mobility as a Service’ (MaaS), and was outlined in the UK Government’s report Future of mobility: urban strategy, 2019 which aimed to help urban areas harness the benefits and opportunities of new transport innovation.

MaaS platforms integrate and analyse data from transport systems, such as rail, buses, taxis and even cycle hire, to offer the user a choice in journey planning.

The concept of MaaS is to make journeys more convenient through streamlining planning and payment and allowing people to tailor journeys to their specific needs.

In its drive to meet decarbonisation and net zero ambitions the UK Government produced a Code of Practice for Mobility as a Service (MaaS) in 2023. This comprehensive framework focuses on convenience, accessibility and innovation to ensure that modern mobility apps meet the needs of the public. Indeed, the main objective is to make transport options accessible to all, paving the way for an interconnected, user-centric transport ecosystem.

But how effective would such a system be in the UK? what impact would MaaS have globally particularly in remote locations and low income economies? And is the transport industry really ready to integrate this level of digital interconnectivity into its services?

To answer these an other questions about MaaS I spoke with Dr Kate Pangbourne, associate Professor of transport governance at the Institute for Transport Studies at Leeds University and Sharon Kindleysides, Transport engineer and board member of the European Logistics Association to get their views on what implications it might have for the UK transport sector, the impact it could have on society in terms of accessibility and cost, and what challenges it might face in the UK and beyond.

Dr Kate Pangbourne Sharon Kindleysides

Useful Links

Forsight report on MaaS

European MaaS Alliance

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org

This week (6th and 7th March) sees the IMechE host its fourth hydrogen economy conference in London. The international event will focus on infrastructure challenges as well as the storage and management of hydrogen as part of a wider ‘green energy’ supply.

iStock Image

Given the UK Government’s ambition for a decarbonised power sector by 2050, which will see the share of renewables in our generation mix increase significantly, a stable supply from these somewhat variable energy sources, will become ever more important. The UK will therefore need substantial investment in its energy infrastructure to ensure that energy can be efficiently stored for days, months even years at a time.

Engineers across the globe are looking at a range of technologies which incorporate not just hydrogen but compressed air, molten salts, and synthetic fuels to determine how energy could be stored in different forms, or for different durations, ensuring that our energy requirements remain affordable, secure and stable while delivering on crucial emissions reductions.

Home 3-phase battery storage installation - H Hudson & Imp Electrical

In this month’s episode Helen talks with Professor Tony Roskilly Chair of Energy Systems at Durham University about the future of energy supply decarbonisation and what engineers are doing to address the challenges of energy storage, management and infrastructure of clean energy sources.

Professor Roskilly has over 30 years experience in the design, control, and operational optimisation of energy systems and energy management, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology. He sits on the UK Government’s Hydrogen Advisory Council Research and Innovation Working Group,and is a Member of DfT Multi-Model Hydrogen Transport Hub Board.

Tony is also a Co-Director of the Durham Energy Institute, leading on Industrial and Internationalisation Strategy, and is the UK representative for the European Energy Research Alliance’s Joint Programmes for Energy Efficiency in Industrial Processes and Energy Systems Integration.

If that didn’t fill all of Tony’s time he also leads the UK hydrogen fuelled transportation network and is responsible for a large team at Durham University which leads national research on the decarbonisation of heating and cooling, focusing on the utilisation of solar, thermal and geothermal energy, thermal energy recovery, storage and utilisation and energy systems integration.

Unsplash free image

Useful Links

Prof. Tony Roskilly

Net-Zero Research Network

Making Waves: The Future of Shipping

Durham Energy Institute

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org

The ever-present challenges of climate change, over-reliance on limited resources and a global demand for new technologies, is pushing the engineering community to find more innovative ways to design and manufacture products.

Image Source: UK Metamaterials Network https://metamaterials.network/what-are-metamaterials/

Engineers and scientists working in the materials science sector have been exploring the properties of everyday materials such as metals, plastics and glass for centuries, to identify new properties and behaviours which might enable us to conserve the world’s finite resources.

In this episode Helen talks with three leading experts in the field of Metamaterials -  engineered materials that have unique 3-dimensional structures, which cause them to behave in ways not found in nature.

Image Source:Exeter University Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/groups/physics/emag/themes/mmto/ 

Their precise shape, geometry, size, orientation and arrangement gives them ‘smart properties’ capable of unconventional shape changes and the ability to manipulate electromagnetic waves: achieving benefits that go beyond what is possible with conventional materials.

With incredible versatility and innate sustainability built directly into their structures, metamaterials have the potential to be used in the electronics, communications, healthcare, aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors.

This episodes guests are:

Dr Claire Dancer - associate professor & reader in Materials Science & metallurgy at WMG – University of Warwick and vice chair of the Metamaterials Network, who is working on ceramic metamaterials and manufacture processes.

Dr Calum Williams – lecturer in Physics at the University of Exeter who is focusing on photonic and optical metamaterials and their surface properties.

Dr Tom Allen - Fellow of the IMechE and senior lecturer in sports technology at the Manchester metropolitan university who is looking at how mechanical metamaterials can change athlete’s performance.

Useful Links

https://metamaterials.network/ 

https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/metamaterials/

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org