Digital Catapult, the UK authority on advanced digital technology, has today welcomed eight technology pioneers to the Made Smarter Innovation Sustainability Accelerator to improve resource and energy efficiency in UK manufacturing. Working with industry leaders BAE Systems, HS2 and Creagh Concrete, the participating companies will receive support from innovation experts at Digital Catapult to co-develop solutions that will establish a more sustainable industrial future. 

Delivered by Digital Catapult, the programme is funded by Made Smarter and Innovate UK, to build on the success of the Made Smarter Technology Accelerator, which paired UK manufacturers with technology companies to adapt and improve their approach to industrial innovation. The new programme will foster deeper strategic collaborations between tech innovators and industrial pioneers to advance sustainable manufacturing initiatives, including the application of digital twin technologies. 

BAE Systems, which provides some of the world’s most advanced defence, aerospace and security assets, will work with Digica Solutions Ltd to develop a digital twin of its Factory of the Future research centre. Digica’s solution will demonstrate how environmental factors affect manufacturing operations, while Quasir Ltd will combine physics-based models with data-driven machine learning tools to increase operational efficiency, whilst reducing energy consumption and resource waste.

HS2 is constructing Britain’s new high-speed railway, comprising 140-miles of track, four new, state-of-the art stations, two depots, 32 miles of tunnel, and 179 bridges. Construction is based at over 350 active sites between West Midlands and London, most of which will be converted to green sites in the coming years, with Infinitive Group Ltd and Material Index seeking to improve the sustainability of this work by optimising the planned deconstruction process. Both startups will develop digital software tools to integrate and analyse deconstruction-related data effectively to support informed decision making about material recapture and reuse, ensuring that when sites are no longer needed, they are sustainably deconstructed. 

One of the UK’s largest producers of concrete products, Northern Ireland-based Creagh Concrete, will collaborate with DataFlowIQ, Linearworks, Kinsetsu and Coraledge Ltd to gain accurate, comprehensive insight into its production process. Optimising and digitalising the manufacturing process, while improving energy and operational efficiency, will enable Creagh Concrete to maintain its competitive edge and achieve its sustainability goals. 

The programme will offer participants support in the form of sustainability masterclasses, technical monitoring, innovation expertise and peer-to-peer support, to grow each company’s capabilities. The programme will play a critical role in advancing industrial sustainability through the adoption of deep technology, and comes as it was announced that the country is halfway to net zero, with emissions cut by 53% between 1990 and 2023.

Participating startups and SMEs will each receive £75,000 funding to develop a proof of concept and a further £100,000 will be available for up to four companies to progress to phase two. Phase two will support the successful companies to develop pilot prototypes, culminating in a showcase in early 2025 to pitch their solutions to investors and industry leaders.

A man has been jailed after raping a woman while she slept at a London hotel.

Ian Foster (41) of no fixed address, was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment at Wood Green Crown Court yesterday. He was also given a restraining order preventing him from directly or indirectly contacting the victim.

He was unanimously found guilty of rape in April following a trial supported by extensive and damning evidence gathered by investigating officers.

The court heard that the victim, aged in her 30s was known to the suspect. They attended a hotel in Edmonton, in January 2020. A heated argument ensued in the hotel room between the two, where Foster displayed sexual jealousy.

Following the row, Foster (pictured) and the woman went to sleep and in the early hours of January 18, 2020, he raped her while she slept.

Officers attended the hotel later that day, after a concerned phone call from the victim’s mother following the argument. However, the victim did not disclose to officers that she had been raped because she was scared and just wanted to go home – her parents were en route to collect her.

In the early hours of January 19, once the victim was safely home, she reported the incident to police via her friend and detectives from the North Area’s Public Protection team launched an investigation.

The victim was supported by specially trained sexual offence officers in her own force area of Devon and Cornwall, on behalf of the Met.

Foster was circulated as wanted and was arrested in Devon on the afternoon of January 19, on suspicion of rape. He was recalled to prison in breach of his licence conditions following his conviction for two rapes in 2012 at Truro Crown Court. He had been released on licence in 2017.

He was subsequently charged on January 31, 2023 after an extensive investigation, which included taking witness accounts from hotel staff and family and friends of the victim and reviewing CCTV of the pair in the public areas of the hotel from check-in to check-out. This showed Foster following the victim around like a ‘puppy dog’ and trying to ‘reason with her’ in the foyer on January 18, following the rape.

Officers reviewed hundreds of communications on their phones, which highlighted Foster’s sexual jealously. There was also a message on January 18, with Foster saying he was unsure why he committed the act after he was challenged by the victim who said: “What go through ur head to have sex with someone when they are not even awake?”

Detective sergeant Myles Bossman, who led the investigation, said: “Foster is a highly dangerous individual, as reflected by his sentence, who has now been convicted of rape on two separate occasions. Foster appears enraged by sexual jealousy and insecurity, and chose to attack the woman when she was at her most vulnerable as she slept. Foster has showed zero remorse for his actions.

“Thanks to the years of hard work by the North Area’s Public Protection team, Foster is now back behind bars. We were committed to gathering enough evidence to ensure the victim got the justice she deserved,

“With the support of her family and friends, the victim showed immense courage and bravery in supporting a police investigation. I would like to thank the victim for her strength, and the many witnesses who provided evidence.

“This sentencing shows that such violence against women will not be tolerated and those who commit such offences will be dealt with robustly.

“I would encourage anyone who is a victim or witness to sexual assault to contact police immediately where you can access support from specially trained officers.”

The King’s Speech has laid out the new Labour government’s priorities, following the party’s general election victory.

The speech outlined 39 draft laws that minsters want to pass in the next parliamentary session, after their party’s return to power.

Planning reform, devolution, clean energy and attracting investment topped the list, with reforms to the leasehold system, NHS, police powers and public transport also taking precedent under Sir Keir Starmer’s plans.

Delivery of more housing is to be accelerated and changing existing planning laws – which were major parts of Labour’s campaign – are set to take shape over the coming months.

King Charles said: “My Ministers will get Britain building, including through planning reform, as they seek to accelerate the delivery of high quality infrastructure and housing [Planning and Infrastructure Bill]. They will also pursue sustainable growth by encouraging investment in industry, skills and new technologies.”

More draft laws from the speech

• A Mental Health Bill to tighten rules on sectioning people, and change the rules on care for people with learning difficulties
• A Children’s Wellbeing Bill forces England’s councils to keep registers of children not educated full-time in school, and deliver breakfast clubs for England’s primary schools
• A Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to let police to use counter-terror powers to tackle gangs who smuggle migrants into the UK
• A Planning and Infrastructure Bill will streamline the process for approving critical infrastructure, and overhaul rules on the compulsory purchase of land
• A National Wealth Fund Bill will set up a new five-year fund which will see £7.3 billion invested in infrastructure and green industry

Reaction

Simon Peacock, head of regions at property advisory business, JLL, said: “Changes to the planning system will be the lifeblood of the economic growth the Labour government is targeting, but also crucial to addressing health and wellbeing inequalities the country faces because of housing shortages. That it has been outlined as a priority in this morning’s speech will be welcomed by the property industry and those supporting people in need of housing. Now the impetus is on action.”

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “It is refreshing to have a government which views its primary role as enabling growth and removing barriers because this ensures business and communities know they can be part of the strategy.

“The continued focus on planning reform should also be applauded because it has been almost a century since any government understood its role in enabling business growth, better places and a healthier, well-functioning society. It does feel as though country is being put before party.”

Adam Sivner, managing director in Houlihan Lokey’s Industrials Group, said: “The UK drastically needs a coherent and long-term focused industrial strategy. The country has a long-standing pedigree in various critical industries and remains a world leader in aerospace and defence, flow control, satellite communications technology, and electronic components, amongst others.

 “Concurrently we are seeing significant investment in digitalisation and skilled labour on a global basis, which is making the UK less attractive to manufacture in. If the UK is to remain as a home to world leading manufacturers, then it will need a detailed investment strategy to help support these businesses in competing on the global stage and ensure they can resist being consolidated by larger acquirers.”

Image credit: Muhammad Aamir Sumsum