Research streams at the EDC
Research portfolio
The EDC research programs consist of a core programme of linked fundamental research projects and a series of industry specific activities. Many of these have a strong focus on technology transfer and practical implementation.
The core programme is geared towards the longer term needs of the EDC's clients. The approaches focus on generic design problems associated with the made to order sector.
Project work both recent and current can be classified into three general areas:
- Technology transfer, developing and implementing the output of research from the core programme.
- Sector specific projects, focusing upon the requirements of industrial partners in areas such as aircraft systems, offshore engineering and the marine and nuclear environment.
- Individual company projects addressing the specific needs. Projects not directly related to the core research programme, that frequently bring together multi-disciplinary research teams from diverse backgrounds.
A brief overview of the research streams related to current work within the EDC are listed below.
The four main EDC research streams
Complex process integration and coordination
- Complex process coordination
- Utilisation of design experience
- Specification development
- Integration of distributed systems
- Modelling of risk
- Optimisation of through life costs
Submarines: An integration of complex systems
Design for lifecycle and sustainability
- Through life costing trade-offs (technical / economic / environmental)
- Sustainability
- Late insertion of new technology in design / manufacturing process
- Design for effective waste management
Lifecycle issues are relevant to future aircraft carriers
Decision support and optimisation
- Multi-criteria decision making algorithms and tools
- Re-use of knowledge to help decision making
- Spatial layout optimisation
- Optimisation of products with high uncertainty levels
- Scheduling
Dependability and resilience in complex software
- Requirements specification for high integrity systems
- Reconfigurable systems
- Protective wrapping for component integration
- Security
Research topics past, present and future
Contact the EDC
For further details of the EDC's activities please get in touch with us through our contact page.
Commercial Research at Newcastle University
A full list of commercially available research facilities for Newcastle University can be found on the Services for Business web pages.
Highlight for April 2008
Integrated Modelling for Strategic Planning
Strategic planning for sustainability requires complex systems to be modelled.
Because of this complexity, it is unrealistic to develop new and comprehensive models for each of the numerous possible situations likely to be encountered. Many models already exist ...
Previous highlights
About the Events Diary
Upcoming seminars
The EDC often hosts, arranges or is associated with a wide variety of seminars related to its activities.
These seminars (often in association with an engineering institute) are always open to students and staff at the university and often to the public.
Upcoming events will be listed on this website in the future. Please check back from time to time for updates.
