Tackling tomorrow’s engineering research challenges

The initiative is being led and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). It is intended to help them address the challenges identified in the 2022 Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges (TERC) report. TERC involved extensive engagement with the UK’s engineering community and set out a long-term vision for engineering research.

In the UK, engineers have long been at the heart of technological revolutions and to this day continue to transform the way that we live our lives. These new projects, led by teams that combine appropriate expertise and experience, will help ensure the UK can face future challenges and contribute to economic growth, social wellbeing and the transition to net zero.

The funded projects are part of a broader strategic response by EPSRC that aims to address the recommendations of TERC. In early 2023, UK Research and Innovation launched a responsive mode pilot scheme to specifically accommodate cross-disciplinary ideas. The projects funded included those that are tackling engineering research challenges.

In addition, to encourage more engagement with interdisciplinary challenges, physical sciences and engineering strategic advisory teams were recently brought together. This approach was to better understand the interfaces between the disciplines and promote greater translation between science and engineering.

Jane Nicholson, Executive Director for Research at EPSRC said: "Engineering is the cornerstone to a more sustainable, successful and thriving future for the UK. From developing renewable energy solutions to creating smart cities, engineering innovations are driving progress in every sector. These new networks will address the strategic challenges outlined by the TERC report. Together, these researchers present a hugely ambitious, thoughtful response to the economic, environmental and social challenges we all face."

Salford Acoustic Research Centre, with Professor Antonio Torija Martinez and Dr Simone Graetzer as co-leads, will be involved in the Noise Network, looking to engineer a quieter future. Environmental noise has a major impact on public health, society and wildlife, much of which is a result of engineering activities, such as roads, airports and construction.

Despite its pervasive effects, noise is currently a neglected pollutant, underscoring the urgent need for more research and better interdisciplinary coordination. In response, this project sets out to re-engineer the discipline of engineering, making noise a consideration at all stages of the design process. It will create a mission-oriented inter-organisational research and innovation network, ‘noise network plus’, as a catalyst to bring together diverse, dynamic teams from across disciplines. It will build unprecedented noise research capabilities to deliver a healthier, quieter, society and environment.