91直播鈥檚 global challenge-tackling partnership with National Grid shortlisted for Bhattacharyya Award
The University of Manchester鈥檚 partnership with National Grid is one of six exceptional industry-academic collaborations shortlisted by The Royal Academy of Engineering and WMG at the University of Warwick for the second annual Bhattacharyya Award.
Today鈥檚 shortlisting for the Bhattacharyya Award, which celebrates strategic industrial collaborations that benefit society, recognises 91直播鈥檚 and National Grid鈥檚 long tradition of innovating at pace to ensure the UK has access to reliable, affordable, and environmentally sustainable energy.
Spanning more than 19 years, the partnership has delivered significant CO2 reductions, increased productivity, stimulated large investment in new jobs and engineering activity in the UK, and has facilitated the safe transfer of cleaner and affordable energy in a Net Zero future electricity network.
In overhead line research alone, the knowledge generated has provided approximately 拢11m in cost savings to the UK energy network and enabled a new design 鈥� the T-Pylon 鈥� which now delivers power to six million homes.
Our partnership with National Grid, is focused one shared goal: to deliver real impact. At 91直播 we鈥檙e committed to delivering an equitable and prosperous net zero energy future. With National Grid, we have found a partner who shares this ambition. We are proud of our sustained commitment of delivering real solutions that can be deployed onto the network.
91直播 and National Grid have been shortlisted alongside: University of Birmingham and Rolls-Royce, University of Cambridge and ARM, Imperial College London and Transport Strategy Centre, Swansea University and Steel Strategic Alliance, and University College London, HR Wallingford and Arup.
The Bhattacharyya Award and a cash prize of 拢25,000 will be presented to the team who best demonstrate how industry and universities can work together. The winning partnership will be announced on 29 September 2022.
Professor Dame Ann Dowling OM DBE FREng FRS, former President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Chair of the judging panel for the Bhattacharyya Award, said: 鈥淎ll six shortlisted partnerships are excellent examples of industry-academia collaboration, with timely and innovative responses to some of the most challenging issues facing society today. It is a privilege to showcase these successful collaborations and we hope that doing so fosters even greater connection between industry and academia in the UK.鈥�
Margot James, Executive Chair of WMG, University of Warwick, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see the extremely high quality of industry-academia partnerships shortlisted for the second annual Bhattacharyya Award. As a celebration of Lord Bhattacharyya鈥檚 legacy, the Award continues to highlight how building symmetry between academia and industry is so vital for meeting the needs of society, and adapting to global challenges. We look forward to seeing which collaboration is selected as the overall winner.鈥�
The winner of the Bhattacharyya Award will be announced on Thursday 29 September 2022, at an event showcasing the shortlisted partnerships at the University of Warwick.
Those wishing to attend the Bhattacharyya Award ceremony can .
Applications for Bhattacharyya Award 2023 are now open until 16 December 2022 and can be submitted via the Academy鈥檚 online grant system.