Currently reading: 'Government - invest in these'
Five technologies identified as essential for government investment

The Automotive Council’s technical advisory group has identified five so-called "sticky technologies" in which government should invest.

They include advanced internal combustion engines, lightweight structures, energy storage developments, power management and intelligent transport systems.

Full story: bright future for UK R&D

Why sticky? “They are advanced skills which aren’t very transportable, so clients will keep coming to the UK to achieve the results they need,” says Nissan technology boss Jerry Hardcastle, the leader of the advisory group.

Lotus, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, Ricardo and others are among Europe’s leaders advanced internal combustion engines, while the UK's F1 and aerospace know-how means it has capabilities in lightweight structures and energy storage developments such as batteries, flywheels, chemical systems, and race-bred KERS.

Intelligent transport systems includes areas such as interactive navigation and intelligent motorway convoy systems. MIRA test track in Leicestershire has just installed a track to test such systems.

Steve Cropley

Join the debate

Comments
4
Add a comment…
jerry99 11 July 2010

Re: 'Government - invest in these'

ordinary bloke wrote:
With a decent road system money would be saved in repairs to cars damaged by potholes and compensation paid to individual motorists.

Whilst the pot holes need repairing in more than 25 years of driving I have never damaged a car by driving through a pot hole. Th eonly time I have damaged one is striking a large kerb at speed. Overseas I have driven on dirt roads and rough tracks in normal cars and tryres and suffred no more than the occasional puncture.

My conclusion is most claims for cars damaged by driving through potholes are entirely spurious. Hence a crack down on these claims would leave more money for highways maintenance purposes.

Given that many British inventions have been developed by foreign companies I see little point in backing these new concepts unless funding through to production is available to ensure the investment is recouped by the taxpayer.

ordinary bloke 10 July 2010

Re: 'Government - invest in these'

Old Toad wrote:
How about repairing a few potholes
District and County councils should be made to spend the money allocated for road maintenance to that purpose rather than using it for other things. With a decent road system money would be saved in repairs to cars damaged by potholes and compensation paid to individual motorists. It would be best if councils ceased spending money on putting in road-reducing "traffic management" schemes and concentrated on spending that money on plain old maintenance of unadorned free-flowing roadways. Also get rid of all the distracting and potentially-dangerous signage, they are ugly and spoil both town and country. Its just common sense really.

kdwilcox 9 July 2010

Re: 'Government - invest in these'

OldToad;

Why not have those in prison doing the job,like they do

in the States.?

If those in prison had to do some hard work perhaps they

would not be so keen to go back in!.