The Rolls-Royce Engineering Doctorate Network welcomed 160 current and former Engineering Doctorate (EngD) researchers, Rolls-Royce employees and university representatives to its second annual conference at the Rolls-Royce Learning and Career Development Centre in Derby on 27 November 2015. Delegates came from around the globe to explore how the Engineering Doctorate (EngD) scheme drives the progression of research and technology and why it is vital to the continued success of the company. A comprehensive range of topics from materials science to systems engineering was presented, demonstrating the far-reaching impact that the EngD scheme has across all aspects of Rolls-Royce operations.
The conference provided an excellent platform to demonstrate the state-of-the-art research being conducted across Rolls-Royce and the AMRC with Boeing, represented by five current Engineers from the IDC in Machining Science. Talks on the day were wide-ranging from ‘Investigating the Role of Radiation in Corrosion within Simulated Light Water Reactor Conditions’ to ‘High Sensitivity Eddy-Current Arrays.
One of the AMRC speakers was second-year EngD and event co-organiser, Jack Palmer, who spoke about his research into optimising rough and finish grinding of high-pressure gas turbine components. Keynote speakers included Neil Bowring, Associate Director of Business and User Engagement from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Mark Jefferies, Chief of University Research Liaison Rolls-Royce. Prof. Ric Parker, Director of Research and Technology Rolls-Royce, highlighted the scale of the Rolls-Royce research network and the importance of the EngD scheme within it.
The conference also hosted a networking and a student poster exhibition demonstrating the cutting-edge research being conducted by Rolls-Royce and its partner Universities. Amongst the presenters were IDC engineers Claire Jeavons, Ioannis Lambrou and Nikki Hilton whose posters generated much interest from conference attendees. EPSRC speaker Neil Bowring, said: “EPSRC was really pleased to be part of the conference and more importantly enjoyed the event and the opportunity to network with some clearly very talented and knowledgeable researchers. The range of topics being investigated was great to see and a testament to the value that Rolls-Royce places on supporting and engaging with talented individuals on excellent research.”