The Centre for Electronic Product Engineering, will provide industry with access to state of the art testing equipment which will facilitate advancements in the use of electronics in the automotive sector.
(PressZoom) - An electronics centre, which will test the high tech automotive solutions of the future, is being launched at the University of Glamorgan this week.
The Centre for Electronic Product Engineering, will provide industry with access to state of the art testing equipment which will facilitate advancements in the use of electronics in the automotive sector.
"Testing this type of electronic equipment can be very costly, particularly for small companies. At the centre, companies will be able to come in and simulate their ideas without having to go to the expense of manufacturing entire products which may not work," said Project Manager Jonathan Williams.
By 2010, it is projected that 35% of the production cost of a vehicle will be electronics or software related.
Centre Director, Clive Thomas explained "Increasingly the differentiator in automotive products is based on the sophistication of the embedded hardware and software systems incorporated into the vehicle. The new automotive centre facilities will enable companies to address this new challenge."
The Knowledge Exploitation Fund - which is supported by the Welsh Assembly Government and European Structural Funds - is providing finance for some of the high tech equipment at the centre.
Andrew Davies, Minister for Enterprise Innovation and Networks, described the new centre as a major asset for the Welsh automotive sector.
He said, "The Centre is dedicated to the automotive sector and designed for industry. It gives companies access to the technical facilities and equipment they need to develop new products and reach new markets.
"The aim is to further encourage and stimulate technology transfer by providing companies with test facilities for niche products to enable SMEs to move up the technology ladder and develop value added products for the next generation of vehicles."
The University's Fuel Cell Research Group is also being launched as part of the new centre.
The Group will look at how the alternative vehicles of the future can utilise hybrid fuel cells such as electricity combined with hydrogen.
One of the key projects to be tackled by the group is the hybrid midibus project which will begin later this year.
Working with industrial partners, a midibus vehicle for staff and student transportation between sites at the University will be developed.
The midibus will be the first public transportation demonstration project within Wales and will be use to promote CO2 free technologies.
Issued by: University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, CF37 1DL Contact: Alex Harden, Press Office on 01443 483362 E-mail: press@glam.ac.uk>
Release Date
This news item was released on 2010-09-09. Please make sure to visit the official company or organization web site to learn more about the original release date. See our disclaimer for more information.
(c) PressZoom.com - Press Release Distribution Service - All Rights Reserved
