Ellen MacArthur to speak at Made in Brunel exhibition on London’s South Bank, Thursday 14 June
Dame Ellen MacArthur will address an audience of students, staff and industry specialists at this year's Made in Brunel design and engineering showcase. Formerly a record-breaking sailor and circumnavigator, Dame Ellen launched the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2010 to inspire a generation to re-think, re-design and build a positive future, after five years of research into the global economy and its reliance on finite resources.
Around 300 innovations will be presented and demonstrated to consumers, producers and service providers over the course of the annual showcase, which is run by graduating Brunel University design and engineering students.
Among the products tipped to grab the attention this year are a chocolate pen and 3D chocolate printer, a device which recycles water wasted when running the hot tap, and an intelligent toy for cats which moves away on approach. Other concepts include the development of new sustainable roofing technology, a process which enables HIV positive mothers in sub-Saharan Africa to see that their breast milk is safe before feeding their babies, and a study looking at the potential construction of a Thames Estuary airport.
The thinking behind this year's theme is ‘journeys fuelled by ideas’. “The journeys our students make through their degrees are what shape their outlook as graduate designers and engineers,” explains creator of Made in Brunel Paul Turnock. “For 2012, ‘journeys fuelled by ideas’ represents our aim to share the process and development that goes into all of the projects, the progression of the students and Made in Brunel itself.”
Traditionally, Made in Brunel provides an excellent opportunity for Brunel students to find employment. Last year's cohort landed design and engineering jobs at companies including Jaguar Land Rover, Porsche Design, Dyson, Chanel, Hasbro, Burberry, Reiss and lastminute.com, with some also setting up their own businesses upon graduation.
Made in Brunel 2012 takes place at The Bargehouse on London's South Bank from Thursday 14 June until Sunday 17 June.
You can register to attend on the website.
* Brunel University is a member of the University Design Industry Partnership (UDIP), a BDI initiative. It is the first formal alliance of its kind in the UK, created to bring the industrial design community and academia closer together to forge stronger links to address a number of issues affecting the growth and quality of the design industry.
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