Study Groups with Industry are an internationally recognised highlight of UK applied mathematics.

They have been held annually in the UK for nearly 40 years and, under the coordination of the KTN, now attract around 80 mathematicians to work on a wide variety of industrial problems. Each Study Group lasts for one week and typically addresses 8 problems. The KTN’s Technology Translators work with companies beforehand to ensure that problems are presented in ways that will encourage rapid progress and fruitful interactions. The format is equally suited to problems in operations, design or strategy. Recent company participants include Unilever, Motorola, Vodafone, BAE Systems, NATS, Thales, Schlumberger, QinetiQ, Acordis, Dstl, and Westland, as well as SMEs such as Lein Applied Diagnostics, Platform Diagnostics, ATS and Bristol Zoo.

The next Study Group takes place in Nottingham in March 2007. To explore the possibilities, contact Dr Heather Tewkesbury.

Examples of Impact

UK Study Groups from 2002 to 2005 have so far turned an initial investment of around £100,000 (55% public, 45% private) into well over £1 million of internal corporate investment in follow-on projects and expected increases in market value of over £1.5 million per year.

“... Excellent on all counts” - Chris Farmer, Schlumberger

Pi in the sky

National Air Traffic Services (NATS) handles some 6,000 commercial flights each day over the UK.

It ensures flight safety by maintaining safe distances between aircraft, using position data from its radar network. Reliability of this radar tracking data is crucial, and so NATS regularly monitors and analyses radar accuracy. NATS wanted to make its analysis statistically robust and less dependent on human interpretation. It approached the KTN to help solve the problem. By studying the raw data error, mathematicians at the UK Study Group developed new analysis tools. By adapting the findings of the Study Group, NATS developed a fresh approach to its monitoring programme, and this will ultimately contribute to the safety of its operations.

“Phenomenal” - Keith Slater, National Air Traffic Services

Results are in the eye of the beholder

Lein Applied Diagnostics is a small medical devices firm specialising in glucose checking for people with diabetes.

Its product uses optical technology to measure focal distances in the eye as an indicator of the patient’s glucose level. The company began working with the KTN for Industrial Mathematics when a complex problem emerged as a barrier to product development. The KTN’s Technology Translators introduced Lein to the UK Study Group, which quantified the feasibility of 5 approaches and suggested others. This helped the company move more quickly into the next stages of the product cycle, make decisions on company direction and secure £1million of investment funding.