Major collaboration unveiled

A major new industrial collaboration will drive forward the research and manufacturing of cutting-edge electronics at the University. A partnership in the area of microwave semiconductor devices has been unveiled by e2v — a leading global provider of specialised solutions, subsystems and components — and academics. Funding of £1m from e2v — and significant match-funding from the University — will see a purpose-built cleanroom built at the School of Physics and Astronomy on University Park, housing the e2v semiconductor fabrication facility. e2v engineers will also have access to existing nano-fabrication facilities within the school, as well as advanced materials characterisation instruments available on campus. Physicists at Nottingham will also have access to the e2v fabrication tools. The collaboration further strengthens the University’s portfolio of successful technology transfer partnerships, which includes industry leaders such as Rolls Royce plc, Siemens and BAE Systems.

Medieval treasure trove

The largest surviving family-owned library of medieval manuscripts in Britain can be enjoyed by everyone thanks to the publication of a new book. The Wollaton Medieval Manuscripts: Texts, Owners and Readers is the culmination of a major research project at the University. The hardback volume tells the story of Notts’ landowning Willoughby family, and the extensive library of rare medieval manuscripts they collected during the 15th and 16th centuries. The manuscripts were housed in the family library at Wollaton in Nottingham, and transferred to Wollaton Hall, built by Sir Francis Willoughby in the 1580s. The book focuses on 10 manuscripts in the Wollaton Library Collection, which are now in the care of the University’s Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections. Essays by academic and curatorial experts explore various aspects including the library’s history and the Willoughbys’ motivation for collecting such a wide range of medieval books and papers.

New ‘salt’ wins award

A healthy food product created in Nottingham has earned an innovation award. Soda-Lo, which has huge market potential as a healthier natural alternative to standard salt, was recognised as an outstanding product at the Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards. The company that developed it, eminate Ltd, won the CenFRA Award for Most Innovative Research Project. eminate Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The University of Nottingham based at BioCity, was recognised for the successful manipulation of salt crystals that resulted in the development of Soda-Lo. Soda-Lo enables a reduction in salt use of between 25 and 50 per cent in food products, by altering the size, form and structure of salt particles to increase their saltiness, so reducing the amount of salt needed.

Debt advice could soar says report

A report, produced by Dr John Gathergood, an economist at the University, warns that if independent forecasts are right and unemployment continues to rise, the demand for debt advice by the middle of next year will exceed that seen at the peak of the financial crisis. Between 2008 and 2009, more than 1.5m people sought help for debt problems. Dr Gathergood — an expert on credit, debt and borrowing in the Centre for Policy Evaluation in the School of Economics — produced Demand, Capacity and Need for Debt Advice in the UK on behalf of the Money Advice Trust. He said: “Despite demand for debt advice currently being at near all-time high levels in the UK, the scale of potential need for debt advice among households remains much greater than the level of advice currently sought.”