UEA Endless Opportunities Newsletter - design & print Creative Sponge

1. Endless
opportunities
Commercial news and opportunities from the University of East Anglia
Issue 02 Spring 2009
New University Chair
sponsored by Aviva
Technology used by
BAFTA-nominated initiative
InCrops initiative boosts
low carbon economy

2. Endless opportunities • Issue 02 Spring 2009
02 New University Chair • BAFTA nominated initiative uses the University’s technology
New University Chair
is sponsored by Aviva
Norwich Union, soon to become As well as benefiting the insurance company, and business people to work together. This
analysis is also being undertaken to benefit the exciting partnership will ensure that we stay
Aviva, and the University of East paying customer, particularly those coming up at the cutting edge of statistical development
Anglia has announced that there to retirement. The analysis is being used to allowing us and the University to mutually benefit
will be a new Chair within the examine how annuities are affected by external from the development and implementation of
factors such as a customer’s health, lifestyle leading edge statistical techniques.”
University’s School of Computing and where they live.
Professor Vic Rayward-Smith, Head of the
Sciences. The appointment, Clive Bolton, Aviva’s Director of Annuity Business University’s School of Computing Sciences,
sponsored by the company, and Pricing says: “By its very nature, insurance says: “We are delighted to receive this
will be the Aviva Chair in is founded on risk, so staying at the forefront of sponsorship. Statistical techniques are a
statistical developments is essential to the future major research area within the School and
Insurance Statistics. of the business. This arrangement with one of for many years, we have worked with Aviva
Statistical analysis is at the core of calculating the country’s foremost academic institutions will helping them to analyse their own customer
an individual customer’s insurance premium, help ensure that this objective is achieved.” databases and to develop accurate pricing
for example determining the flood risk attached and marketing strategies.”
The new arrangement, initially for three years, will
to homes or the theft risk of a car. Therefore, further strengthen the relationship between two Aviva has also taken a keen interest in the
exploring in depth the statistical nature of risk is of Norwich’s most important organisations, and University’s new undergraduate degree in
fundamental to the profitability of the insurance will help to advance the statistical capability Actuarial Science and the new Chair will join
business and the analytical expertise provided within the business. academics in computing sciences, mathematics
by the University will give Aviva a real and business to provide a research-led and
competitive advantage. Dan Pickens, Aviva’s Personal Lines Director
appropriate degree programme for the actuary
adds: “This is a great opportunity for academics
of the 21st Century.
BAFTA
nominated
initiative
uses the
University’s
technology ‘Performing Hands’ – an interactive educational resource
A project using innovative activities and stories created to help deaf children SYS Consulting Ltd working with the Shoreditch
build grammatical sentences and create stories Consortium led by Gamelab London for the BBC.
technology developed within the in both British Sign Language (BSL) and written
School of Computing Sciences Professor John Glauert, Executive Director of
English. The on-screen child-friendly virtual
SYS Consulting Ltd said: “It is very exciting to
was nominated for a BAFTA humans have been programmed to
see cutting-edge animation research from the
communicate in sign language as well as
Children’s Award. English, which were developed by a research
University of East Anglia being applied for the
benefit of the deaf community.”
‘Performing Hands’ is a fun, engaging and group specialising in virtual humans.
interactive educational resource designed to Martyn Wright, a producer at Gamelab London,
The technology was adapted for ‘Performing
encourage literacy among deaf children in the said: “It was great working with University on this
Hands’ under a substantial contract through
UK. It is a resource packed full of games, project. Their avatar technology has added real
University of East Anglia spin-out company
magic to the project.”

3. Endless opportunities • Issue 02 Spring 2009
03 InCrops initiative boosts low carbon economy
InCrops initiative boosts
low carbon economy
A new multi-million pound scheme based at the The project will use the region’s scientific expertise to create new
plant-based products such as bio-plastics and packaging. Carbon and
University of East Anglia will develop novel uses for climate-friendly hemp for car parts are one of the types of innovative
crops to reduce our dependency on man-made methods that will be supported by the new scheme which is designed
products in a bid to tackle climate change. to boost eco-businesses and create jobs. Norfolk-based Lotus Cars are
currently piloting the use of locally-produced hemp in fibreglass panels.
Innovation in Crops (InCrops) has received more than £2 million from the
East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and the European Union to The scheme is also good news for farmers as new markets for novel
develop and implement, over the next five years, an enterprise hub linking crops will be created, using plants which can thrive in a changing climate.
the region’s world-class researchers with businesses looking to develop Demand for post-harvest waste is also set to increase as new uses are
new products. The scheme is aiming to create 140 jobs, support 120 new found, such as biomass fuel.
low carbon products or services and achieve a significant reduction in Dr John French, InCrops Director, said: “There has been a good deal of
carbon emissions. controversy in recent months about the cultivation of crops for fuel that
InCrops is based at the University, with partners across the region including could be used for food. But it’s not necessarily a question of cultivating
Cambridge University School of Plant Science, Rothamsted Research, crops either for food or for other uses. We need to maximise our use of
Building Research Establishment, John Innes Centre, Essex University crops and reduce waste. We also need to investigate the future crops
and Renewables East, the regional agency for renewable energy. we should be growing as climate change starts to affect the land and
agriculture of this region. These crops can be used for fibre, high-value
chemicals and extracts, protein and starch.”

4. Endless opportunities • Issue 02 Spring 2009
04 Environmental expertise on tackling climate change • A new tool to help identify criminals
University offers environmental
expertise on tackling climate change
A new report ‘Climate Change: for us to plan to adapt to climate change as
well as to attempt to mitigate the change.
Adapting to the Inevitable’
published by the Institute of IMechE warns that if CO2 emissions are not
slashed, then within 30 years temperatures are
Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), predicted to rise by 2 degrees – by which time,
in partnership with Arup and the report says, it will be too little, too late.
the University of East Anglia, The report seeks to highlight the potentially
suggests that the effects of devastating consequences that climate change
will create if we fail to ‘adapt’ to a new world
climate change are unstoppable with a series of engineering solutions. IMechE
and CO2 reduction treaties are recommends strategic action plans are created
and implemented with urgency across the
near useless. following areas: energy, water, built environment
The report shows the UK is suffering from and transport.
increased flooding, volatile storms, droughts and
The report’s recommendations include heavily
intense heat and areas including London and the
investing in planning and resources for our future
Norfolk Broads could eventually, literally, be
settlements, critical national assets (power
wiped off the map.
stations and ports) and transport routes whilst
Whilst not being against attempts to reduce also urging the UK to lead the industrialised
emissions, the reports’ authors call for world to help vulnerable nations cope with
government to be more realistic about what impending climate change events.
we can achieve through this method and calls
Developing a
new tool to help
identify criminals
The University’s research team, led by Professor David Russell, has
established that fingerprints can reveal far more than just identity.
Currently a fingerprint is only good to identify To test the technique, Professor Russell received conditions all produce specific chemicals
a criminal if there already is a fingerprint on file. prints from volunteer drug users at a local clinic secreted in sweat and oil.
However, the new technique could be used to and detected the drug use. So far five different
By establishing any medical conditions attached
reveal a person’s drug habit and potentially even drugs can be detected: THC (marijuana),
to criminals could help police track down a
his or her medical history; giving police new tools cocaine, nicotine, methadone and a derivative
suspect by, for example, watching the local
to help discover identity. of methadone. Other drugs, particularly opium-
kidney dialysis clinic if the suspect has kidney
based drugs like heroine or morphine, should
The new technique attaches iron oxide particles failure. Not only will this technique help the
also be detectable, since antibodies already
to antibodies and suspends them both in a liquid police, it could equally be used to help keep
exist for them as well.
solution, which is then drizzled over a fingerprint. the accused out of jail. If the fingerprint has the
If the chemical that a specific antibody targets is The next stage of the research will concentrate antibody for a condition the accused does not
present, the molecules latch onto it and glow. on the detection of medical conditions. Cancer, have, it could raise doubts about the
diabetes, heart disease and other medical prosecutor’s case.

5. Endless opportunities • Issue 02 Spring 2009
05 UK universities outperform the US • Expertise widely quoted within report
UK universities outperform the US
in commercialisation activity
Paul Wellings, Vice Chancellor of The report, which contains Welling’s personal formed. UK universities produced more than
perspective, dispels the myth that UK institutions three times the number of start-ups per $100
Lancaster University and author are lagging far behind there counterparts in million in research expense compared with US
of a recent report on the state moving research out of universities into the institutions, but the data did reveal that there was
of university commercialisation marketplace. In actual fact, between 2000 and a significant differential in the dollar value of the
2004, UK institutions produced significantly UK deals. Despite the higher number of licences,
activity, came across a surprising better results. the total income generated pales in comparison
set of benchmarks comparing With the UK’s $100 million investment in
to the US.
UK university technology transfer research, the UK outperformed the US in the Within his report, Welling’s offered several
activity against Australia, Canada number of License and Option Agreements, recommendations for UK universities to improve
the number of these Agreements that generate their existing Intellectual Property management
and the US. income and the number of start-up companies policies and practices.
University
expertise
widely quoted
within report
Professor Neil Ward, Dean of Prof Ward, who was widely quoted within its The report calls on Defra to improve its approach
report, said: “This is a timely report with a set to developing the rural economy and to work
Social Sciences who was formally of very well-targeted recommendations for more effectively with regional development
the Director of the Centre for government. The potential of England's rural agencies and local authorities.
Rural Economy in Newcastle, economies has not been given the attention it
It also states that the Regional Development
deserves over recent years, but the Committee's
has welcomed a report from the report sets out the steps to put this right.”
Agencies need to review and better
communicate what they are doing to promote
Environment, Food and Rural Many of the recommendations that he made rural economic development and that the
Affairs Committee on the potential have been taken on board in the report, which government should focus on economic
of England’s rural economy. concludes that the government has not given the development across all rural areas, and not just
economic potential of rural areas the attention target its interventions in the most economically
it deserves. lagging areas.
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