Business News
Advisor named for smart energy project
West Midlands based engineering- construction firm Burns & McDonnell has been chosen by Keele University as the main technical advisor for the delivery of its ground-breaking ‘Smart Energy Network Demonstrator’ (SEND). The £15m SEND project will be
the first of its kind in Europe, and is a laboratory where new energy- efficient technologies can be researched, developed and tested in a real-world environment. Burns & McDonnell will support
the university in bringing this project to reality and will oversee the technical design and execution. SEND will provide the
opportunity to assess the efficiency of new energy technologies in terms of energy reduction, cost and CO2 emissions. Over the next three and a half years the project will support more than 240 local businesses, while saving 4,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide each year. Jonathan Chapman, Burns & McDonnell’s UK managing director, said: “The opportunity to offer our services and expertise on such a project is an exciting next step in the UK market and a vote of confidence in Burns & McDonnell and what we have to offer.
‘We will support the university in delivering an innovative future network’
“We share Keele University’s
vision of delivering energy networks that embrace innovation and new technologies in order to deliver a sustainable, clean and efficient energy future. Using our expertise, we will support the university in delivering an innovative future network in order to help the UK realise its potential as a low carbon economy, as set out in the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy. “This is also a mark of our
commitment to the aims of the Midlands Engine, which are so vital to the future prosperity of the Midlands and of the UK. The important research undertaken at Keele University is one of the reasons why the Midlands is at the forefront of industrial innovation and we hope to play our part in supporting the region and the UK as its partner.” Professor Mark Ormerod, deputy
vice-chancellor and provost of Keele University, said: “SEND is a fantastic example of innovation delivering really tangible results for Keele University, businesses and the wider UK economy, as well as major societal benefits.”
8 CHAMBERLINK June 2018
Strengthening ties with Devon and Cornwall
Stronger business relationships are to be forged between the West Midlands and Devon and Cornwall. Greater Birmingham Chambers
of Commerce (GBCC) is to create a partnership with the Greater South West Business Council (GSWBC), a private-sector-led, sub-regional partnership. The purpose is to establish
business links between the GBCC and the GSWBC, a powerful voice for business in the region which claims to be “often the first point of contact for many politicians, regional journalists and programme makers”.
‘There are enormous opportunities for trade between the two regions’
Russell Jeans, chief operating
officer at the GBCC, said: “There are many synergies between the GBCC and the GSWBC despite its vast demographic differences. “There are enormous
opportunities for trade between the two regions, not the least in niche food products, and we will work closely with colleagues in Devon and Cornwall to create a working
the competitiveness of the region and promote economic development. The GSWBC has changed its
name from the Devon and Cornwall Business Council and Mr Daniels said: “This is very much designed to focus on the changes we are driving in the region and to prepare ourselves and the region for the future. “And we also want to align
ourselves with developments in the West Midlands like HS2 and the Commonwealth Games in 2022. “We are creating one voice for
the South West, where many of our issues are similar to those in the West Midlands, like infrastructure, skills and innovation. “But we are very different in a
Robin Daniels: Focusing on the future
relationship beneficial to all.” Robin Daniels is now chief
executive of the GSWBC after founding Plymouth’s Redpill, a consultancy that specialises innovation and growth for cities, companies and universities. The GSWBC is a private sector-
led sub-regional economic partnership and their quarterly meetings are designed to enhance
population make-up. Birmingham is the youngest city in Europe but population growth in the South West of 20,000 last year was largely through older people. This is presenting us with many economic challenges and we can learn from experiences in Birmingham. “We are moving successfully into
many new sectors, including agri- technology, artificial intelligence and Falmouth University is extremely strong in the creative and design sectors.”
Young pianist earns top recognition
Keyboard genius: Lauren Zhang
A pianist from Charleston, Illinois who studies at Birmingham City University’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, has been named as the winner of BBC Young Musician 2018. After impressing the judges at both the Keyboard
Category Final and Semi-Final, Lauren Zhang secured the top title in the final of the UK-wide competition, which was held in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. Lauren, aged 16, performed Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano
Concerto No. 2 with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the renowned British conductor Mark Wigglesworth. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2018, the competition was broadcast on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3. Lauren studies at the Junior Conservatoire, part of
the new £57m Royal Birmingham Conservatoire at Birmingham City University. Professor Julian Lloyd Webber, principal at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, said: “Having spent a lifetime making music with some of the world’s finest musicians I can honestly say that Lauren is up there with the best – she is a total phenomenon.” Lauren said: “I can’t believe it. I’d like to thank my
family, as well as my friends and teachers for supporting me along the way.” An American-born Chinese, Lauren is taught by Dr
Robert Markham, who himself was a finalist in the BBC Young Musician competition in 1986.
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