Automotive research under the spotlight at UK synchrotron

The dates for the Illuminating Challenges in Automotive Research (iCAR) 2015 Conference have been announced, with the two-day event set to take place on 4th-5th November at Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron science facility in Oxfordshire.

iCAR 2015 will address the most pressing challenges facing the global motor industry today, providing a platform to showcase the cutting-edge research to overcome these issues and the opportunities that they present.

The event will be jointly hosted by Infineum UK Ltd, one of the world leaders in the formulation, manufacture and marketing of petroleum additives for fuels and lubricants, and Diamond Light Source, which offers state-of- the art experimental facilities that are instrumental in keeping the UK at the forefront of scientific research.

Bringing together international scientists and engineers, industry leaders and journalists, this year’s conference will promote the benefits of closer collaboration between science and the automotive industry. Yann Cramer, General Manager Innovation & Technology Sourcing, Shell Lubricants will give the keynote address, highlighting the technical challenges facing the automotive industry as a whole over the coming years.

Confirmed speakers also include Prof. Richard Dashwood, Academic Director and CTO, Warwick Manufacturing Group, Dr. Penny Atkins, Principal Engineer, Ricardo, and Prof. Sven Schroeder, University of Leeds, who will outline their perspectives both on the technical demands facing the industry and opportunities for innovation through research and development. Jeremy Webb, Editor-in-Chief at the New Scientist, has been announced as the event’s after dinner speaker.

The inaugural iCAR event was held in 2013 and featured over 20 speakers, including Chris Beddoes, former Director General of CONCAWE, who provided commentary on researching key environmental issues such as improving fuel efficiency at a molecular level to advance industry specifications.

Chris Locke, Executive Vice President Marketing and Technology at Infineum, said: “With a growing and diversifying global vehicle population, stricter emissions regulations and a demand for greater efficiency, the automotive industry is under great scrutiny to deliver. iCAR 2015 presents the opportunity for the industry’s leading lights to share best practice and the latest research designed to tackle these issues.”

Diamond Light Source was chosen as the ideal venue for the conference as it is one of the most advanced scientific facilities in the world. The synchrotron machine is made up of particle accelerators which speed up electrons to within a fraction of the speed of light to produce X-rays that are 10 billion times brighter than the sun. Scientists can use this light to study anything from engines, new materials and formulations to viruses and vaccines.

Andrew Harrison, Diamond’s Chief Executive, commented: “As a national science facility, we know there are significant mutual benefits to be gained when academic and industrial scientists come together to discuss challenges in a particular field. Following on from the success of iCAR 2013, this year’s conference promises to deliver stimulating talks and discussions that should lead to fruitful collaborations, enabling the automotive sector to find efficient and cost effective ways to develop innovative technologies to the satisfaction of customers and regulators alike.”

Additional speakers will be announced on the website in August. For more information and to register for iCAR 2015, visit http://www.diamond.ac.uk/ICAR2015.html

ENDS

About Infineum

The Infineum Group of Companies is a world-class petroleum additives enterprise. With global headquarters in Milton Hill, UK, Infineum is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of lubricant additives used primarily in automotive, heavy-duty diesel and marine engines, and additives for diesel fuels. Its customers are oil companies, other lubricant and fuel marketers and OEMs. The Infineum product line also includes specialty additives for small engines, automotive transmissions, and gas engines, and industrial oils. Infineum has Business & Technology centers in the USA, UK, Singapore and China and has sales representation in over 70 countries.

For more information visit the Infineum web site www.infineum.com or contact:

Clare Garnham, Bray Leino: 0117 906 4557 / [email protected]
Tom Spencer, Bray Leino: 0117 906 4551 / [email protected]
James Meredith, Bray Leino: 0117 906 4500 / [email protected]

About Diamond

Diamond Light Source, a joint venture between the UK Government and the Wellcome Trust, is located on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. By accelerating electrons to near light-speed, Diamond generates brilliant beams of light from infrared to X-rays which are used for academic and industry research and development across a range of scientific disciplines including structural biology, physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, earth and environmental sciences. For more information, please visit www.diamond.ac.uk

• Silvana Westbury, PR Manager, Diamond Light Source E: [email protected] T: 01235 778238 or 07920 594660
• Mary Cruse, Media & Publicity Officer E: [email protected] T: 01235 778548