teaching company success

The University is an acknowledged leader in TCS, which is the government’s premier technology transfer scheme enabling local businesses to access and exploit University technology, knowledge and skills.

During the year the University collaborated in twenty-nine TCS partnerships involving staff in all faculties. Among the Programmes completed during the year were those conducted in partnership with Clarehill Plastics Ltd, Ford Motor Co. Ltd, Figure Retail Software Solutions, and NC Agricultural Engineering Co. Ltd.

TCS Awards
Four of the University’s Programmes were invited to enter national TCS Awards competition. For the second year in succession, a University of Ulster TCS partnership was chosen as one of the winning entries. The winning Programme was a collaboration between the Faculty of Informatics and NuPrint Trimmings Ltd. The Programme enabled the company to grow its export business tenfold through the introduction of ICT as a new and significant part of NuPrint’s business processes giving NuPrint considerable competitive advantage, particularly in the increasingly important e-business market.

Gavin Killeen, Managing Director of NuPrint Trimmings Ltd, said:
“The TCS Programme acted as a catalyst for change within NuPrint. The company has come a long way in the last two years, with more than 80% of staff now IT-literate, compared with less than 10% before the Programme.”

The TCS Associate, Miss Caitriona Strain, is now employed by the company as IT and Systems Manager with an additional role as Head of Art and Design. She is Company Supervisor for a new TCS Associate in a follow-on TCS Programme.

national award for weaver

Dr Julie Soden, who teaches in the School of Art and Design, has been given a £27,000 innovation award by the Arts and Humanities Research Board for her work in 3-D woven fabrics.

Her research is to develop three-dimensional woven fabrics which combine functionality with design appeal. The woven material provides structural reinforcement and offers a contemporary surface pattern simultaneously.

Julie says: “It’s like textile design, interior architecture and product design all mixed into one. I am also planning to investigate how my woven fabrics can be partly embedded in moulded plastic to make products for seating areas. These again could be used in exclusive restaurants, hotel or stadium foyers, or bars.”

Dr Soden has worked for several years at the Engineering Composites Research Centre where, among other things, she devised ways of weaving carbon fibre for use in demonstrator components for aerospace and artificial lower limbs. Her work has already excited those working in product design, interior architecture nd technical apparel makers. She hopes that the research will produce a new ‘hybrid’ material which can be used in design work as well as for pure functional ability.

If you have any comments on these webpages, please send them to:
online@ulster.ac.uk
Copyright © 2002 University of Ulster