AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 1

APPLIED RESEARCH AT COVENTRY UNIVERSITY ISSUE 2 AUTUMN 2007

GLOBAL WARNING
Finding new models for a sustainable economy

PREPARE FOR LANDING

An innovative programme to help
SMEs trade overseas

SLAVES TO FASHION
Alleviating poverty through entrepreneurship
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 2

Applied Research at Coventry University : Issue 2

Welcome to the second issue of Innovate,

the applied research magazine from
Coventry University. You may notice
a theme running through this edition –
a topic increasingly seen and heard in
the media today – sustainability.
The University’s Applied Research Centre
in Human Security is chairing a series of
Roundtables on Sustainable Enterprise
– multi-stakeholder learning forums which
bring together diverse groups from business, government, NGOs
and civil society. Through such collaboration it is hoped to find
new ways of reconciling the need for resourceful, innovative and
creative communities with the imperative for all enterprise to be
environmentally light-footed and socially responsible.
With the flooding many of us have witnessed this summer, the
need for more effective drainage solutions has been very evident.
With urban development comes the paving over of our rural land.
Members of the Applied Research Group in Sustainable Drainage
talk about the ways they are tackling the problem.
And in Africa, Tabeisa, a charity dedicated to researching and
promoting sustainable entrepreneurship in some of the world’s 20
poorest communities, is creating new trading opportunities based
on ethical supplier relationships.
Finally, in keeping with the theme, I’d like to point out that
Innovate itself is printed on 75 per cent recycled paper. The bags
we use for mailing are made from a material called ‘bioplast’,
a completely biodegradable film made from potato starch,
commonly used in food packaging or general packaging where
a short shelf life is required.
The applied research work undertaken at Coventry University is
extremely diverse and much will have an impact on our daily lives.
We pride ourselves on the work we carry out with industry, most of 6
which has a direct impact on the productivity of our partners. I hope
you enjoy reading about the various projects in this issue and if you
have any comments at all, then please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Wendy Thomas
Editor
wendy.thomas@coventry.ac.uk
 AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 03
Contents

4 Making research work for business

6 Game for anything
The Serious Games Institute - using latest technology
to drive innovation training

8 Island life
The latest student facility to open at Coventry University

9 Joined-up policing
Post-conflict reconstruction in Africa

10 A drain on resources
Developing new technologies to cope with climate change

13 Healthcare with designs on the future

26 Pioneering new approaches to changing health priorities

14 COVER STORY:
Global warning
Finding new models for a sustainable economy

16 Prepare for landing

An innovative programme to help SMEs trade overseas

20 Slaves to fashion
Alleviating poverty through entrepreneurship
8
22 Protect and serve
The most advanced bomb disposal suit of its kind in the world today

24 Bridging the skills gap

Driving forward new ways for universities to work with employers

26 Digital assistants get to the heart of critical care

An innovative e-working scheme will help UK hospitals to improve
patient safety

28 Strength in diversity
Improving productivity and competitiveness of SMEs in the UK
19 10 30 Ultrasound thinking to combat cancer
A revolutionary treatment offers a surgery-free procedure
for patients

Credits
Managing Editor - Karen Smith Regular Contributor - Alison Bushnell
Design by Kraken Creative
Printed by Emmersons

This publication is available in other formats on request.

Please contact Marketing and Communications on 024 7688 8352.
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 04

Making research work for business

Increasing productivity is essential for the economic and social well being of the UK. This includes improving
the ability of organisations to innovate and to develop international trade. It also includes raising the skill
levels of employees. For many years, Coventry University has focused strongly on the practical implementation
of research to help enhance productivity through innovation. We are particularly keen to promote applied,
rather than just theoretical, research and to ‘Make Research Work for Business’. Some examples from this
issue of Innovate illustrate this point.
A particularly good example is our unique Soft Landing Zone programme which
we will be officially launching in partnership with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).
This provides access to international markets through the provision of a network
of offices based in science parks across the globe. Any business interested in
starting up in that country is provided with dedicated office space, access
to IT and meeting rooms, and ‘hands on’ support in developing their
proposition, contacts and sales – including access to finance. The first
offices have already opened in Malaysia and a further 13 will open in
the next few months in countries as diverse as China, India, Brazil,
Mexico, Turkey and Hong Kong. This project draws not only on
the expertise of Coventry University Enterprises (CUE) Ltd, but
also provides an ideal opportunity to make use of the experience
of academics involved in international trade and business
development research.
Another initiative that we will be demonstrating is our Employer
Engagement Programme, an exemplar model of University and
employer partnership supported by HEFCE, which is improving
higher level skills and capabilities in the workplace. This pilot
study is changing the way we deliver higher education by helping
employers identify their development needs and then working with
their employees based in the workplace to deliver relevant higher
education. This project provides an opportunity to investigate the
effectiveness of educational and business development activities.
The flooding suffered in certain areas in the UK this summer
has highlighted the need to revisit the way in which we manage
drainage. For the last 100 years we have increasingly covered our
urban areas with layers of concrete and tarmac, which prevent rain
penetrating the ground and slowly soaking away. Research in the
area of sustainable drainage looks at ways of addressing issues which
are not just a problem for the UK but has relevance internationally.
It is also not a new problem; our research in this area stretches back
over twenty years. Most of this work has involved collaboration with
industry on the practical solutions to this increasingly
pressing problem.
Three different examples but all with something in common –
they aim to ‘Make Research Work for Business’ by providing training,
carrying out research, developing products or services that help
make a difference. Mr John Latham Prof Madeleine Atkins Prof Ian M Marshall
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Vice-Chancellor Pro-Vice-Chancellor
www.coventry.ac.uk/researchnet (Business Development) (Research)
 NEWS IN BRIEF

AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 05

Creating space to develop
The new Institute for Creative Enterprise (ICE) at Coventry University
is set to open in April 2008. To be housed in a newly refurbished
warehouse next to the Technology Park, the building is being
transformed into flexible new facilities for postgraduate teaching
and research for the Coventry School of Art and Design and the
University’s Centre for Media Arts and Performance (ceMAP),
including courses in Design & Digital Media, Media Arts, Media
Production and Performance & Media Arts. The site will also be home
to partner organisations Arts+Media Training, Theatre Absolute,
Talking Birds and Imagineer.
By providing development space alongside the relevant
technologies and business services, the Institute will allow small
creative enterprises to develop their capabilities, and the business
skills, to work on projects in the West Midlands and beyond.
Opportunities to use the facility will be offered on a long or short
term basis—by day, week or month.
Specialist training for cultural organisations and new creative
businesses will be available, delivered alongside development
programmes offered by Coventry University Enterprises (CUE) Ltd
through its Business Enterprise Works scheme. ICE will also host
discussions, seminars, workshops and master-classes on the creative
sector, becoming the focus for information and advice for businesses
in Coventry and the surrounding area.
The Institute will be led by Director Christine Hamilton and funding
has so far been secured from the Higgs Trust with a number of other
applications also in progress. Through promoting an environment
of collaboration, the Institute aims to develop creative partnerships
between postgraduate students, academic staff and the professional
cultural organisations based there.

HOW TO COPE IN AN EMERGENCY

The ability of hospitals to respond to major incidents is increasingly under the spotlight.
Working with researchers from Coventry University’s Disaster Centre Emergo Team, the Health
Protection Agency (HPA) is providing hospitals with the opportunity to assess their policies
and protocols in managing all aspects of a large-scale emergency.
Over the last two years, the Emergo Team has developed and tested a series of emergency
scenarios – the ‘Emergo Applications System’. An assessment and training tool for decision-
making, the system is used to aid personnel involved in planning and managing the response
to a complex incident. The simulation exercises are run over a period of two days and include
a five-six hour, real-time exercise. Over 140 hospitals have so far taken part, involving up to 60
staff members each time, including senior consultants, accident & emergency, radiography
and theatre staff, as well as non-clinical hospital management.
The Emergo Team consists of a number of expert ‘core members’ who have considerable
experience in the emergency services, nursing, training and the civil service. Their skills are
supplemented by those of current practising professionals, ensuring adherence to the most
up-to-date policies.
Feedback from the exercises is being used by the Department of Health to enable it to
make comparisons with an earlier report published by the National Audit Office in 2004, which
identified a range of issues. Negotiations are currently taking place to develop and deliver a
follow-on contract with the HPA, to re-visit hospitals and re-test plans, working with staff to
make recommendations for improvement.
 GAME FOR ANYTHING
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 06

Computer games technology might seem an unlikely remedy to some

of the training issues facing the NHS, but a new initiative launched
at Coventry University’s TechnoCentre – the Serious Games Institute
– may provide the answer. By SGI Director David Wortley.

‘The use of games

methodologies for training
and development is
not new, but as old as
mankind itself’

At the groundbreaking Serious Games Institute (SGI), developments
in the latest computer gaming technology – designed to drive
innovation and training – are underway. Serious games makes use
of interactive electronic game technologies for non-entertainment
purposes (such as business simulation, corporate training, and
emergency and disaster management), and is particularly effective in
situations where it is too costly or risky to train people in
live situations.
The SGI is intended to be a national and international Centre
of Excellence, and a regional hub for the emerging serious games
industry. This exciting project is a new model for industrial/higher
education partnerships, combining advanced research with business
incubation, digital media clustering and sophisticated networking and
demonstration facilities.
Jointly funded by Advantage West Midlands (AWM) and Coventry
University Enterprises (CUE) Ltd, the concept for the institute
originates from the West Midlands’ strength in the global electronic
games market, home to some of the world’s leading electronic games
companies such as Blitz Games and Codemasters. This, and the
pioneering work in the adaptation of electronic games technology to
serious business applications such as e-learning and simulation make
this the ideal location for the SGI.
Digital communications technologies have long driven major
improvements in all aspects of society, including healthcare. To ensure
that medical practitioners are able to keep up with new skills, rapid
access to training resources and information are required. Patient
training too needs to be considered with the increasing move to
‘self-management’ of chronic conditions at home.
Traditional methods of face-to-face training can be costly
and often inconvenient. Whilst some primary care trusts adopt
an e-learning strategy, this approach is still hindered by intrinsic
limitations. One of the fundamental characteristics of healthcare is
the prevalence of risk. Mistakes can obviously be very costly both in
terms of human life, as well as financially through potential litigation.
Whilst conventional e-learning techniques can be used for knowledge
transfer, there is still a gulf between theory and practice.
The application of serious games to the field of training can
include games-based learning, visualisation and simulation. Its
origin can be accredited to the USA military and its development of
a serious game called ‘America’s Army’. The military reasoned that
the traditional arcade ‘shoot-em-up’ games might be used to train
soldiers and commanders in realistic battlefield training, without the
costs and risks of running live military exercises.
The use of games methodologies for training and development
is not new, but as old as mankind itself. We learn from games from
the time we are born to the time we die – they are a fundamental
part of learning about ourselves and the world around us. Crucially
games provide us with a safe and risk-free environment in which to
experiment and practise new skills.
If games are not new, then the technologies to bring realistic
and immersive environments to the computer desktop or handheld
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 07
console certainly are, and it was the developments in these
technologies that brought military training to the desktop. It is
possible to recreate realistic battlefield environments and even use
‘mixed reality’ to simulate a conflict, making it accessible to large
numbers of students.
If serious games provide a realistic and immersive training
environment for military applications without the potential risk for
loss of human life, it can also be applied to medical scenarios with
similar benefits. Companies such as TruSim of Leamington Spa, a
spin-off from one of the world’s most successful games companies,
Blitz Games, is already pioneering their use in battlefield trauma
training and triage training in first responders to disasters such as
explosions in a town centre. Similarly, companies such as Infocomm
have developed games-based learning for pre-natal obstetrics for
healthcare visitors.
Patient self-care can also be addressed by serious games, not
only in learning how to administer treatments, and controlling medical
conditions, but also to influence behaviour by using electronic games
to raise awareness of the potential cost of bad diets and
damaging lifestyles.
The next stage in their evolution is likely to be the introduction
of intelligent ‘ambient technologies’ that not only support the
learning process, but also provide computer-assisted medical
practices. An example of this might be a new type of X-Ray technique
which involves the patient swallowing a sensor which can X-Ray the
body from the inside. This could lead to the development of a realistic
simulation of the individual patient’s body and enable a surgeon to
practise or even perform an actual procedure on the virtual model,
supported by the built-in intelligence of the ‘games engine’.
These developments are being explored in a collaboration
between SGI, Coventry University’s Health Design & Technology
Institute (HDTI), NHS THOTH (the national training hub) and the
serious games industry. A pilot workshop has already been run and
there are plans to create a national forum to develop best practices
in this area. Other partners in the region include Warwick University,
Birmingham University, the University of Central England
at Birmingham, and the University of Wolverhampton.
http://www.coventry.ac.uk/researchnet/d/440
David Wortley
David Wortley is Director of the Serious
Illustrations by Simon Harper
Games Institute. The Serious Games
Institute (SGI) is the first of its kind in the UK.
It aims to support regional development
by bringing together expert facilities to
support the development of virtual world
applications, games-based learning and
interactive digital media resources for
a range of uses.
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 08
Islandlife
Can lessons on a virtual island be the answer for learners
looking for much more than just a discussion board?
By buying its own island in 3D virtual world Second Life,
Coventry University aims to find out.
The newest student facility to open at
the University offers more than might be
expected from Coventry city centre, including
sea views, a campfire and boat-building.
The 3D virtual world of Second Life
has been an international phenomenon,
attracting more than 7 million people to
create ‘avatars’ of themselves to explore
and interact with other users across a
vast landscape.
By taking on its own virtual island, the
University plans to investigate the potential
of interactive learning spaces and the
opportunity for delivering both forms
of learning and new ways of building
student communities.
‘Second Life enables students to
feel more embodied,’ says Maggi
Savin-Baden. ‘Students get a
greater sense of being in the same
room or the same space as other
participants in the process.
It’s more active.’
Maggi Savin-Baden, Professor of Higher
Education Research and one of the country’s
leading proponents of online innovations
in education, said: ‘There is a sense when
operating in cyberspace of a feeling of
disembodiment, of not being present. By
being able to create a bodily manifestation
of oneself, Second Life enables students to
feel more embodied. Students get a greater
sense of being in the same room or the same
space as other participants in the process. It’s
more active.’
Coventry University Island was launched at
the opening of the Serious Games Institute
in September alongside virtual fireworks and
the online appearance of Vice-Chancellor
Madeleine Atkins (in the guise of her avatar
‘Phoenix Watkins’). The first version of the
Island has been divided into a number of
distinct areas. There is a main centre which
acts as an introduction and information hub
to the island as a whole, with recognisable
real life spaces such as the Alan Berry
building and Lanchester Library. The Island
also has a gallery, a theatre and shop
spaces for selling University products and
services. Around the centre are a number
of smaller spaces, each of which can be run
independently with its own management
team and cater for a specific area of interest,
such as problem based learning (PBL), maths
support, performance or business. Above
the Island there are a number of ‘sandboxes’,
spaces dedicated to the exploration of in-
world design and creation, where anyone is
able to experiment and build.
A new MSc course in Clinical
Management is already holding PBL groups
for students on the Island, making it the first
healthcare course to use Second Life as
a learning platform.
Above Coventry University is at the forefront
of developing a new landscape for
Higher Education.

Professor Bruce Baker
Bruce Baker is Professor of African Security
at the Applied Research Centre for
Human Security, Coventry University and
Director of the African Studies Centre. His
published articles and books cover African
democratisation, governance, policing,
security sector reform, popular justice and
informal justice. Throughout his research,
he has conducted fieldwork in Zimbabwe,
Mozambique, South Africa, Rwanda,
Uganda, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Cape
Verde, Seychelles, Liberia and Sudan.
Building public order is the missing priority in post-conflict
reconstruction in Africa. Yet there can be little social reconstruction
or external investment whilst crime remains high and people have
little trust in the police. By Professor Bruce Baker, Applied Research
Centre in Human Security.
African states, as well as their external
advisers, look to the state police to provide
protection. In this they follow the western
model. Yet in terms of effective crime
prevention policy, this is a surprising and
poor choice.
What is often overlooked is that the
western model of policing and criminal justice
is itself under stress due to the resources it
consumes. In addition, even if such highly
complex institutions can be resourced
adequately, they presume an existing,
effective infrastructure of electricity supply,
tele-communications, transportation, data
processing and the availability of pertinent
skills – all of which are weak in Africa.
Despite the lack of police personnel and
infrastructure, donors continue to advise and
support governments to train their police
forces in the attempt to make them efficient,
effective, accountable and client-orientated.
Even if their training was successful, it is clear
that the number of police officers is so small
in all African countries that most Africans will
remain un-policed by the state and reliant
on their own resources for crime protection
and investigation.
In Liberia, with funding from the Economic
and Social Research Council (ESRC), the
research closely examined the policing
institutions, both state and non-state. The
multitude of state agencies together with
the customary chiefs, neighbourhood patrols,
community policing forums, commercial
security companies, and work-based
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 09
associations were all investigated as to
their coverage, services, effectiveness
and legitimacy.
The research found that the state police
were extremely limited in terms of numbers
and resources and that most people rarely
saw them and did not rely on them. As for the
non-state security organisations, these were
found, for the most part, to be real resources
for local security that the state could, if it
chose, use much more effectively in its efforts
to combat crime.
‘Most Africans remain un-policed
by the state and reliant on their
own resources for crime protection
and investigation’
In a concluding workshop in Monrovia,
Professor Baker presented his research
findings before the Minister of Security and
more than 100 other security stakeholders
from the state and non-state sectors. In it
he argued the case for the government to
broaden its understanding of the security
sector to include all policing groups, and to
base its forthcoming national security policy
on a multi-layered approach which envisages
a partnership between state, community-
based and commercial policing. The details
of the first part of his research have already
been published in a number of journals.
http://www.coventry.ac.uk/researchnet
 A DRAIN ON
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 10

RESOURCES
With many thousands of homeowners this year affected by the worst flooding to
hit the UK in decades, the need for better drainage solutions has never been so
evident. Dr Sue Charlesworth and Dr Stephen Coupe from the Applied Research
Group in Sustainable Drainage talk about their work in this topical area.

Flooding, pollution and water shortages – themes that appear in

the media on an increasingly frequent basis. Recent scientific reports,
now almost universally accepted by political decision makers, point
to an uncertain future for many world climate patterns. And as has
been evident to many in the UK this year, more frequent episodes
of extreme weather are currently the most visible aspect of
climate change.
Even without the changes brought about by global warming,
the problems of urban flooding would still be with us. Development
produces impervious areas, and as urbanisation increases
– particularly in densely populated areas such as the South East – so
will flooding. Where large areas of previously undeveloped land are
paved over, the net result is more water channelled towards rivers.
Diffuse pollution from both rural and urban environments (from
contaminated run-off) is also a growing concern.

‘Each of us uses around 220 litres of water

every day, yet less than 18 of these are for
life sustaining purposes’

At Coventry University, the Applied Research Group in

Sustainable Drainage is tackling the problem through a range of
new technologies for surface water drainage systems. With 20 years
experience, its research includes work leading to the development
of porous paving systems and the examination of biofilms and
geotextiles in the breakdown of pollutants. The centre has links with
a number of industry practitioners such as Hanson Formpave, Tarmac,
Permavoid and the Sports Turf Research Institute.
Sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) are a major component in
the adaptation of the UK’s urban infrastructure to cope with climate
change. Traditional surfaces such as concrete and asphalt prohibit
the absorption of rainwater. Mimicking nature, SUDS’ resilience to
floods and protection from pollution comes from its deployment of a
network of permeable surfaces, conveyance devices and temporary
water storage areas.
 AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 11
Hanson Formpave – Aquaflow TM

It is a fact that each of us uses around 220 litres of water every day;
yet of these, less than 18 are actually used for life sustaining purposes.
The rest are for non-potable uses (for example, flushing the toilet). All
of these 220 litres however, are being passed through the expensive
water purification process and stored in massive land-consuming
reservoirs. In industry, the potential environmental and financial
savings to be made by harvesting rainwater are considerably
greater still.
The built environment provides two main catchment areas – the
roof of a building and associated hard landscaping such as driveways.
The Hanson Formpave Aquaflow™ SUDS system has been developed
in collaboration with researchers from Coventry University’s SUDS
team and can be used in car parks, industrial estates, pedestrian
areas, etc.
Rain infiltrates the permeable concrete block paving (around the
edges between each block) into a unique stone sub-base where it
is cleaned to remove pollution. A geotextile ‘barrier’ layer beneath
retains silt washed into the system, which in turn traps heavy metal
pollutants such as lead. Any oil is rapidly degraded by naturally
occurring micro-organisms, preventing downstream contamination –
accepted as good practice by the Environment Agency. A tank system
is used to harvest non-drinking water for re-use, or else discharged in
a controlled manner into watercourses or sewers.
The design of the Aquaflow™ system is continually evolving as
research progresses, and the newest developments were on display
in the ‘Hanson EcoHouse’ full-scale concept building at BRE’s
OFFSITE2007 exhibition in June. The exhibition showcases examples
of modern construction and advanced technologies coming together
to deliver higher performing, more sustainable (near zero-carbon
emission) smarter buildings.
The Hanson EcoHouse incorporates the new Aquaflow™ water
harvesting and geothermal energy solutions. Taking roof water
from the Hanson EcoHouse and the adjoining properties, the water
harvesting site occupies 40m2, holding 3,000 litres in its tank – the
equivalent of 300 standard WC flushes and 30 days’ supply for non-
potable uses. Water in the tank is transferred to toilet cisterns by an
electric pump and any excess is discharged via an overflow to ordinary
storm drains.
The geothermal energy apparatus that supplies the ground source
heat pumps (GSHP) are slinky pipes, buried within in an Aquaflow™
tank, but separate from the water harvesting area. An area of 65m2
is set aside. GSHP are very efficient when compared to standard
Above Permeable paving solutions and the Hanson EcoHouse -
heating/cooling methods as they acquire most of their heat from the
two of the innovative solutions being developed through
ground rather than by combustion – for example, for every unit of collaborative partnerships forged between Coventry University
energy used to run the heat pump, between four and eight units can and leading commercial organisations.
be obtained from the ground.
Photography Kraken Creative
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 12

Tarmac – AquifaTM Pervious Pavement

On a larger scale, sustainable drainage and Porous Paving Surfaces

(PPS) are needed to help keep roads and airports, for example, open
in extreme weather conditions. Coventry University SUDS research
team is working with Tarmac to investigate the contaminant and
oil retention behaviour of porous paving surfaces (PPS), including
Tarmac’s Aquifa™ Pervious Pavement product.
As a leading supplier of aggregates and asphalt, the problems
faced by Tarmac in dealing with excess rainfall and pollution need
to be tackled very differently to those of Hanson Formpave’s block
paving. With no individual ‘blocks’, removing surface water via
infiltration between the blocks is obviously not an option. With a
single continuous surface, the paving material itself must be porous
in order to prevent large volumes of surface water running off that
and causing flooding.
The research presently being carried out aims to assess the
effectiveness of the Aquifa™ PPS in dealing with excess water, oil Dr Sue Charlesworth
Sue Charlesworth is Director of SUDS
and also particulate associated pollutants (PAPs). This is carried out
and Principal Lecturer in the department
by dropping engine oil and street dust, accessed from Coventry’s of Geography, Environment and Disaster
CV1 street cleansing department, onto test rigs made up of various Management. Her international research
PPSs, and then simulating a rainfall event. The run-off is then analysed profile is mainly in urban environmental
for traces of the pollutants – oil, heavy metals and suspended geochemistry and urban hydrology. She is
sediment in the effluent water. Preliminary results indicate excellent the project manager of the Tarmac Aquifa™
study and also Director of Studies of PhD,
performance of the PPS test rigs. The results will be used to shape
MRes and MSc students.
future development of the product. The work is due to feature in a
programme on technologies developed to mitigate extreme weather
conditions as part of the Radio 4 ‘Connect’ series, and will also Dr Stephen Coupe
be presented at the SUDSnet Conference to be held at Coventry Stephen Coupe is Research Manager
University on 14 November 2007 at the TechnoCentre. at Hanson-Formpave Ltd and Associate
Lecturer at SUDS. He is an industry-
renowned expert in SUDS, geotextiles
Whilst the systems above are undoubtedly opening up many and pollution control in permeable paving.
interesting possibilities for the UK’s sustainability agenda, their wider He is supported by eight years of research
potential on an international scale raises many more again. In the in partnership with Formpave and the
developing world competition can occur between rural communities Faculty of Engineering and Computing
dependent on agriculture for the limited supply of water available. at Coventry University.
Localised water harvesting – re-using water where it falls rather than
having to divert it over great distances – could have a significant Applied Research Group in Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS)
impact in such areas, potentially removing the need for expensive SUDS investigates the technologies, and promotes the
(and often controversial) dam projects. Research into the system’s environmental and social benefits, of surface water drainage systems.
potential for irrigation is presently being investigated in Nigeria. Planning guidelines now recommend that SUDS systems, such as
Back on home soil, the success of SUDS as a powerful drainage rainwater recycling, porous pavements and ponds, be considered
in all new developments to ensure that any risks of flooding are
tool is now widely recognised as good practice, and by law, its use
minimised. The SUDS team can provide expert advice through
must now be considered in all new developments. Until its application
research, consultancy and training. Training includes a taught MSc
becomes even more widespread though, let’s hope for some in Sustainable Drainage and River Catchment Management as well
good weather… as other postgraduate qualifications and opportunities for
continuous professional development.
 AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 13
Healthcare with designs on the future
Across the world, the delivery of personal health and social care
services is developing fast. The Health Design & Technology
Institute (HDTI) at Coventry University is pioneering new
approaches to changing health priorities to meet the demand.

There is a move to give people greater control over how and where
health products and services are delivered. This is particularly relevant
for individuals with long term conditions such as diabetes, asthma
or arthritis and the challenge for healthcare systems is to enable
them and their carers, to manage independently at home. These
priorities are also relevant to disabled and older people. Avoiding
hospital stays not only gives more cost-effective care but is also
overwhelmingly preferred by users. People want to retain control over
their own lives and they want to exercise greater choice over how and
where services are delivered.
Coventry’s new facility brings the University’s research and
teaching expertise in community-based health into direct contact
with healthcare businesses, practitioners and patients. It will be
housed in a £6 million state-of-the-art building being constructed on
the University campus within the rapidly growing Technology Park.
Finance is being provided by Advantage West Midlands (AWM) and
the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
As resources are moved towards healthcare delivery in the
community, opportunities for new, well-designed and properly end-users and patients alongside healthcare practitioners in the
researched healthcare products and services are now emerging. design and evaluation of new products and services ensures better
Coventry’s HDTI provides an environment where consumer and outcomes for them. The building will have good access for disabled
patient needs are brought to the fore, and where innovation is visitors and will act as a showcase for best inclusive design to enable
a priority. The outcome is a creative partnership to develop new the widest possible use of its facilities. Indeed, the role of inclusive
products and new systems of care provision. design will become more important as the business opportunities
within an economically active population which is elderly or managing
‘People want to retain control over their own lives a chronic condition are increasingly recognised.
People who work in this sector (or are thinking of working in this
and they want to exercise greater choice over how sector) may wish to consider enrolling on one of the new cross-
and where services are delivered’ discipline courses currently being offered through the HDTI. For more
details of the courses, contact the University on 024 7688 7667.
The role that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play is Simon Fielden, the HDTI’s Director, comments: ‘We are building
critical to success within the health sector – it is estimated that 80 per an institute which will have unrivalled facilities for developing
cent of companies operating in the medical device sector are SMEs. products and services from initial concept, through prototyping, to full
The Institute can draw upon a wide range of expertise to assist SMEs: evaluation and the formulation of a marketing plan. We are dedicated
there will be business start-up space in the building itself, as well as to the community sector, have a strong research and design base, and
access to business services such as grants and marketing advice. can draw upon patient and user groups to provide real-life feedback.’
The new Institute building will house design studios, laboratories,
workshops and test areas where researchers and clients can explore
and evaluate new ideas: it is increasingly recognised that involving www.coventry.ac.uk/hdti
Global
WARNING
The current model of capitalism has led to global warming and global
terrorism, says Professor Malcolm McIntosh. Stakeholders from every area
of society, Government, business and the range of professions, all need
to start talking to each other to work out a new way forward.
There aren’t many issues that will get HM Treasury, an organic
farmer, a civil engineer, IT and retail corporations and ethical fashion
campaigners around a table together.
But since the start of the year, the Applied Research Centre
in Human Security has been playing host to an intriguing mix of
senior figures all committed to finding new models for a sustainable
economy, to designs that are rooted in environmental awareness,
and in the importance of a more equitable wealth distribution. The
Roundtables on Sustainable Enterprise (RSE) started in London with
a series of six meetings involving Lord Michael Hastings of KPMG,
and have since taken place in Cape Town, Brussels, Geneva,
Toronto and Sydney.
‘Two pressing issues need reconciling: the need
for resourceful, innovative and creative communities
that reward enterprise, and the imperative for all
enterprise to be environmentally light-footed and
socially responsible.’
If there’s one fact which has emerged clearly from the
roundtables, it has been the importance of ongoing conversations.
Although organisations might have their own individual plans
and interests regarding more eco-friendly policies or Corporate
Social Responsibility, no-one is talking to anyone else about what’s
achievable and creating a consensus. The question is, in a multi-polar
world of competing stakeholder interests, who will actually stand
up for people and planet above all else? Vested interest groups will
naturally tend to work for their own causes, even while acknowledging
the common good. New constitutions, arrangements and governance
systems that address this hard reality will be needed for a sustainable
enterprise economy to ever become a reality.
The central proposition of the roundtables is that only
collaboration across sectors and between professions, age groups
and disciplines will provide solutions to the scientific global climate
change consensus, international sustainable development policy,
and the millennium development goals. Two pressing issues need
reconciling: the need for resourceful, innovative and creative
communities that reward enterprise, and the imperative for all
enterprise to be environmentally light-footed and socially responsible.
All of the contributions will be captured for a major conference
at the Eden project (24-26 October 2007), "The Next Great
Transformation: Sustainable Enterprise", which will involve UN
Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon, Tim Smit of the Eden Project,
James Smith, Chairman of Shell UK and Katie Stafford, Marks &
Spencer. There is also a book to be published in 2008 which offers
an overview of new models for a sustainable economy.
Professor Malcolm McIntosh
A former BBC documentary film-maker,
Malcolm McIntosh has been a pioneer
of teaching and research in ‘corporate
citizenship’ in the UK and internationally. In
addition to his role as Director of the Applied
Research Centre for Human Security (ARCHS),
he acts as a special advisor to the UN’s Global
Compact and DEFRA’s UK Sustainable
Development Commission.
Discussions so far have been eclectic, ranging from the big
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 15
picture to the detail. Looking at, for example, the central
role of integrity and clear values. In a post-modern world of spin,
of ‘anything goes’, market-driven values and frenetic management
styles, people are looking for authenticity, whether it be in what they
eat or the culture of their workplace. The importance of reconciling
people to huge change has been covered. Now, more than ever, the
world needs to embrace a love of change, partly because it is being
forced through issues like climate change and people must change
to survive. But first people need to re-establish what it means to be
human in order to develop new organisational structures. Modest
adaptation of existing organisations, institutions and behaviour
patterns will not serve us well – it will not be enough. As one person
on a London Roundtable said: ‘before we look at systems, let’s look
at the people and then look at new systems.’
Another common theme was the loneliness and risk involved in
acting as a champion of sustainable enterprise. Current business
models don't accommodate an understanding of it: financially,
structurally, legally or socially, and the current descriptions of
sustainable business are unhelpful as they are generally measured
against existing economic models. Entrepreneurs work by taking
risks, using their intuition, ploughing their own furrow. But the
responsibility for society and the aim of the this project is to help
bring about systemic change to support the pioneers – in business
funding, in how we think about profit, in transport infrastructure –
until sustainable entrepreneurs are simply the norm.
http://www.coventry.ac.uk/researchnet
Applied Research Centre for Human Security (ARCHS)
Human security is a people-centered approach to global security
which recognises that lasting peace and social justice cannot be
achieved unless people are protected from threats to basic needs
and rights. Threats to security include climate change, an inequitable
global economic system, bad governance, corruption, abuse of
human rights and violence. ARCHS works in collaborative partnerships
with business, government, civil society, individuals and their
communities to find solutions to the problems that people face
in their everyday lives.
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 16
PREPAREFORLANDING
Trading internationally is now becoming a reality
for many SMEs as a result of an innovative
programme offering assistance in setting up an
overseas office. Coventry University Enterprises‘
Tim Luft talks about the Soft Landing Zones.
Business people arriving in a foreign country
generally know where they are stopping.
Hotels, perhaps even restaurants, will have
been selected and pre-booked. There may
even be a tourist guide in the luggage –
after all, knowing something about the
place where business is planned, its history
and its culture, is a sensible step prior
to engagement.
Eating and sleeping however, are not
the aim of the visit – successful business
is. And pre-arranging an office base in the
chosen market would seem to be a sensible
approach. Coventry University Enterprises’
(CUE) UK Soft Landing Zone programme can
now provide the answer.
Marketed as ‘UK Basepoint’, the concept
of the ‘soft landing zone’ refers to the pre-
preparation of a work environment within
a foreign country, tailored to the needs of
companies seeking to do business in that
location. The service offers businesses new to
a market a formal place from which to trade.
Set up in partnership with Government
body UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), it aims
to establish a network of British incubator
offices around the globe. The offices, which
are located on key university science parks,
will be open to UK companies which are
either considering, or are at the early stages
of, undertaking international business.
Many UK businesses now recognise the
need to work with emerging markets on a
whole range of levels. The programme has
therefore targeted first those places in the
world that are on everyone’s lips for example
– China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong
Kong and Poland Offices are closely tied
to the British High Commission and British
Embassy in each country. And new countries
are being added to the list every month.
‘The programme has targeted
China, India, Malaysia, Singapore,
Hong Kong and Poland... and
new countries are being added
every month’
Within these destinations safe and secure
sites have been set up for users. As well
as desk space in a dedicated office – with
IT services, telephone answering and post
forwarding – businesses signing up will also
be able to take advantage of a number of
support services. Each company will be
allocated a dedicated business support
officer to provide advice or call in expertise
on all legal, financial, cultural and practical
issues of doing business in a particular
country. Help in finding potential partners
or access to local support services such as
translators are also offered in the package.
Where the service really makes sense
is through the partnership with UKTI, the
Government organisation charged with
helping UK businesses with overseas trade.
Businesses can access UKTI support in
a seamless way, giving participants the
potential to benefit from subsidies on travel
and accommodation.
The basic cost for the first six months
can be as low as £250, and for this relatively
nominal fee businesses gain the prestige
that comes with having a base in the
country. Users have repeatedly stressed its
importance of this advantage not least in
demonstrating to potential partners a real
commitment in the country.
PIXELearning is a highly innovative
‘serious games’ company specialising in the
application of computer game/simulation
approaches to business education, vocational
and management skills development.
The company is developing fast from its
headquarters on the University’s Technology
Park in Coventry, and was interested in
developing operations in India. Its main aims
at this time were to investigate the market
for possible re-sellers, establish a research
and development team to support new
product development, and to meet with
potential customers.
The programme team at CUE and
staff at UKTI (both within the UK and in
India) worked together with PIXELearning
Managing Director, Kevin Corti, to help
the business explore new international
markets. Key meetings were set up and
introductions facilitated through a dedicated
visitor programme to India; basic market
reports regarding the games industry in
India provided; access to local University
graduates organised a dedicated research
and development team secured and a grant
to cover 50 per cent of Kevin’s travel and
accommodation costs awarded.
 Photography Kraken Creative
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 17
UK Trade & Investment
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the Government organisation that helps UK-based
companies succeed in an increasingly global economy. Its range of expert services are
tailored to the needs of individual businesses to maximise their international success,
by providing companies with knowledge, advice and practical support.
Its dual aims are to enhance the competitiveness of companies in the UK through
overseas trade and investments, and also to attract a continuing high level of quality
foreign direct investment, through providing assistance to overseas businesses that
want to set up locations in the UK.
UKTI is an international organisation with headquarters in London and Glasgow.
Across its network UK Trade & Investment employs around 2,300 staff and advisers,
including overseas in UK embassies, high commissions, consulates and trade offices, and
in the nine English regions. It brings together the work of the Foreign & Commonwealth
Office (FCO) and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 18
The Soft Landing Zone programme is
an extremely cost-efficient way for small
companies to establish an overseas sales
presence and takes away many of the
practical difficulties of being able to operate,
both physically and virtually, overseas. The
programme aims to attract small to medium-
sized companies, particularly those involved
in research and development and high
growth technology, which may be interested
in joint research and development projects,
outsourcing, setting up a second office or
undertaking a joint venture.
It will also offer a reciprocal service for
foreign owned companies interested in doing
business in this country, via a network of UK
science parks.
If British industry is to compete in a global
market then a global presence is required.
The UK Soft Landing Zone will provide
innovative businesses with a relatively risk-
free opportunity to do just that, through
university science parks. History over the past
100 years has seen innovative British industry
relocate from rivers and sea ports to key
manufacturing hubs – science parks may well
prove the future for forward-thinking
UK companies.
www.ukbasepoint.com
Tim Luft
Tim Luft is an ICT Programmes Manager for Coventry University
Enterprises Ltd and an honorary research fellow at Coventry
University. He has a commercial background in the establishment
of large-scale, public private partnerships, focusing upon technology
transfer. He has been involved in developing the ICT/Innovation
department within the regional development agency of the West
Midlands and has since been the lead on the roll-out of
large scale e-business and broadband programmes.
Coventry University Enterprises Ltd
Coventry University Enterprises (CUE) is a wholly owned-subsidiary of Coventry University
and the vehicle through which all commercial, income-generating work is handled. CUE seeks
to maximise the commercial potential of the University’s skills, expertise and resources.
To this end, it provides a gateway to these capabilities for a range of external bodies and
assists other parts of the University to access and exploit commercial opportunities.
CUE focuses on innovation, design, health, environment and ICT at a regional, national,
European and international levels. It has supported thousands of small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) through their initial establishment and with specific projects, as well as
having a solid history with larger companies such as BT, Jaguar and Hewlett Packard.
In addition, CUE has considerable experience of working closely with public organisations
and government bodies. It has long-standing working relationships with the Department for
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. It has a leading position in relation to regional
policy development, and a track record of direct delivery of innovation and business support-
related activity.
 NEWS IN BRIEF

AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 19

Self-help massage
For many parents of children with disabilities,
the typical role of primary caregiver takes
on a much more complicated dimension,
balancing time-consuming and complex
treatment regimes with other aspects of
family life and work commitments. Higher
levels of stress are frequently reported, often
leading to anger, frustration, depression,
anxiety, denial, guilt or a sense of isolation.
However, it has been found that enabling
parents to participate more fully in their
child’s treatment can help alleviate such
symptoms. Training aimed at promoting
relevant skills and competencies is very
important and has been shown to help
reduce stress in both mothers and fathers.
A Training & Support Programme (TSP)
developed by Dr Lesley Powell at Coventry
University teaches parents simple massage
techniques for use in the home. Consisting
of seven, weekly, one-hour sessions, parents
learn how to carry out gentle massage on
their child. One-on-one instruction is given
by a qualified therapist, tailored to the needs
of the specific parent and child concerned.
The TSP helps parents feel that they
are doing something to help their child, as
well as increasing the sense of closeness
and bond between them. Over time,
parents have reported reduced feelings of
psychological distress and a greater overall
satisfaction with life. It can also be beneficial
to the child in many different ways, including
improvements in sleep patterns, mobility,
eating and bowel movements, or perceived
emotional well-being.

SAME but DIFFERENT

Life at university can be challenging in any number of ways for students, and difficulties in
their home and personal lives will often complicate the learning experience. Now researchers
at Coventry University’s Centre for Media, Arts and Performance (CeMAP) have designed and
produced a new resource pack, Same but Different, aimed at helping staff in higher education
deal constructively with a range of issues which students may have to face. The pack contains a
series of short films (on DVD) which cover issues such as mental distress, elder care, cross-cultural
tension, disability, sexuality and age discrimination.
Understanding and supporting students through such issues helps to maximise the learning
experience, and enables them to interact with the wider world feeling confident and empowered.
The ways in which sensitive issues are handled is therefore crucial. The
workbook which accompanies the films provides ideas and questions
for trainers to use in staff development sessions. Word versions of the
workbook are included on the DVD, enabling trainers to create their own
tailor-made handouts.
Same but Different leads on from the earlier Meeting the Challenge
project, drawing on research from universities, the National Union of
Students, SKILL and other equality and diversity organisations, as well
as from students themselves. Developed in response to a brief from
the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to develop
‘imaginative and useful applied projects’ to support its Leadership,
Governance and Management agenda for higher education, the pack
has been highly praised for its relevance and user-friendliness.

www.coventry.ac.uk/samebutdifferent
 SLAVES to fashion
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 20

With many leading high street brands now going ‘ethical’, fair trade is becoming
an increasingly important selling point. However for Tabeisa, a charity dedicated to
promoting entrepreneurship in some of the world’s poorest communities, creating
new trade based on ethical supplier relationships is its starting premise.
From the same window that British traders
used to supervise the loading of slaves onto
ships on the Gold Coast over 200 years ago,
a beautiful Ghanaian model gazes out. High
up in Cape Coast Castle, the room offers
panoramic views of the town, harbour and
coastline – ideal not only for overseeing a
gruesome slave trade and former colony,
but also a perfect location for a modern day
fashion shoot – a positive demonstration
of today’s good relations between the
two countries.
The models wear the winning designs of
a pioneering competition designed to spark
sustainable trade between Ghana and the UK
and European high streets. Design4Life
Ghana was initiated by Tabeisa, a charity set
up in 1994 with the aim of alleviating poverty
through entrepreneurship.
Tabeisa is a consortium of six higher
education institutions: two in the UK
(Coventry University and the University of
Greenwich) and four in South Africa.
Coventry University Professor Jane
Conlon MBE, Chief Executive of Tabeisa,
explains the kind of support provided:
‘Tabeisa helps people to start their own
business or get their project going by
providing business advice, user-friendly
learning materials and assistance in finding
and developing suitable markets.’
‘Many of the women making the
dresses previously lived on less
than a dollar a day. Since the
Design4life competition, they now
earn between eleven and twelve’
A critical area of the whole project is
the encouragement and promotion of
entrepreneurship. So staff and community
development programmes have been
designed and developed. Project team
members also visit schools to promote
entrepreneurship at all levels of education.
During the last eighteen months over seven
hundred staff and community groups have
completed a Tabeisa entrepreneurship
programme and some have also now
registered on the Tabeisa Masters in
Entrepreneurship course.
Tabeisa’s involvement in Ghana started
a couple of years ago following its success
in South Africa. Backed by the EU and the
UK’s Department for Education and Skills,
Tabeisa had managed to set up
and expand hundreds of businesses,
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 21
creating thousands of jobs. It was
consequently invited into Ghana. Here it
found that access to European markets and
better product designs were desperately
needed if there was to be sustainable
economic growth.
Global Mamas, located on Ghana’s
Cape Coast, is one co-operative to benefit
from Tabeisa’s support. Consisting of 38
individually owned small businesses, it
employs around 200 women – mostly batik
makers and machinists (seamstresses) – with
around another 100 trainees. Together they
produce a range of beautiful handcrafted
clothing and accessories.
The Tabeisa Design4life competition
invited aspiring student fashion designers in
the UK and Ghana to create a cotton dress
in batik print to be sold in Topshop, one of
Britain’s leading fashion retailers. From over
60 entries, two winning designs were chosen,
which then went to Global Mamas for mass
production. This is the biggest order the
co-operative has ever had and it is enabling
it to expand, providing a fair income to even
more women.
Showcased at the opening event of
last year’s Ethical Fashion Show in Paris,
the dresses were launched in Topshop this
spring, enjoying prime position in the main
window display of its Oxford Street store.
Receiving high-profile media coverage, the
Above Photographed at Ghana's Cape Coast
launch was covered on BBC Breakfast, BBC
Castle - a Ghanaian model wearing one of the
lunchtime News, BBC World, Reuters, British
winning 'Design4Life' competition batik print
Satellite News and Sky. The dresses were a dresses - sold in the UK through TopShop.
huge hit with shoppers and sold out within Just one of the many handcrafted products
four days. Topshop has subsequently placed available for sale through Tabeisa's trading
more orders with Global Mamas for arm: Exclusive Roots
future designs. www.exclusiveroots.com
‘Products bought from Global Mamas
help the women who are living in poverty
to make some much-needed money for Jane Conlon
their families. All the proceeds go directly to Professor Jane
them’, said Professor Conlon. ‘Many of the Conlon is a
women involved in making the dresses have member of staff
at Coventry
previously been used to living on less than
University. She is
a dollar a day. As a result of the Design4life Chief Executive
competition, they are now earning between of the Tabeisa
eleven and twelve dollars a day.’ company, a
Plans are presently underway to take consortium of
the Design4Life experience to other African South African
countries such as South Africa and Kenya and British universities, of which Coventry
University is one of the founding members.
with a fashion, textiles and jewellery
In January 2006 Jane was awarded an
design competition. MBE for her services to disadvantaged
communities in Africa.
www.tabeisa.com
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 22

Research being carried out at Coventry University could

have a dramatic impact on specialists working in the
extremely sensitive and dangerous area of bomb disposal.

The NP Aerospace bomb disposal suit, the ‘Mark VI explosives

ordnance disposal (EOD) suit’, is the most advanced of its kind in
the world today. Developed in close conjunction with the British
Army, never has a piece of equipment of this nature been so
extensively tested throughout all stages of its development.
Made of a material called ‘aramid’ – the generic name for the
brand Kevlar – the suit is designed to protect the bomb disposal
operative whilst rendering safe any explosive devices. However, it
is clearly vital that the suit does not cause any serious detrimental
effects which might impede an operator’s ability to undertake such
a demanding task. The suit makes use of scientific developments,
advances in materials and innovative design to provide the wearer,

Photography Kraken Creative

with improved protection, substantially improved mobility, flexibility,
visibility and the ability to work in more confined spaces.
The company is presently working with two teams at Coventry
University to investigate new advanced sensing technologies, as well
as looking at ways to minimise the thermal strain of such protective
clothing on the wearer.

Advanced sensing technology

The dense, heavy protective clothing worn during assignments

means that operators often experience high, uncomfortable and
potentially dangerous temperatures. The aim of the research is
therefore to develop a ‘wearable’ wireless heat sensing system,
suitable for deployment in manned bomb disposal missions.
The intended system should be capable of making autonomous
decisions related to the actuation of the cooling system within the
suit to increase the comfort of the wearer. In addition, it will allow
an external observer to remotely monitor the health and comfort
of the operator.
Systems for deployment in this situation are constrained in
several ways however. First, they must be as small as possible to
minimise any discomfort. Second, the power available is limited
and must last throughout the duration of the mission. And third,
whilst wires carrying signals within the suit are impractical, wireless
communications are limited by the signal jammers carried by the
operator. The combination of these factors mean that an innovative
solution is needed in order to meet the goals.
Researchers at the University’s Cogent Computing Applied
Research Centre, Dr Elena Gaura and PhD student John Kemp,
have developed a prototype sensing system for testing
and experimentation purposes. A further, more advanced, prototype
is currently in design. As well as being a step towards the final
product, this prototype allows the collection of additional data related
to conditions within the suit and their impact on the wearer. These in
turn will allow future prototype revisions to be refined.
A visualisation application has also been developed for the
purpose of testing and experimentation. This allows the data to
be represented in a much more intuitive and easy-to-understand
format, allowing quicker interpretation of the results. This application
also forms the basis for the remote monitoring component of the
final system.
Future research will look at modelling and decision-making
engines, backed up by practical experimentation based on both
the prototype sensor and visualiser systems.
 AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 23
‘Whilst protection against
potential blasts is obviously
essential, wearing an EOD suit
can have negative effects on
the heat balance of the body’

Thermal strain

Researchers Dr Doug Thake and Dr

Mike Price from the University’s Human
Performance Applied Research Group
are testing the thermal strain associated
with wearing a bomb disposal suit in hot
environments. Whilst protection against
potential blasts is obviously essential,
wearing an EOD suit can have negative
effects on the heat balance of the body,
resulting in heat storage and rising body
temperature, until exhaustion finally occurs.
The suit weighs approximately 30 kilos for
an average male, without its body cooling
pack, and the body can lose up to 1.5 kilos of
sweat per hour whilst wearing it. The overall
aim of the study therefore, is to be able to
quantify physiological strain by assessing how
hot and tired the wearer feels whilst wearing
various different suit combinations.
Although few manufacturers use
physiological assessments of personal
protective clothing, the team of physiologists
and sport and exercise scientists were
approached by NP Aerospace to conduct a
comprehensive study involving physiological,
perceptual and psychological responses
during simulations in temperatures of
around 40ºC.
Designed to answer questions such as
‘what is the magnitude of heat stress?’ and
‘how does increased body temperature affect
physical and mental performance?’, various combinations of the suit The investigations undertaken so far have demonstrated a
have been tested, including two forms of protective trousers and the dramatic increase in physiological strain. However, physiological
use of a dry ice-based cooling system. benefits have been shown to arise from a combination of cooling
The testing programme is based upon occupational activities ambient air (via a dry ice-based device) and lighter-weight trousers
and includes slow walking on a treadmill, unloading and loading (designed to optimise thermal comfort and mobility). Further studies
weights from a rucksack, crawling and searching activity, arm cranking to address the relationship between thermal variables and perceived
and cognitive tests. Aspects of hand-to-eye co-ordination and thermal strain are now needed.
psychological performance are also assessed.
Tests are carried out in four 15 minute cycles, throughout which The suit has been featured on North One Television’s ‘I didn’t know
measurements are taken on core body and skin temperatures, as well that’ programme, screened on the National Geographic channel.
as heart rate. Participants are regularly asked to report on how hard
they are working and how hot they feel. The body’s hydration status is
assessed by measuring body mass, urine and blood samples before Above Rigorous testing of the Mark VI explosives ordnance
and after participation. disposal suit (EOD)
 Bridging the skills gap
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 24

The UK must develop a more highly skilled workforce as a matter of

urgency. A high-profile employer engagement programme delivered
by Coventry University’s School of Lifelong Learning is driving forward
new ways for universities to work with employers. The Dean of the
School of Lifelong Learning, explains.

To meet the Government’s target of
becoming a world leader in skills by 2020,
a 29 per cent rise in high-level workers is
necessary. These findings come from the
publication of the Leitch Review of Skills
earlier this year.
The report sets out a compelling vision
of the UK's long-term skills needs, advising
that responsibility for achieving such
ambitions lies jointly with Government,
employers and individuals. Despite a
backdrop of continued economic strength,
some aspects of the country’s skills base
remain weak. With emerging economies
such as India and China growing
dramatically, there is obviously increasing
competition from overseas.
In today’s service-led economy,
the UK’s natural resource is its people.
Despite rising school and college
standards and strong growth in graduate
numbers however, much of this potential
remains untapped – skills are the key to
unlocking this. Increasing the number
of employees attaining higher level
skills will have a significant impact
on the UK’s competitiveness and
productivity. Consequently, the drive
to develop higher skills has gained
momentum, and the development
of the workforce – knowledge,
skills and capability – has become
a policy imperative for the
Government, played out in
a number of White and
Green Papers.
In December 2006, Coventry
University’s School of Lifelong
Learning (SoLL) was awarded
£3.5 million by the Higher
Education Funding Council for
England (HEFCE), over a period
of three years, to implement
its Employer Engagement
Project ‘Work-based Learning:
Combining Capability
and Competence’.
SoLL is working with a
number of major national and
international organisations to
deliver the new programme,
including the AA, Caterpillar,
NHS and the Carter & Carter
Group plc. Sponsored
and supported by each
organisation’s HR team,
this close collaboration
enables the programme to dovetail with,
and give synergy to, employers' existing
training practices.
Some employers are still sceptical about
the ability of higher education (HE) to adapt
to their needs, and so designing ways that HE
institutions can engage with them – and their
employees – is central to the programme’s
success. Whilst research shows that private
and public sector employers need to develop
qualifications for middle managers and
senior supervisors, for some, university-based
learning often lacks the necessary flexibility.
In this innovative approach, by involving
employers more closely, listening to them
and identifying their needs, a programme
can be developed and delivered which
explicitly meets their business requirements.
Customised learning and assessment is
based on real-work issues from the learners’
organisation, and work-based delivery
and assessment mean that time ‘off-the-
job’ is kept to an absolute minimum. The
qualification essentially combines HE with
professional development to help develop
business skills.
‘Based around real organisational
issues, instead of classroom-based
theory, students are able to apply
real-world solutions and then
expand their knowledge’
Each employer engaged in the project
is supported by a dedicated Learning &
Development Consultant, (LDC), who works
with them exclusively to combine the role of
lecturer, assessor and consultant. Innovative
methods of delivery use case studies from
the organisation to ensure that learners
are engaged with the challenges of their
own workplace. Using a ‘cradle to grave’
approach, LDCs support the identification
and diagnosis of needs, design and delivery,
as well as the follow-up evaluation of the
programme’s impact on organisational and
personal performance.
Although the project is still in its early
stages, successful outcomes are already
being reported on a number of levels.
Employer research shows that the approach
develops capability, talent and potential.
Through the supporting role of the
on-site LDCs, suggestions and ideas given
by ‘students’ have changed ways of thinking
in their organisation.
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 25
Many of the students have lower level
qualifications and would never have
attempted a University qualification –
the programme is therefore engaging a
whole new set of students and opening
up the opportunity for further studying at
a later stage in their careers.
Based around real organisational issues,
instead of classroom-based theory, students
are able to apply real-world solutions,
and then expand their knowledge and
understanding by seeing a theory work in
practice. LDCs act as a coach/mentor rather
than a teacher, challenging traditional ways
of learning from the outset as there is no
formal ‘course’ delivery. This approach has
been very well received by both students
and their employing organisations. And
even those who already hold degrees have
recognised the worth of the delivery model
and are gaining practical applied skills.
In addition to delivering this programme,
SoLL is also undertaking applied research
into areas addressed by the project – in
particular, the role of the University’s teaching
staff based at employer organisations;
building and managing relationships with
large employers; and the interface between
University systems and customised
on-site delivery.
Dr Darryl Bibby
Dr Darryl Bibby joined the University in
1999 and is the Dean of the School of
Lifelong Learning. Formerly a Director
of marketing, he brings commercial
experience into HE. Based on the belief
that universities should be providing the
learning that employers and organisations
need, the School of Lifelong Learning has
seen student numbers grow by around
2,500 in the last 2 years.
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 26
Digital assistants get to
the heart of critical care
Of the 78% of hospital doctors who admitted to making mistakes
which harmed a patient, only 19% said they reported the error. A new
scheme involving the e-working expertise of the University will help
improve safety by capturing vital information on mistakes direct from
critical care areas, explains Peter Haine.
Around 900,000 incidents where NHS patients
are either ‘harmed’ or ‘nearly harmed’ are
estimated to occur in UK hospitals every
year. 10% of admissions patients for general
hospital care suffer from serious and largely
preventable errors. However, the concerted
efforts to respond to the issue by analysing
reports and targeting training have been
hampered by concerns abut under-reporting
and the quality of information recorded.
Research has looked into the causes of
under-reporting of critical incidents and
suggested ways to drive improvement,
including the use of ward rounds, staff
reminders and the use of technology such as
handheld mobile computers. The advantage
of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) is their
ability to allow staff to collect data on the
job, and for information to be forwarded
immediately to the risk management team
via a wireless network for analysis. Carefully
designed systems can provide an easier
method of reporting, greater control and
flexibility, and potentially also increase
the volume of reports and the quality
of information.
The current system for clinical adverse
event (CAE) reporting at University Hospitals
Above NHS staff use hand-held mobile
devices to improve patient safety in the UK.
of Coventry and Warwickshire is handled
using a paper based system. This has all
the attendant risks of inaccurate data being
recorded. There are also delays arising from
the logistical problems of paper handling
and poor lines of communication to the
existing CAE recording system. Feedback
from the Clinical Governance team to the
individual reporting the incident is limited
or non-existent, while interpreting and
transferring information from paper into the
central incident recording database is a time
consuming and laborious task. There is also
the issue of subjectivity in how the written
information is assessed in terms of risk and
is categorised by the Governance team.
‘10% of admissions patients
for general hospital care
suffer from serious and largely
preventable errors.’
In 2006, a team of experts was brought
together to develop specialist PDAs,
involving the Applied Research Centres
in Health and Lifestyle Interventions
and eWorking together with Savant

Enterprises, University Hospitals Coventry
and Warwickshire NHS Trust, and the
Coventry School of Art and Design. The
team secured a £15k capital grant to pay for
project hardware (PDAs, tablet PCs), and a
Knowledge Transfer Enterprise Grant from
Coventry University to cover the costs
of an evaluation of the user requirements
for the study.
A series of application design workshops
and interviews were held at the Hospital. As
well as informing Savant as to the best way
to lay out the screens, the workshops gave
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 27
an opportunity for the end-user to handle
and use the PDAs. The screen designs
evolved quite markedly from the initial
designs put forward by Savant’s developers.
Minimising the need to enter text was a key
requirement with drop lists and tick boxes
being used whenever possible. A range of
different PDAs was made available to the
Team for selection and they eventually settled
on a PDA with a built-in keyboard which
John Latham
would make sure the ‘story’ element of any The Centre for Applied Research in
incident could be properly captured. eWorking has been established to help
Eight members of the Clinical Care organisations to develop and implement
Outreach Team piloted the application new, ICT enabled working practices
and provided feedback on their experiences that significantly improve the overall
for five months, solely using their PDAs performance of the organisation whilst
enabling employees to benefit from a
for reporting on incidents. There are now
more flexible working environment.
opportunities for the system to have a wider
influence in the NHS, with interest being The Applied Research Centre in Health and
shown at the Healthcare Computing 2007 Lifestyle Interventions provides high quality
Conference and the Ergonomics Society applied research, consultancy and training,
Conference. The next step will be an underpinned by health psychology.
The Centre’s activities are focused on
important one. The aim will be for the
self-management of long-term health
project to concentrate on feedback, conditions and disability; health behaviour
making sure the person reporting the and health services management.
incident is given information on best
practice to reduce the likelihood of the
problem happening again. http://www.coventry.ac.uk/researchnet
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 28

STRENGTH in diversity
In today’s competitive world, the UK’s future prosperity depends
increasingly on the practical application of innovation. Located at
Coventry University on its award-winning Technology Park, the West
Midlands Technology Network is helping to improve the productivity
and competitiveness of hundreds of SMEs through the transfer of
knowledge and skills from the region’s universities.

When Sony Ericsson took over Marconi,

Plastic Products ABC Ltd saw a downturn in
business while the two companies merged
their operations. The prospect of re-building
a customer base in a market dominated by
China, India and Eastern Europe left them
with some stark choices.
Plastic Products ABC had the expertise
and operations to diversify, but at what
potential cost and what level of risk? Given
all the support services available to small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) out there,
their first thought wouldn’t have been a
university. The day-to-day issues of one SME
aren’t expected to even feature on the radar.
But it was their work with the West Midlands
Technology Network (WMTN) which gave
them the inspiration and direction for small firms in the region, with 1,300 jobs to produce prototypes, and testing the
to transform the business. safeguarded or created. aerodynamics of the new designs in the
Firms don’t need more consultancy. They Coventry University wind tunnel. The strength
‘Firms don’t need more know what the issues are, they can see the of the service is in the diversity of the team
potential in what they’re doing. What really that can be offered. This meant Plastic
consultancy…what really matters
matters is having someone who can make Products also had input in creating the new
is having someone who can make things happen. And this is what has made the brand identity of Dartz Performance for the
things happen’ WMTN so effective. There appeared to be a roof box product, which they now believe
niche opportunity for Plastic Products ABC in will be the lever for opening up new
Funded by the European Regional automotive accessories, and an aerodynamic international markets.
Development Fund (ERDF) and the sports utility roof box. The WMTN gave Diversifying is a risk. But universities
European Social Fund (ESF), the WMTN them a project manager to provide the link can now help companies to seize new
operates by bringing together specific and between business needs and the academics opportunities and act as a ‘critical friend’
complementary resources and expertise and students working around the region. who offers expertise, facilities that might
from each of the institutions. The WMTN has WMTN confirmed the product potential normally be out of reach, and, importantly
recently announced that in the four and half through market research and moved Plastic a dose of confidence.
years since it was set up, it has generated Products ABC through to the final stages,
over £50 million in terms of sales created providing the specialist equipment needed www.wm-technet.co.uk
West Midlands Technology Network
The WMTN is a consortium of five major universities and colleges,
bringing together some of the very best innovation centres in the region:
Coventry University
- The Design Institute
- The Design Hub
University of Wolverhampton
- The Institute for Innovation and Enterprise
- School of Engineering and Built Environment
- School of Computing and Information Technology
Staffordshire University
- Electronics Design Support Centre
University of Central England
- Jewellery Industry Innovation Centre
- The Technology Innovation Centre
Walsall College
- The Product Design and Realisation Centre.
Together the unique network delivers a focused package of high
quality support. Since its launch in January 2003, it has helped over 750
companies to enhance their products and services through the application
of knowledge and innovation. The key to the WMTN’s success has been
its ability to engage with SMEs by providing practical support to
develop all elements of a partner’s activities, from product design to the
implementation of processes that improve management and distribution.
Coventry University Design Institute
Coventry University has established an exceptional reputation for
expertise in the area of design, and has provided practical, user-friendly
support for new product development to small firms and new business
start-ups in the region for almost two decades.
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 29
The Design Institute is a joint research venture between the School of
Art & Design and the Faculty of Engineering & Computing, uniting the
University's design researchers. It reflects a growing recognition of the
innovation and wealth creation benefits of collaboration between design
disciplines. The Institute's primary areas of research include: automotive
design; information design; design methods and processes; and design
for safety and reliability.
The Design Institute SME Support Programme can provide a
comprehensive package of product design, innovation, development,
knowledge engineering, marketing, financial management and
technology transfer. Its aim is to help new and existing small firms improve
their competitive position through the application of leading-edge design
and product development technologies. This fully-funded programme
of support is delivered by project staff recruited specifically to provide
assistance tailored to the individual needs of small firms.
Coventry University Design Hub
With a clear focus on the University's international strength in product
design, the Design Hub provides accommodation for small to medium-
sized design companies and companies where design is an integral part
of their business strategy.
It comprises 17 air-conditioned units, let on flexible lease terms.
It provides an ideal environment for design-led companies which are
innovative in their approach and which will benefit from opportunities
to work with the University to grow and develop their business
and ideas.
The Design Hub has recently acquired world-class facilities to further
support the design process including a presentation suite with three
image projection walls; a workshop with exterior access for practical
working, modelling and making; meeting room and training space;
and a networking area for like-minded designers.
Left Plastic Products ABC are not only
supplying to major companies such as
Jaguar and London Taxis International, but
have recently designed and manufactured
their own product - 'Piggybax' which is
a portable logistics solution on long-haul
vehicles, available for retail.
Photography Kraken Creative
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 30
ULTRASOUND
THINKING
to combat cancer
A revolutionary new ultrasonic treatment for cancer offers a
surgery-free procedure for patients in the UK. Ultrasound has
proved very effective in this area as Professor Tim Mason,
Head of Sonochemistry at Coventry University, explains.
Ultrasound has been employed in a variety
of ways in the medical field for many years
– diagnostically to look inside the body and
observe a growing foetus, in physiotherapy
as a tool to aid the rejuvenation of muscles
and pain control, and now in the treatment
of tumours.
‘Feedback has been extremely
positive, with no reports of pain,
side-effects or marking on
the body’
High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)
employs equipment which emits high
frequency sound waves. Patients lie over a
small bath of water containing two concentric
ultrasound transducers. One transmits a
low-power diagnostic beam, allowing the
doctor to visualise the tumour and guide the
treatment; the other produces a high-power
focus which targets and kills the cancerous
cells by heating them to temperatures of
up to 90ºC.
The present work at Coventry grew from
the Fifth Meeting of the European Society of
Sonochemistry in Cambridge in 1996 with a
group of Chinese researchers who developed
the HIFU system. A subsequent visit to
Chongqing in 1999 showed the operating Unfortunately HIFU is only useful to treat
theatre instrument in action; later introduced a single tumour or part of a large tumour, and
and described to a UK funding group, it was cannot be used to treat those which are more
eventually brought back to the Churchill widespread. It is therefore not suitable for
hospital in Oxford where trials and tests on people with cancer which has spread to more
the effectiveness of HIFU on kidney and liver than one place in their body. HIFU can also
cancers have recently been completed. not pass through either solid bone or air, so
Feedback from UK patients who have is not suitable for the treatment of every type
been successfully treated using the new of cancer.
technology has been extremely positive, with In addition to its use in cancer therapy,
no reports of pain, side-effects or marking sonochemistry is already being applied to
on the body. Patients are also often able to a wide range of other areas including land
return home the next day. Follow-up MRI and water remediation, the generation of
scans have shown the tumours to be dead nanoparticles and the extraction of medicinal
and even beginning to shrink. compounds from plants.
Prof Tim Mason
Professor Tim Mason is Head of Sonochemistry at Coventry University.
He has been researching the applications of ultrasound for the past
25 years and is scientific advisor to the implementation of its medical
application in the UK. He is an Honorary Professor at Chongqing
Medical University in China.
Sonochemistry Applied Research Centre
The Sonochemistry Centre was established in 1994. It retains its
primary aim of securing and maintaining a position of international
excellence in a variety of applications of power ultrasound in chemistry
and processing technologies. The Centre is a national and international resource base for
topics related to power ultrasound and provides expertise on applications of sonochemistry
to academic institutions, companies and government organisations.
 MEETINGS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

Inside the next issue Contact us

Knowledge Transfer: Coventry University's Centre for Media Arts
and Performance is providing a Championship Football Club with
dynamic matchday solutions.
The Coventry SMART campus: how a unique commercial partnership
with CISCO is transforming the campus landscape.
Institute for Creative Enterprise: A first glimpse of the University's
creative hothouse.
If you would like to find out more about any of the articles within this
issue, if you have a general enquiry about applied research, or to
subscribe to future issues of Innovate, contact us at the following:
Telephone: 024 7623 6364
Email: cpu.cad@coventry.ac.uk
Website: www.coventry.ac.uk/researchnet
AUTUMN 2007 INNOVATE 32

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