University of Leicester engineer to work on game changing drone technology
A university engineer will take a year away from teaching to work on state-of-the-art drone technology.
Dr Bing Ji has been working alongside aerial logistics firm Skyfarer and Dynex Semiconductor Ltd to develop intelligent gate drivers for silicon carbide and gallium nitride devices.
Dr Ji, who works in the University’s School of Engineering says that the development of these components could be revolutionary for electric transportation and could help the UK achieve its net-emissions goals in the future.
These devices promise significant increases in efficiency, power density, temperature, and switching frequency for electric power trains.
Dr Ji said: “By working with Skyfarer and Dynex, the University of Leicester is seizing an historic moment in the reinvention of electric transportation.
“This research is helping to improve the field robustness and reliability of eTransportation by developing the latest intelligent drivers for silicon carbide and gallium nitride devices.
“The latest intelligent gate drivers will help system designers to reliably maximise the transistor potentials while providing in-situ status awareness, adaptive protection and device-level control.
“The associated power converters have been utilized in electric vehicles and drones to improve the energy efficiency and reliability of the systems.
“As the UK is becoming a greener and more innovation-led economy, the consequent industry and economic impacts are becoming clear, thanks to the collaboration of academia and industry on the research and development of power electronics and research.”
Because of his work, Dr Ji is one of seven engineering researchers to receive The Royal Academy of Engineering’s prestigious Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship.
The fellowship will cover the costs of a replacement academic to take over teaching and administrative duties.
Talking about the fellowship, Dr Ji said: “This award will enable our industry partners to get access to this new technology early on in its development and to assess how this can be adopted for commercial exploitation. It will also significantly benefit my research and career developments.”
Matlock accountancy practice merges with Buxton chartered accountants
Matlock-based accountancy practice, Malcolm J Harris Ltd, have merged with Buxton chartered accountants, SMH BullockWoodburn, enabling the firm to offer an increased level of service to its clients as it becomes part of the wider Yorkshire and Derbyshire-based SMH Group.
The firm now operates from the SMH BullockWoodburn office on Hardwick Square North in Buxton.
Ross Jordan, partner of SMH BullockWoodburn, says: “The merger is an excellent opportunity for both firms. It provides long term security and more added value services for clients of Malcolm J Harris and allows for further growth of SMH BullockWoodburn within the SMH Group.
“Clients of Malcolm J Harris will now benefit from a complete range of services that they haven’t been able to access before, including our personal financial services, such as pension & investment advice, and assistance with wills & probate and Inheritance tax planning – all of which can be accessed via our Buxton office by the most highly skilled, specialist staff possible.
“Having recently been appointed as a director and partner of SMH BullockWoodburn, I am actively looking to grow the business, and the merger with Malcolm J Harris Ltd is a great place to start. We’d like to offer a warm welcome to all staff and clients into the SMH family.”
Malcolm Harris, on behalf of Malcolm J Harris Ltd, adds: “We have always offered our clients a personal, proactive and customised service to meet their needs and requirements. However, for a smaller company the burden of increased administration, regulation, and AML, as well as looming tax legislation changes, combined with our retirement plans, has meant that we need a larger partner to continue to provide the excellent level of service we have always prided ourselves on offering to our clients.
“I am certain that the SMH Group is the right partner for us and I am very pleased to be introducing our clients to Ross and his team in Buxton.
“My wife, Jill and I will be staying on as consultants to ensure our clients have continuity and to introduce them to members of the team that will be working with them across all the specialist departments within the SMH Group.
“SMH Group have the expertise to continue to deliver the highest quality service to our clients, as well as introducing their full-service offering meaning they will be able to access all their financial requirements under one roof. I am confident the merger will be of benefit to all our clients.”
The addition of Malcolm J Harris Ltd into the SMH Group is the 6th merger to take place since 2018, and the first to join SMH BullockWoodburn since they joined the SMH Group in 2018.
Ten tips on how to avoid burnout in a busy world: by Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency
Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency, offers useful tips on avoiding burnout.
In an ideal world, we would anticipate burnout and illnesses so that we have time to make changes to try to prevent them. However, nine times out of ten we don’t realise we are in the ‘burnout phase’ until it is too late, and therefore from my own personal experience of having to learn the hard way, I have put together ten of my top tips for avoiding burnout…
- Be self-aware – No one knows your body and mind like you do, so if something doesn’t feel right, you feel off or are aware that you are heading towards the danger zone, then the first rule is recognising this, so that you at least have a fighting chance at doing something about it to turn it around, before it’s too late.
- Be realistic – Following on from tip number one, we would ideally manage our stress every day, sleep like babies and live an ultra-healthy lifestyle, wandering around with smug looks on our faces knowing that our bodies are temples and nothing can touch us. However the reality is we are all just doing the best we can and our best is all we can do, so as long as we are taking steps in the right direction and not putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves (which could cause more stress) then that is good enough.
- Prevention is better than cure – This age old saying is a good’n and one which still stands today, given that living a healthy, relatively stress free lifestyle has been scientifically proven to give a better quality and longer life span, so be aware of what you put into your body, keep moving, drink plenty of water, get outside every day in the fresh air and nourish yourself with whatever it is you need – every day.
- You are what you eat – I’m totally guilty of skipping meals when on the go. Back-to-back meetings are the norm these days, or being too tired to cook dinner in the evenings, so plan ahead. Meal prepping is great for the busy worker during the week, or sign up to a meal delivery service that takes all the hard work away from you, to ensure that you still get all the goodness into you without the effort attached to it.
- Turn it off – Whether it’s your phone, the television, radio, social media – turn it off. Have a break from it and ‘digital detox’ as they say. Now more than ever we are continually ‘connected’ and this can have all kinds of negative results on the mind and body. It’s pretty simple to click the off button once in a while and enjoy being in the present moment, but rarely do we allow that space and time for it – factor it into your day even for just an hour.
- Say no – Being a people pleaser to the detriment of oneself is not a badge of honour to wear proudly and will only end in tears, as you continue to say yes to everything and everyone who wants a piece of you. You are only human and have one life to live, so live it for you and not for others. Granted there will be friends and family, or work colleagues and staff that you have or want to be there for from time to time, but keep boundaries in place and only do what you feel you are able to do and don’t be afraid to say no once in a while without the need for explanation.
- Find your sanctuary – Appoint a safe space for yourself, somewhere you can go near or far that makes you happy and feel grounded and at peace. This can be someone else’s home (as long as you know them!), a particular park bench, a village you like to visit or your greenhouse -wherever you can escape to for even ten minutes to readjust, recuperate and rest before going again. We all need to recharge and holidays are a great way of doing this, but aren’t always attainable or regular, so allocate your own local safe space and sanctuary and visit once in a while when you recognise that you need to recharge your batteries.
- It’s good to talk – Communication is everything, so keep talking. Whether it is to your loved ones, hairdresser, therapist, or a stranger at the bus stop – having a natter works wonders for the mind, so get whatever it is off your chest as fast as you can and don’t let it fester. Famous activist Maggie Kuhn once said: “Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.” Wise words.
- Balance the scales – It’s easier said than done, but work life balance is so important now more than ever, with the rat race we live in, the external stresses of the world around us and the fact that we are connected to everything happening on a daily basis – constantly. It is exhausting and so ensuring that we give ourselves as much ‘rest and recouperation time’ as we do ‘on the go time’ is super important for our mind, body and souls and to ensure a blissful night’s sleep.
- Do what makes you happy – Life is too short to spend hours and hours per day in a job you dislike, or spending time with someone that makes you unhappy – making even just small changes can offer huge results on your happiness, so if you’ve been procrastinating then ask yourself why? What is holding you back from taking that leap? No one ever regretted making the change they were once scared to make that resulted in them being happier than they were before.
King Power Football Stadium redevelopment plans approved
Leicester City Football Club’s redevelopment plans for King Power Football Stadium have been approved.
The hybrid application sought full planning permission for an extension to the East Stand of the stadium to provide an additional 8,000 seats with ancillary facilities, and works to the North and South Stands. This will allow for a capacity of around 40,000 from the current 32,312.
The extension to the stadium would be on land to the east of the current stand which is currently a concourse used by the public gaining access to that part of the stadium and its surrounds. The expansion to the stand would also extend over to the site of the National Grid Building which is to be demolished. The extension would also wrap round to the north and south stands and would enlarge both the concourses.
The plans include a new upper tier over and behind the existing East Stand. The extension would include a series of levels providing various facilities including hospitality suites, catering facilities, a sensory room and first aid room.
Meanwhile, outline planning permission was sought for a new Club retail store, 220-bedroom hotel, commercial office space and food & beverage uses, residential building with a maximum of 234 flats, multi-purpose arena with a capacity of 6,000 people, multi-storey car park and energy centre.
Prominent Derby site sold to expanding local business
The former Derby Wholesale Market, which is situated off Pentagon Island, Derby, has been sold to Richford Motors in a multi-million pound deal.
Joint agents FHP Property Consultants and Commercial Property Partners secured the deal on behalf of Rotherhill Developments.
Richford Motors will occupy the site to service a number of contracts across Derby.
The 3 acre site comprises a 25,000ft2 warehouse with ancillary buildings, with the remaining area comprising hard surfaced storage land.
Darran Severn, director at FHP Property Consultants, said: “This must be one of the most prominent sites in Derby and I am pleased to have completed the sale in what has been a great result for all parties involved. We received significant interest from day one from both owner occupiers and developers. There were over 40 credible enquiries which we were able to whittle down to 9 serious offers, eventually going under offer to Richford Motors.”
Edward Jeffrey of Rotherhill Developments said: “We are very pleased to have successfully completed a sale of the former Derby Wholesale Market site to Richford Motors having explored a range of development options. This is a well-configured site of scale with frontage to Derby’s principal access corridor, demonstrating excellent fundamentals. It was a pleasure to work with Richford Motors who were efficient and delivered. Our thanks go to joint agents FHP and CPP, together with our legal advisors, Howes Percival, for acting on our behalf.”
Sean Bremner, director at Commercial Property Partners, said: “From the inception of this project we were all very confident this would prove to be an attractive opportunity to offer to the market. Numerous enquiries from a wide range of end users were forthcoming all wanting to take advantage of the profile and flexibility that the site offered. Congratulations to Richford Motors for securing it.”
Plans submitted to demolish former furniture warehouse for apartments
Plans to demolish a former furniture warehouse in Nottingham to make way for a new residential scheme have been submitted.
The proposal is for two apartment buildings providing 34 flats with communal bin stores, 15 parking spaces, and secure bike storage.
The scheme at 25 Sherwin Road aims to provide 100% affordable dwellings.
Building A would consist of 23 flats, while Building B consists of 11 flats.
GEDA Construction and Jigsaw Homes Midlands are behind the plans.
Leicestershire architects sets its sights on duo of charity events
IMA Architects (IMA) is turning the spotlight on charity commitments this September to raise money for two incredibly worthy causes – Alex’s Wish and the Bodie Hodges Foundation.
Firstly, on Sunday 18 September, Merryn Lynes, the company’s business development manager, will take to the skies to complete her first ever skydive. Jetting off from Langar Airfield and taking a 12,000 feet leap of faith over Nottinghamshire, Merryn’s fundraising target of £550 will be donated, in full, to Alex’s Wish.
Alex’s Wish is a parent-led charity that has joined the fight to end Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) for all children, a genetic disorder characterised by progressive muscle degeneration. Today, huge advances in science and medicine mean a cure for Duchenne is no longer a pipedream, and with funding and awareness it is possible to achieve this goal. If you would like to donate, you can do so via Merryn’s JustGiving page: https://bit.ly/3KNQSKV
Just five days later on Friday 23 September, Merryn will don her fundraising hat once more, this time challenging herself to walk barefoot, over hot coals to raise money for The Bodie Hodges Foundation. Formed in 2012, this charity supports families who have been bereaved of a child – of any age – and actively promotes organ donation.
Cox joins Dains to help steer growth journey
Dains Accountants has appointed Neil Cox as Chairman in a move which demonstrates Dains’ ambition to consolidate the fragmented UK accountancy market.
Dains has recently completed its second acquisition since taking investment from Horizon Capital in December 2021 and expects to double revenue in the current financial year.
Cox is a buy and build expert and joins Dains following a stellar private equity career, supporting businesses across a wide range of sectors including commercial insurance, regulatory compliance, and veterinary services.
Richard McNeilly CEO of Dains said ‘we are delighted to have Neil on board. His experience in M&A and buy and build in particular is first class. We share an appetite for growing the Dains business through a series of quality acquisitions, which are highly integrated and enjoy delivering brilliant service to clients’.
Neil Cox commented ‘Dains has a clear strategy and has already made two highly complementary acquisitions, whilst also delivering strong organic growth. Our market presence is growing, and we have a compelling proposition. We are building a strong team and I look forward to working with them in the coming years’.
Businesses can’t sustain high inflation, says East Midlands Chamber
Commenting on the latest Office for National Statistics figures showing inflation dropped from 10.1% to 9.9% in August 2022, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) chief executive Scott Knowles said: “While Consumer Prices Index inflation dropped very slightly in line with motor fuel costs falling, the 9.9% figure illustrates the sustained pressure businesses and consumers have faced over the past year.
“With Producer Price Inflation remaining at a near-record high of 20.5% for the same period, this reflects the cost-of-doing-business crisis that has existed since the start of the year. Driven by utilities, staffing, fuel and raw materials costs all rising, companies are really feeling the squeeze and the huge difference in these figures demonstrates their attempts to not to pass these on wholesale to customers and end consumers.
“However, there is a limit to how long any firm can sustain these rising costs before something must give. We know from our Quarterly Economic Survey that 62% of East Midlands businesses expect they will be forced to raise their own prices in the coming months.
“The Government’s intervention on energy prices should dampen inflation once it is enacted but the lack of detail on when this will come into effect, exactly how much help any individual company will get, and for how long, means very few will be planning to invest any time soon.
“It is imperative the Government’s forthcoming ‘fiscal intervention’ provides business with confidence that there is a cohesive plan to take the economy forward.”
Four new starters at Fluid Ideas as expansion continues
Four new starters have strengthened the ranks of creative agency Fluid Ideas as its expansion continues.
Fluid, which is based at Darley Abbey Mills, near Derby, has recruited across four of its six teams in line with further growth in demand for its range of services.
The new arrivals are Nicole Davies, Tom King, Will Davis and Matt Thompson.
Nicole, who has a master’s degree in marketing management, has joined Fluid’s websites and systems team as a project manager. Her role is to ensure digital projects are delivered efficiently, on time and to budget while also helping to support and optimise clients’ websites.
Tom has joined the brand and creative team as a multi-disciplinary designer, working on client campaigns and pitches. He has more than 10 years’ commercial experience of working with national and international brands and he adds to the team’s animation and CGI capabilities. Tom also holds a leadership and management qualification from the Institute of Leadership and Management.
Will, a digital marketing graduate from the University of Derby, has gained experience in the sport and leisure sector and has joined Fluid’s search and social team. His main focus will be search engine optimisation, content writing and social media management.
Matt has joined the design and artwork team and brings with him more than 20 years’ experience of working in local agencies. In joining Fluid, he follows in the footsteps of his brother Ben, who was the agency’s first employee and has helped drive the growth of its brand and creative team for almost two decades.
Ed Bowler, joint managing director of Fluid Ideas, said: “As always, our focus has been on growing with good people. Nicole, Matt, Will and Tom all bring new and exciting talents to the team but, most importantly, they care about the quality of work we produce and they will undoubtedly add to the spirit and culture that has helped make Fluid such a healthy and enjoyable place to be, for our clients and our colleagues.”
