We have worked closely with the University of Exeter (UoE) for a number of years, initially providing their engineering students with project topics in order to provide a meaningful link with the engineering industry during their studies, whilst also providing an additional means of advancing our knowledge of emerging technologies through the students’ research undertaken as part of their studies.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership awarded to Supacat by the University of Exeter has served to meet a core strategic need; by upcycling a 1980’s vehicle of choice the All-Terrain Mobility Platform to meet the environmental demands within the 21st Century.
The collaboration with the University of Exeter through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme has revolutionised this former military vehicle and is set to open up new markets for the new Electric All Terrain Mobile Platform (eATMP).
A benefit of the development of this new vehicle and the underlying technology is its ability to be transferred to other platforms. Within the automotive industry there has been considerable focus on developing hybrid propulsion systems for on-road vehicles, however development of similar technology for off-road applications is lagging behind quite considerably. SC Innovation offers a range of highly capable off-road vehicles both for defence and non-defence applications and there are plans in place, and one contracted development project, which aims to employ a good deal of the knowledge gained from this project to achieve similar benefits on alternative vehicles.
A further positive impact of this project is the ability to accelerate the adoption of electrically propelled vehicle technology. Only by demonstrating the numerous advantages of such technology in a physical form will potential users be able to judge the benefits for themselves, and this vehicle now enables that to happen.
The winners of the category will be announced early February 2021.