When you hear the word ‘drone’, what do you think of: the most promising technological development of the decade, or a nuisance object that’s taking to the skies and propelling itself towards a bad reputation?
Heavily publicised incidences of misuse at UK airports have left drones with an image problem, but this shouldn’t dissuade us from investing in, and improving, this technology. Quite the contrary: it should accelerate our efforts to create a legitimate, regulated and sophisticated market for responsible drone use.
Here are five reasons why we need drone technology to take off.
It can provide invaluable feed data…
You did it. You’ve turned your light-bulb moment into a working prototype and you’ve got your sights set on the route to market. But what now?
The challenges of building a business, particularly an engineering-based one, are well documented. What’s less widely discussed is the difficulty that lies beyond the start-up.
Between the eureka moment and successful commercialisation exists a landscape littered with technical and financial challenges. Without the right support, it may seem impossible for even the most promising technology developers to navigate this landscape.
We’re referring, of course, to the so-called ‘Valley of Death’, the figurative wasteland between…
University of Bournemouth student David Clucas recently won an award for his third-year placement at Productiv. Here, he talks about why he chose engineering in the first place, and how a year in industry could help shape the future generation of engineers.
I’ve always been a keen inventor. When I was little, I drew sketches of things that I wanted to make and could often be seen outside, playing with bits of scrap metal. My dad and granddad are also technically minded, so engineering was a logical step for me to take.
I’d often been advised that the best way…
Nick Rodgers, chairman of Productiv and non-executive Director of Zapinamo, discusses the launch of the new ZAPINAMO HUBZ electric vehicle charger.
It’s been an exciting year for Coventry-based electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure company, ZAPINAMO. As well as completing a high-profile project with UK transport giant Heathrow Airport, the company has launched the world’s first rapid charging system for electric vehicles — a fast, flexible unit that’s made exclusively for your home.
If you own an EV, you’ll already know that charging its battery at home is often slow and impractical. From a standard power supply, your battery will take…
“The UK could be the best in the world at engineering services and early stage production. We just need to be brave enough.”
That’s according to Productiv CEO Richard Bruges, who recently spoke to Julie-Anna Needham for the first episode of a new podcast series, Behind the Balance Sheet.
Here, Richard gives Julie-Anna a tour of Productiv’s manufacturing facility in Coventry and discusses why it’s short-termism, not Brexit, that keeps him awake at night.
Listen to the full episode here.
You can also find out more about Productiv here.
Do you think the UK has what it takes to be a world-leader in cleantech? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below.
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