From improving ultrasound techniques in cardiovascular surgery to hypersonic flight, the Royal Academy of Engineering has announced five new joint industry-academia research partnerships that will address some of the complex engineering challenges facing society.

With a focus on industry-relevant research across the full range of engineering disciplines, the Academy’s Research Chairs and Senior Research Fellowships scheme aim to enhance the links between academia and businesses, with each of the prestigious five-year positions co-sponsored by an industrial partner. Each awardee will establish a world-leading research group in their engineering field.

Commenting on the appointment of the three new research chairs and two senior research fellows, Professor Karen Holford — chief executive and vice-chancellor of Cranfield University and chairman of the Academy’s research committee (pictured) — said: “These awardees illustrate brilliantly how expert engineering researchers, when partnered with industry, underpin the success of UK engineering research and innovation.

“The kind of work we are seeing illustrates why government has demonstrated such confidence in the economic value of our sector through its Innovation Strategy.”

The Research Chairs and Senior Research Fellowships appointed are: Professor Dan Brett, University College London (Horiba MIRA and NPL/Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Metrology for Electrochemical Propulsion); Professor Adrien Desjardins, University College London (Echopoint Medical/Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Clinical Translation of Optical Ultrasound Imaging); Professor Wladek Forysiak, Aston University (EFFECT Photonics/Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Highly Integrated Coherent optical fibre Communications); Dr Liliana de Lillo, University of Nottingham (ITT Industrial Process/Royal Academy of Engineering Senior Research Fellow in Advanced Embedded Motor Drive technologies to reduce global energy consumption); and Dr Matthew McGilvray, University of Oxford (MoD/Royal Academy of Engineering Senior Research Fellow in Hypersonic Aerothermodynamics).