10 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS April/May 2023 www.hpmag.co.uk Hydrogen can be used to generate electricity, heat homes and businesses, and power vehicles. It has the potential to significantly reduce the UK’s carbon emissions, but as a relatively new technology, there are still gaps in industry knowledge; these awareness modules are a first step in closing these gaps. The six open access, online modules can be completed alone or as a group to increase the learner’s awareness of the hydrogen technologies and infrastructure. Each is sector agnostic to fit multiple audiences, wherever they may be on their hydrogen journey. They have been designed to increase understanding of the production, storage, distribution and use of hydrogen, and raise awareness of the capabilities, skills and technologies needed to meet increased future market demand for hydrogen. Katherine Bennett CBE, CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, commented: “With our partners at Innovate UK, our role as the High Value Manufacturing Catapult is to work with industry, research and Government to transform the UK manufacturing sector. Hydrogen is a critical part of this, and we are committed to playing a central role in increasing production and innovation in the hydrogen sector. “The decarbonisation of transport and manufacturing is key to meeting net zero ambitions and each HVM Catapult centre has collaborated with leading industry partners across the UK to develop these hydrogen awareness modules. The modules have been designed to engage learners at all levels who wish to broaden their understanding of hydrogen and its potential uses.” NEWS Raising awareness of hydrogen potential The HVM Catapult has launched a series of open access awareness modules to increase understanding of hydrogen across multiple sectors and stimulate the UK’s transition to a hydrogen-based economy. The HVM Catapult’s seven research and innovation centres have jointly developed a series of online modules: “Hydrogen Awareness: Make it, move it, use it”. Funded by Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency, the modules are available now. A UK-wide hydrogen economy could be worth £900m and create over 9,000 high-quality jobs by 2030, potentially rising to 100,000 jobs and valued up to £13bn by 2050. Developing a low carbon hydrogen sector in the UK is pivotal to meeting the Government’s decarbonisation goals and transitioning to net zero. Routeco announces Swibox Automation acquisition To meet rising demand for industrial automation products and services across Europe, a new acquisition has been completed with the Routeco Group acquiring Swibox Automation. As of April 1, 2023, Swibox Automation in Switzerland will become part of the Routeco Group, thereby strengthening Routeco’s presence in the EMEA region. Swibox Automation was previously part of the Swibox AG company who specialise in enclosure manufacture for the machine industry, infrastructure for tunnel and buildings as well as in the production of stainless- steel equipment for the medical, pharma and food industries. This addition to the Routeco Group further complements existing European locations within the UK, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands. Swibox Automation is the authorised Rockwell Automation distributor for Switzerland and this acquisition combines the aligned visions of offering a leading omnichannel customer experience. Keith Harrison, Routeco Group Commercial Director says: “Swibox Automation bring over 30 years of engineering and component distribution experience to the Routeco Group, they will enhance our ability to serve customers within Europe with the very best process control and automation products and packaged services. The integration process will take place over the coming months. Swibox customers will continue to receive the same high quality service which they have come to expect.” Leading engineering and apprentice training centre Oxfordshire Advanced Skills (OAS) has hosted double Paralympic Champion Emma Wiggs, to launch the new Emma Wiggs Challenge aimed at using design engineering to improve life for people with disabilities. Emma Wiggs MBE is a 10-time world champion para-canoeist and double Paralympic champion, having won gold medals at the Rio and Tokyo Paralympics. Since a mystery virus impaired mobility in her legs at age 18, Emma has dedicated herself to sport, inspiring people as she shows what is possible with determination and a positive mindset. Having previously tasked OAS’s training provider, the Manufacturing Technology Centre, to design a bespoke canoe paddle which helped her achieve gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Emma Wiggs has presented a fresh challenge to OAS apprentices. The Emma Wiggs Challenge is an exclusive competition, designed by OAS in partnership with Emma, and tasks first year engineering apprentices at OAS to find solutions through design and manufacture for challenges that people with disabilities might face in everyday life. It could be something wheelchairbased or relate to an everyday task which someone with a disability might find more challenging. Apprentices are forming small teams to work on their design concepts, with Emma hosting virtual workshops over the course of the challenge, enabling each team to ask questions and refine their design concepts. Teams will present their concepts and ideas to Emma and a panel of judges in June, as they near the end of the first year of their apprenticeship with OAS. The winners will spend a day with Emma Wiggs at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham where they will get a OAS apprentices take on the Emma Wiggs challenge
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