Every now and then a media production company contacts The Engineer to tell us they are working on new technology-related TV show and that they are seeking participants.
When this last happened in August 2013 my attempt to convey the aims of the program maker were shot down with great hoots of derision from one particularly vociferous reader. You can recap here.
With those bad memories in mind it’s on with the tin helmet and out with the trench periscope to scan for sniping cynics who may open fire when they read this….
Lime Pictures have been in touch to tell us that they are working on a new series for the Discovery Channel and they are looking for people like you to take part.
The series wants to convey that there is a community of scientists and engineers trying, through new projects and invention, to improve the world around us and they are looking for scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and inventors to help them do so.
I asked Lime Pictures what criteria are being applied to their selection process and they said via email that they are talking to people who ‘are designing new fuels, new types of aviation, overcoming land speed records – but at a young age, and self financing. These people are trying to do things cleaner, better, faster, newer than we’ve done before.’
It doesn’t matter if the subjects are working for a big multinational company, a university research department or a start-up and they won’t have to posses Elon Musk-esque charisma, charm and good looks, ‘but they have to be able to convey their passion!’
They concluded that they’re “talking to ground-breaking projects that will have a launch, an announcement, a race, a test drive, in our window – April to November 2015” and that interested parties should email the production team at: discoveryseries@limepictures.com for more information.
The core Discovery audience is 35 years of age upwards, so whether the working title of ‘The Brainy Bunch’ sticks remains to be seen. Good luck to any of our readers that put themselves forward for the series.
News now from the Institution of Civil Engineers who today launched their “This is Civil Engineering” campaign. They say the initiative – running from April 13-24 – will see giant banners displayed on civil engineering sites and projects right across Britain, showing the public what civil engineering is and how it benefits them.
ICE adds that the initiative is part of the professional body’s General Election campaign, and aims to also showcase to politicians that investment in infrastructure improves quality of life for the public, regenerates communities and creates jobs.
Around 20 UK projects will be flying the banners over the two-week launch period. Click here to learn more.
Today also marks the start of Hannover Messe, an event with around 6,500 exhibitors showcasing their expertise in the fields of industrial automation and IT, energy and environmental engineering, R&D, power transmission and control, and industrial subcontracting.
The theme threading them together is industry 4.0, the so-called fourth industrial revolution that is striving for a fully autonomous future.
“For the first time, there will be a host of ready-to-install Industry 4.0 solutions to choose from, which shows that ‘integrated industry’ is a living, breathing reality,” said Dr Jochen Köckler, member of the managing board at Deutsche Messe.
The internet of things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 were high on the agenda at this year’s EEF Conference where Pam Murphy, chief operating officer at Infor, stated the case for Industry 4.0 and whose remarks close this week’s Briefing: “Britain’s success depends on overcoming its naturally higher cost base and tapping into growth markets beyond Europe.
“With every challenge there comes opportunity and where we see the greatest opportunity for Britain’s manufacturers is in the use of technology to provide a competitive advantage and help level the playing field against [that] higher cost base.
“The IoT and Industry 4.0 is simply the next evolution of IT that comes about from connecting people, systems and devices to achieve levels of speed, innovation and decision making that was simply never possible before.
“This in turn allows you to consolidate your position as innovators, leaders and ambassadors of world-class production.”
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