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East of England
Securing the stone-curlew
Securing the future of the stone-curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) throughout its range in the UK
Sandy, Bedfordshire
Conservation
The project plans to deliver a comprehensive, integrated suite of communications actions, aimed primarily at farmers and other land managers, to encourage the adoption of management practices beneficial to the stone-curlew. The overall objective of the project is to secure the future of the species in the UK by making it much less dependent on conservation work than at present, and therefore much more self-sustaining. This species's dependency on conservation efforts is problematic for two main reasons. Firstly, the population is highly vulnerable to any future decreases in conservation effort. Secondly, the scope for the population to grow from its current small size is severely restricted, because only a limited amount of conservation resources can be devoted to this species. The reason that UK stone-curlews are so conservation-dependent is that most of them breed on arable farmland, where their nests are liable to be destroyed by agricultural machinery. The only effective way to minimise such losses is for staff and volunteers from conservation bodies to carry out labour-intensive nest protection work. The project aims to tackle this problem through a comprehensive, integrated programme of advisory, communications and awareness-raising actions, designed primarily to increase the amount of safe nesting habitat available to stone-curlews and thus to reduce (and ultimately eliminate) the need for nest protection work.
Expected results: The UK population of stone-curlews is expected to increase during the project period, at a time when the pressure for farm intensification is high. The project is not intended to bring about a major increase in this population in the short term, but is designed to put the species on a much more sustainable footing (and thus to lay the foundations for potential increases in the future).
European Masters Programme in Recovery and Social Inclusion
Hatfield
Education
The project deals with mental illness, a major concern for European governments and their citizens, due to its high prevalence, and the high personal and public costs it entails, including the costs of social exclusion. Recovery in its new meaning of enabling people to live well with the illness and beyond it is becoming the European preferred policy.
ChipCheck
Development of Novel X-ray Inspection System for Fast Automated Detection of Counterfeit PCB Components
Cambridge
Manufacture
Currently, electronics manufacturers do not check all PCB components at goods inwards. Some manufacturers make random checks on single components from batches of component lots. However, components especially the surface mount type are typically supplied on tape reels to assist with component feed for automatic component placement. The manufacturer cannot check all the components. Typically, a check includes visual inspection and in circuit testing. However, performing these checks is disadvantageous for two main reasons. Firstly, the tests can be time consuming and secondly it requires the component to be removed from the packaging or reel invalidating any guarantee to a claim should a counterfeit component be found. Currently, no automatic methods exist to speedily check each single component. In addition the cost of modern X-ray inspection systems prohibits their use for smaller manufacturing concerns. ChipCheck proposal is for the development of a novel X-ray inspection system for fast automated detection of counterfeit PCB components. The aim of such a development is to address the above issues. The system will be developed so that is capable of inspecting PCB components on tape reels and other component feeding mechanisms. In addition separate PCB components will also be examinable with the developed system. Through the selected combination of SME partners involved in the consortium, a new design uniquely combining lower cost off-the-shelf components used from different industries (Industrial NDT, Medical and dentistry) will be developed to enable production of a prototype of particular suitability for goods inward inspection.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/96181_fr.html
Galloper Wind Farm
Suffolk
Energy
The European Investment Bank, Europe’s long-term investment institution, has agreed to provide GBP 225 million for the Galloper Wind Farm Ltd (GWFL) to be constructed 27 km off the Suffolk Coast. Once operational, the offshore wind farm will be capable of providing enough clean energy to supply up to 336,000 homes from 56 of the world’s largest wind turbines. The project also represents the UK’s first pre-construction offshore wind project finance deal.
This is the first UK project to be backed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the heart of the Investment Plan for Europe. EFSI was established earlier this year by the European Investment Bank and the European IMF and will enable increased lending and attract private capital for crucial projects by the European Investment Bank in strategic sectors such as renewable energy, digital infrastructure, transport and R&D, as well as financing for SMEs.
Build with CaRe
Carbon Reduction
East of England
Energy
The transnational Build with CaRe partnership united to showcase how the right expertise and new technologies could result in modern, energy efficient buildings and a better environment for all.
With a £1,023,861 ERDF grant for UK partners Build with CaRe brokered contacts and facilitated learning about low energy construction, providing sound evidence, international experience and ensuring that builders and developers are aware of and know how to use the latest techniques. An important consequence was the decision of a housing association to build more than 240 apartments with passive house standard in Norwich, making it the largest passive house project in the United Kingdom. Without Build with CaRe influence, the project would not have been realised to such high energy standards.
In Southend-On-Sea, Build with CaRe provided support to renew the vandalized and abandoned Prittlewell Chapel with a unique approach integrating respect for the historical architecture and the local community with the use of new, energy efficient building methods. Now rented to a local volunteer organization, the renovated chapel is clear proof that energy efficiency technologies can also be integrated in existing buildings so large numbers of older buildings can also achieve passive housing standards.
