Getting there, going abroad and designing at home

The rise of the electric vehicle is gathering pace, thanks in part to smart grid technology, the integration of renewable energy, and necessary changing infrastructure.

This bullish assessment has been made by the organisers of Electric Vehicles - Understanding the rise of eMobility, a two day event taking place in London this week.

They claim in publicity material that automotive manufacturers have embraced the opportunity as an incremental shift towards carbon reduction, battery manufacturers are realising their future business case and the need to develop more sophisticated storage platforms, and utilities are seeking further understanding on how infrastructure changes and the electric transport market will impact supply and demand.

The conference, taking place at the Copthorne Hotel, will address perspectives from the industry, government, utilities, automotive, consumer, battery manufacturers and infrastructure providers, and enable attendees a full and in-depth overview of the current value chain.

Transport is very much on the agenda at Liverpool John Moores University this Thursday.

The North West Transportation Lecture 2012: The role of transport in delivering low-carbon growth will look at the challenges presented by supporting economic growth whilst minimizing carbon consumption and the impact this has on transport policy.

The 2012 Joint Institutes’ Lecture – organised by the Transport Planning Society – will hear from a panel of experts on what can be, and is being, done to meet these challenges, including how alternatives to the car help to support and deliver growth, and the necessity of changing travel behaviour.

In the Midlands, Aston University is opening its doors this Wednesday to present a research showcase evening.

The evening, which is free to attend and geared toward representatives from businesses and public sector organizations, will include short presentations from leading academics in areas including bioenergy, entrepreneurship and language used by female executives. Arrival will be from 4.30pm for drinks and canapés and the event will include time to speak with leading Aston researchers and to network with other attendees.

If the thought of a winter’s evening in Birmingham leaves you yearning for a fresh start then head to Edinburgh this weekend to see if your engineering talents could be better utilised in Australia, New Zealand or Canada.

The organizers of Canada Live & Down Under Live say engineering skills are in demand overseas and attendees are encouraged to come along to meet employers and recruiters who have real jobs in both countries.

Attendees will also be able to talk to immigration agents, migration specialists and a host of other specialists who are expert in every aspect of the emigration process.

Finally, what - other than being consumer products - do the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, the Meridian Audio M80 Hi-Fi and the Kenwood Juice Extractor have in common?

The answer is that they are a small selection of products born out of design in Cambridge over the past 40 years.

Readers have just ten days to catch the Design Icons exhibition currently taking place in Cambridge, which also includes the Sinclair C5 electric vehicle and the Moss Table, a concept that uses moss to produce energy through photosynthesis to potentially power low energy devices. Click here to learn more.