The University of Bath’s Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS) is a new £70 million R&I facility set to open at the end of June. Working with industry, inventors, researchers and academics, IAAPS will deliver rapid R&I to accelerate the transition from low carbon to zero carbon vehicles. By pushing the limits of propulsion technology, IAAPS will support automotive partners to develop future generations of cleaner, smarter engines, powertrains and driver technologies, underpinning the vision and purpose of the DETI programme.
Designed with collaboration and knowledge sharing at its heart, the new state-of-the-art facility, opening in 3 months will ensure IAAPS continues to support the automotive industry with the development of sustainable clean-vehicle technologies, new development tools and simulation techniques.
With the operational launch of the new IAAPS facilities now in sight, the team continue to strengthen connections with existing IAAPS networks whilst also reaching out to potential new partners who may wish to collaborate on the transformational research, development and testing that the new building will enable.
The construction and fit-out work to the new facility are progressing well with “practical completion” due in the coming weeks. AVL, the specialist research equipment supplier, are already well advanced with the installation of the state-of-the-art equipment into the research cells. The dynamometers are now installed in preparation for the IAAPS Engineering Team to start commissioning. Work is also well advanced on the IT infrastructure to the building, which is now networked and live. Facility management initiatives are also progressing well to ensure the new building is ready for occupation in late spring.
A newly appointed leadership team is overseeing the smooth development and delivery of the new facility and the research portfolio that underpins it.
Professor Chris Brace, IAAPS Academic Director, Professor Rob Oliver, IAAPS Engineering Director and Gavin Edwards, IAAPS Operations and IT Director are currently expanding their teams as IAAPS gears up to the opening of the new facility and the expansion of the IAAPS R&I portfolio.
Recent appointments to the academic team have included Dr Nic Zhang, Lecturer in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and Dr Aaron Costall, Reader in Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems.
Dr Daniel Coren has also joined as a Senior Lecturer and is currently developing a suite of new Automotive Engineering masters courses. Dr Andrew Lewis has joined the Engineering Team as Principal Engineer – Powertrain and Mitchell Hiscock recently joined as Technical Specialist – Rig Designer.
In the IAAPS Operations Team, Jay Galligan has joined as IT Infrastructure Manager, Steve Deakin has joined as Building Facilities Manager and Kristina Burke has taken on the role of Project Manager. The recruitment drive into all three teams at IAAPS will ramp up over the coming months as we seek out the best talent to join the specialist teams within IAAPS at this exciting phase.
Professor Gary Hawley, Executive Director for IAAPS comments:
“Our new automotive propulsion research facility as part of the Institute of Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS) is now within sight of its operational opening. It has been 6 long years in the making and during this time the automotive industries have been subject to transformational change. The research and educational models that underpin IAAPS have changed as well to be fully synchronous with advancing propulsion into the future. We are excited by the future and the challenges and opportunities that this brings and we remain committed to supporting the needs of the automotive industries.”
This article was first published on the IAAPS website – with thanks to the University of Bath for their contribution and participation in the DETI project.
