New Member of Parliament for Filton and Bradley Stoke Claire Hazelgrove visited IAAPS on Friday 14 March to learn more about the centre, its facilities and teams, and to meet University Vice-Chancellor Professor Phil Taylor.
IAAPS is a world-leading centre of excellence supporting the transition to net zero transport, fostering engineering innovation and the adoption of clean, efficient and affordable zero carbon technologies. At the same time it is training the next generation of engineers and mobility specialists.
It is built on nearly 50 years of propulsion systems research and development at the University of Bath, drawing on the University’s strong industry links.
Learn more about how IAAPS is leading the way in next generation propulsion technologies.
During her visit, Claire toured the centre’s unique facilities at the Bristol and Bath Science Park with Prof Chris Brace (IAAPS Executive Director), Prof Xiaoze (Shirley) Pei (Professor in Sustainable Transport) and Isabella Griffiths (Head of Marketing & Communications).
She saw how we are working with industry by developing cutting edge transport technologies using our powertrain test cells and green hydrogen facility, helping to support economic activity, growth and skills.
It was also a chance for her to meet students from AAPS – the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems - which is training leaders across disciplines to be at the forefront of transforming the future transport and mobility.
Since it launched in 2019, AAPS has trained 71 PhD students. Working with and alongside industry, the programme equips doctoral students from diverse academic disciplines with the skills and knowledge to drive innovation in clean, sustainable, and affordable transportation.
Over lunch she met AAPS CDT Manager Yvonne Ascott, along with current students Pete Dyson (whose work is focused on sustainable travel and behaviour change), Sarah Toy (focussing on private car ownership) and Julian Wilkinson (whose work looks at life cycle analysis for hydrogen fuel methods).
Commenting on her visit Claire said: "It was a pleasure to visit IAAPS to see the ground-breaking work the innovative team are doing in helping the transport industry get to net zero – including shaping the future of flight.
"I was glad to meet with University of Bath Vice-Chancellor Phil Taylor while on site – not least as a Bath graduate myself - and to hear from some of the doctoral students about their fascinating research.
"Our new Labour government has been laying the groundwork towards accelerating decarbonisation and making Britain a clean energy superpower. The type of innovation and collaboration we see here at IAAPS, bringing together industry, enterprise and academia, is key to making headway on this - one of the biggest challenges we face today."
Prof Phil Taylor said: “We were delighted to welcome Claire back to the University for a tour of IAAPS, which is within her constituency. Work through IAAPS and the wider activities in the Bristol and Bath Science Park represent real opportunities for the government both in terms of supporting economic growth and in helping the UK transition towards net zero.
“Going forwards we are very keen to work with Claire and all other MPs locally and regionally to ensure the University can play an active role in contributing to debates taking place nationally in Westminster.”
IAAPS Executive Director Prof Chris Brace added: “It was wonderful to welcome Claire to IAAPS to showcase the work we’re doing to help the transport industry decarbonise whilst at the same time supporting economic growth regionally and nationally.
“We have real strengths in this part of the country and huge opportunities through IAAPS to help accelerate innovation as we face up to the challenges and opportunities of decarbonising all sections of the transport industry, especially hard to decarbonise sectors such as aviation.”
Professor Xiaoze Pei, IAAPS Deputy Academic Director, added: “Hydrogen-powered electric aircraft, using superconducting and cryogenic powertrain technologies, represent a true engineering challenge, but also a tremendous opportunity.
“Decarbonising flight – ‘the future of flight’ – is our vision and through IAAPS we have the capability to demonstrate and support the transition to net zero aviation. It was a fantastic to welcome our local MP and to brief her on our ambitions in this area.”
Claire graduated from the University back in 2021 having studied our distance learning MSc Public Policy with the IPR and Department of Social & Policy Sciences.
In addition to her constituency duties, Claire is PPS to Rt. Hon Darren Jones MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury as well as co-Chair for the APPG on Financial Education.