“We are incredibly proud to support these outstanding innovators through our fellowship programs,” said Andrew Everett, CEO of the ERA Foundation. “Their groundbreaking work in clean energy and manufacturing aligns perfectly with our mission to promote high tech British engineering and drive economic prosperity. We have no doubt that their projects will make a significant impact in their respective fields.”
Sanzhar Taizhan, TaiSin Energy – Enterprise Fellowship
Sanzhar Taizhan of TaiSin Energy was awarded the May 2023 Enterprise Fellowship for his work on developing best-in-class sodium-ion battery technology. TaiSin Energy aims to make battery tech sustainable, efficient, and affordable for electric mobility by eliminating the need for lithium, cobalt, and nickel metals.
TaiSin Energy has developed a novel “hexagonal” battery format that increases structural integrity and volume availability by 20%. These batteries feature low internal resistance, enabling fast charging and high thermal conductivity for effective cooling and heating. The company also uses physics-informed neural networks to track chemical reactions inside every battery, allowing for accurate life cycle predictions.
Alex Shakeshaft, Enturi – Enterprise Fellowship
Alex Shakeshaft of Enturi received the November 2023 Enterprise Fellowship to support the development of Enturi’s game-changing micro wind turbine design. Building on two years of extensive design work, Enturi has developed a patent-pending turbine that offers compact and high-efficiency clean power generation to diversify the UK’s green energy portfolio.
With this core turbine technology, Enturi is developing the Enturi aeroCharger and Enturi eStation—portable single-turbine (6kW) and multi-turbine (20-100kW) distributed energy systems for the UK maritime sector. These non-grid-connected renewable energy systems are designed for rapid implementation and relocation and are backed up with an ISO-compliant IoT system for secure data interoperability and transparency. Enturi’s solutions could provide clean coastal and portside energy generation and storage to decarbonise operations without the broader impacts of current wind and solar solutions.
Paul McHard, HAL Robotics – 2023 Industrial Fellowship
Paul McHard from HAL Robotics was awarded the 2023 Industrial Fellowship. He will work with the University of Glasgow, supported by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, on a project titled “Autonomous Robotic Detection and Correction of Surface Defects in Manufacturing.”
McHard’s research project will develop HAL.AutoCorrect is an AI-based solution that autonomously detects, characterises, and corrects surface defects in manufactured parts during production.
This innovative software aims to improve manufacturing efficiency by reducing costs, energy consumption, material waste, and productivity loss. HAL.AutoCorrect will utilise computer vision, deep learning, and adaptive robotic programming to function fully autonomously without human intervention at any stage.
By supporting these talented individuals through the Enterprise Fellowships and the Industrial Fellowship, the ERA Foundation continues to foster innovation, creativity, and excellence in British engineering. The Foundation remains committed to promoting the high tech engineering and manufacturing sector and ensuring that economic and regulatory conditions allow the industry to thrive.
