Carbon fibre composite on the Viggen aircraft

The Saab-Scania Aircraft Company has manufactured aircraft for the Swedish Air Force since 1940, starting with the B-18 Bomber. Other famous aircraft are the J29 ‘Flying Barrel’, the J35 ‘Draken’ (today in service in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and soon in Austria) and the ‘Viggen’ family. In the beginning of the 1990s the multi-role combat aircraft JAS39 ‘Griffon’ will be delivered to the Swedish Air Force. Saab-Scania also have a leading market position in the commuter airplane segment of 30–40 passengers, Saab 340.At a request of the Swedish Defence Material Administration, Saab-Scania 1975 started a programme introducing new materials for aircraft production. This resulted in redesigning of some metal parts by using carbon fibre composite.The programme gave a soft start in using the new material but has given a broad experience in both manufacturing and service areas. This experience is being used when developing new military and civil products.     

Costs and benefits to Sweden of Swedish road safety research

This paper summarises a study designed to answer the following question: what are the benefits to Swedish society of road safety research in Sweden funded by the Swedish Transport Research Council and the programme for vehicle safety research during the period 1971-2004? The paper starts by discussing whether research can answer this question at all and explains why a well-controlled study was not feasible. A case study approach was selected, and five major research projects were examined in detail for the purpose of trying to estimate their effects on road safety. Estimates of safety effects were developed for four of the projects, indicating that road safety measures that were at least to some extent based on the findings of the research projects have made major contributions to reducing the number of road accident fatalities in Sweden. The estimates are not analytically rigorous and should be treated as qualified guesses only. Causal inferences are not possible. Nevertheless, if taken at face value, they show that the benefits to society of road safety research are large and outweigh by a wide margin the costs of the research, and of the road safety measures developed as a result of research. Thus, even if the estimated safety benefits exaggerate the true effects, the benefits of applied road safety research are likely to be greater than the costs of conducting this research and implementing road safety measures developed by research.     

Swedish work on new & advanced engineering materials

A programme of work partially funded by the Swedish government agency STU on metallic & polymer (including adhesives) materials and engineering ceramics is described. Reasons for the choice are given based on international and national developments.     

Post occupancy evaluation in New Zealand

The paper describes the development of a POE (post occupancy evaluation) programme for evaluating government buildings in New Zealand. The programme is being developed by a research team at the School of Architecture, VUW (Victoria University of Wellington), under a research contract from the New Zealand MWD (Ministry of Works and Development). The aim of the programme is to enable MWD and its client departments to assess the effectiveness of their buildings and of their delivery, operations and maintenance processes as part of their inhouse activities.The MWD regard the programme as a long term commitment. The VUW research team has therefore concerned itself with developing a flexible programme incorporating a robust evaluation process which can be used by non-expert personnel (in terms of POE experience) on a wide range of buildings. Such an evaluation process is now proposed and its initial testing is complete. This paper outlines that process and discusses the current status of the POE programme.     

Development of human resources for Indian nuclear power programme

The continuing research and development on nuclear technology by research establishments in the country and maturing of Indian industry have brought the nuclear energy programme in India to a stage where it is poised to take a quantum leap forward. The vision of expansion of nuclear power also requires a well-structured specialized human resource development programme. This paper discusses the requirements of the human resource development programme for nuclear energy, the challenges in the way of its realization, its national and international status and traces the history of nuclear education in the country. It brings out the linkage of human resource development programme with the nuclear energy programme in the country. It also describes the initiatives by the university system in the area of nuclear education and support provided by the Department of Atomic Energy to the university system by way of extra-mural funding and by providing access to research facilities.     

Generic probabilistic safety analysis: application to the comparison of the emergency feedwater system designs of three PWRs and to the modernisation and backfitting of older Swedish NPPs

The relationship between configuration characteristics of safety systems and their unavailabilities was examined on the basis of the results of 25 PSAs for PWR and BWR plants [1 and 2]. The results of the evaluations provide groupings of configuration characteristics and associated ranges of unavailabilities that can be expected for the various groups. The safety functions

• residual heat removal at BWR plants

• coolant make-up at BWR plants

• auxiliary/emergency feedwater supply to steam generators at PWR plants

• emergency core cooling, including containment spray injection/recirculation, at PWR plants

were considered.Two applications are reported:

• evidence of validation of the generic approach, based on the results of a blind prediction of the unavailability of the emergency feedwater function at the plants N4, Sizewell-B and Konvoi, and subsequent comparison with results obtained by conventional reliability analysis;

• outline of the use of the approach in the framework of the modernisation and backfitting programme for Swedish nuclear power plants.

In the early discussions of safety objectives for the modernisation programme, the generic approach provided input to the exploration of possible target values for safety systems. In the process of reviewing proposed technical solutions, Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI) is using the generic approach as one of the tools for assessing safety function unavailabilities.     

A longitudinal and cross-sectional study of Swedish biomedical PhD processes 1991–2009 with emphasis on international and gender aspects

This longitudinal survey of Swedish biomedical PhDs from 1991 to 2009 found a 2.5-fold increase in biomedical PhD graduates, especially women, and mainly non-MDs, while the number of MDs remained fairly constant. The proportion obtaining a biomedical PhD in Sweden in 2006 was two and a half times that in USA compared to population and three and a half times by GDP, but similar to that of the Netherlands. Female non-MD but not female MD candidates were more likely than men to be examined by female examiners. Fewer of the non-MD than MD women continued to publish in English after their PhD. The median number of authors per paper in a thesis had increased by 1 (from 4 to 5) compared with 15–20 years ago. Swedish biomedical research was already well internationalized in 1991, when 38% of the external examiners came from abroad. This rose to 53% in 2003 but in 2009 had returned to 42%. USA and UK were the most common countries but Australia accounted for 2%. When assessed by connection with foreign research teams, Swedish researchers were also internationally well connected. Studies in other countries are needed to assess how generally applicable these findings are. Our findings suggest that the policy and management of Swedish scientific research systems needs revision to harmonize with the national economic capacity.     

Amalgamation of mass customisation and agile manufacturing concepts: the theory and implementation study in an electronics switches manufacturing company

This paper reports a research which was pursued with the purpose of indicating the need of amalgamating mass customisation and agile manufacturing principles for achieving competitiveness in organisations. The research findings and observations on these principles were used to design a model named as agile customisation programme. The implementation study of this programme was conducted in an electronics switches manufacturing company situated in India. The practical implications of this programme were studied by gathering feedback from the executives of this company. The details of these works are briefly presented in this paper. Further, the practical implications were used to propose a roadmap. Future researchers may adopt this roadmap and implement this programme in various types and sizes of companies. The performance of this programme in those companies shall be measured using agile manufacturing metrics such as responsiveness, time compression, quality improvement and profitability.     

Marie Curie fellowships and European-funded research training

Under the 4th Framework of the European Union (EU), the Training and Mobility of Researchers (TMR) programme has provided many post-graduate and post-doctoral researchers, now known as Marie Curie Fellows, the opportunity to expand their skills by conducting research in another EU country. Participants in the TMR programme gain international experience and training that should greatly enhance their career prospects. Improving Human Potential (IHP) is the name being given to the new scheme proposed in the 5th Framework to overtake the current TMR programme. The goals proposed for IHP are outlined, and same of the experiences and benefits provided by the TMR programme to both the UK and European research communities are highlighted     

The use of product based projects for effective learning andresearch in CAD/CAM

A research and development programme has been in progress for the last eight years between Dunlop-Slazenger International (Golf Division), Delcam International Ltd., and the Department of Manufacturing Engineering at Loughborough University of Technology. This work has resulted in an extensive programme of product (in this case golf equipment) related design-and-make-projects. The work has been designed to develop student skills and appreciation of CAD/CAM methods with respect to product-specific design criteria. The project activities have been developed for all years of the Department's undergraduate courses as well as for MSc and PhD students. They support an EPSRC research programme and provide an effective method for evaluating new ideas. It is apparent that the students appreciate the close product/industrial interaction gained from this type of programme of work, which is demanding, enjoyable and has proved to be an extremely effective learning and research facility for the application of advanced CAD/CAM methods     

Considerations for appointing an external examiner of a PhD in the biomedical sciences in Sweden: a questionnaire-based survey

A survey of 170 Swedish mentors of PhD-students found that expertise in the research field and avoidance of conflict of interest were big motivators for finding an examiner from abroad for PhD theses. The survey also identified that concern by supervisors for facilitating the career paths of younger scientists in terms of introductions to potential labs for post-doctoral work and obtaining high quality neutral review of one’s research was also important, as was the desire to set up collaborations. An expectation from the management of one’s university of the PR-value of a foreign senior person as examiner also played a part. Although few were willing to admit that PR for one’s own group was a motivating factor. A small fraction of responders expressed concern that, as some of the costs of the PhD-examination were being shifted on to the research groups themselves, this might impact the current situation. Language also played a subordinate role. To get the best out of the visiting examiner, it was important to educate and instruct them in their role in a Swedish PhD-examination protocol. Male supervisors had had more PhD-candidates than female, but they also had used more Sweden-based examiners than their female colleagues. We conclude that using a foreign examiner was motivated by factors that are likely to prevail for the foreseeable future. This Swedish practice may also provide a template for a common standard.     

The ESA contribution to space research on two-phase systems

This paper gives an overview of the research programme in Heat and Mass Transfer coordinated by the European Space Agency (ESA). This research programme consists of six projects involving more than 30 partners, both academia and industry, spread in 11 countries in Europe, Canada and Israël. The microgravity experiments performed up to now are recalled as well as their main results. Finally, the experiments planned for the coming years, particularly in the Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL) on the International Space Station (ISS), are briefly described.     

Regional R&D activities and interactions in the Swedish Triple Helix

The Swedish innovation system is analysed in terms of the interaction between academia, government and the private sector. For each of 21 Swedish regions we analyse the distribution of research activities, doctoral employment, and publication output, as well as the flow of doctoral graduates and the distribution of co-authorship links across regions and sectors. The three main urban regions have about 75 percent of all R&D activities and outputs. They also have a more balanced supply of academic, governmental and private research activities than the smaller regions, and the interactions among sectors within these regions are more intense. The inter-regional flow of PhDs is also to the advantage of the big regions. So far, decentralization of the academic sector does not seem to have had as similar decentralizing effect on private R&D. Unless this imbalance changes, smaller regions will continue to be net exporters of skill and knowledge to the big regions.     

Scientometric impact assessment of a research policy instrument: the case of rating researchers on scientific outputs in South Africa

The influence of the National Research Foundation’s (NRF) rating system on the productivity of the South African social science researchers is investigated scientometrically for the period from 1981 to 2006. Their output performance is mainly indicated by their research publications. Following international best practice in scientometrics as well as the behavioural reinforcement theory, we employed the “before/after control impact (BACI) method”, as well as the well known econometric breakpoint test as proposed by Chow. We use as control group the publications in the field of clinical medicine. The field is not supported by NRF and hence clinical medicine researchers are not affected by the evaluation and rating system. The findings show a positive impact of the NRF programme on the research outputs of social sciences researchers and the implementation of the programme has increased the relevant population of research articles by an average of 24.5% (during the first 5 years) over the expected number of publication without the programme. The results confirm the scientometric findings of other studies (e.g. that of Nederhof) that ratings promulgate research productivity.     

The training of postgraduates

The research and management skills required for gaining a PhD differ greatly from those associated with other graduate courses. A training programme for doctoral students should teach the skills needed to conduct research and help prepare students for subsequent careers in industry or academia. When developing the Graduate Support Programme (GRASP) to provide this training at UMIST, it emerged that no general philosophy existed regarding the training needed to pursue a PhD. The requirement to train 350 new doctoral students a year has meant that GRASP represents a radically new approach in teaching provision. Experience with running GRASP for a year has confirmed that all the training needed for PhD research, and preparation for subsequent careers, can be provided within the existing three year research grant system. The aim of this paper is to describe the needs and to explain the constraints encountered in developing a training programme for postgraduates     

Risks and benefits

With more than 350 nanoproducts already on the market, it is time for a programme of research that fully addresses concerns about the safety of nanotechnology.Introduction     

The response of carbon fibre composites to blast loading via the Europa CAFV programme

Modern military vehicles must balance the need for occupant protection against the competing requirements for high mobility and payload capacity. As such, there is continuing interest in the development of lightweight vehicle structures that reduce the overall mass of the hull and armour system, leading to a lighter vehicle. One way to achieve this is through the use of materials that can perform both structural and protective roles, reducing the mass of appliqué armour required to achieve a given level of protection. The aim of the 3-year EUROPA Carbon Fibre for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (CAFV) programme was to investigate the use of carbon fibre composites for use in military vehicle structures. Six nations took part in the programme, each assessing the benefits of carbon fibre composites in terms of their application to at least part of an armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) hull. For the UK, a lower hull section was selected as the focus for the research programme and, as part of the programme, assessed against mine blast threats.     

Toward Jeffersonian research programmes in ergonomics science

Thomas Jefferson believed that scientific research could lead to a fuller understanding of nature, while simultaneously addressing a persistent social problem of national or global interest. The two-fold ideals of this 'Jeffersonian research programme' fit well with the inherently practical aims of ergonomics science. However, in the past, basic and applied concerns have not always been well integrated in the discipline. This article makes a contribution, by proposing a novel metascientific framework consisting of a two-dimensional research space that addresses this problem. One dimension is methodological, representing the trade-off between experimental control and representativeness, while the other dimension is intentional, representing the trade-off between knowledge- and market-oriented purposes. The framework helps explain why it has frequently been difficult to integrate basic and applied concerns, and, at the same time, it shows that a Jeffersonian research programme for ergonomics science can be achieved by opening up degrees of freedom for research that have been comparatively unexplored. The importance of demonstrating contributions to fundamental understanding and to applied practice within the same research programme may be essential for survival and success in a climate of restricted research funding.     

Research quality and diversity of funding: A model for relating research money to output of research

We analyze the relation between funding and output using bibliometric methods with field normalized data. Our approach is to connect individual researcher data on funding from Swedish university databases to data on incoming grants using the specific personal ID-number. Data on funding include the person responsible for the grant. All types of research income are considered in the analysis yielding a project database with a high level of precision. Results show that productivity can be explained by background variables, but that quality of research is more or less un-related to background variables.