Bryn first started to explore renewable energy during his first degree, an MEng in Mechanical Engineering at Swansea University. There is interest in the potential development of a tidal lagoon in the Swansea Bay area, and this meant that Bryn was able to study modules on both lagoon and tidal energy, as well as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as part of his first degree. Coming to IDCORE allowed him to continue to pursue these interests to a deeper level but within the commercial context provided by an EngD.

After graduating, Ailsa had planned to take a year out to go travelling, but the COVID pandemic put an end to those plans. Instead, she spent the year working in a distillery alongside a group of engineers who were commissioning an anaerobic digestor. It was this, combined with her passion for mitigating climate change, and her experience on a final year undergraduate project on solar cells, that developed her interest in the renewables sector.

Ione came to IDCORE thinking that she would like to work on a sustainability project in offshore wind. However, as happens for many participants in the programme, her ideas changed during the first year as she started to learn more about the sector as a whole. She is now working at FastBlade investigating the potential for manufacturing tidal turbine blades from recyclable materials.

Immediately prior to joining IDCORE Tom had spent four years teaching science and maths in the South Wales Valleys. He had gone there after graduating from an aerospace engineering degree at the University of Bristol in 2016. Although he enjoyed life as a teacher, he didn’t feel that it was making the best use of his engineering skills. He could see the potential for making a difference in the energy sector in an industry like offshore renewables.

After graduating in 2018 from a degree in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Cambridge, Demitri joined a strategy consultancy in London. However, this work didn’t allow him to pursue his interest in sustainable energy and he started to look for ways into the renewables industry.

Katie has been sponsored by the FloWave Ocean Energy Research Facility (FloWave), a wave and current simulation tank which is a part of the University of Edinburgh. FloWave offers hydrodynamic testing services that support the development of offshore renewable energy technologies. Her project combines aspects of both numerical modelling and tank testing.

Calum is working with Sustainable Marine, a tidal energy firm with a demonstration installation in Grand Passage, Nova Scotia, Canada. Headquartered in Edinburgh, it was convenient for Calum to stay close to the university and work within a small team with greater visibility. The project outline was appealing as it was flexible and offered the opportunity to develop his interest in electrical engineering.

Ben’s project is with Xodus, a global energy consultancy with its head office in Aberdeen. Xodus have been expanding into the renewables space for the last seven years, especially in relation to floating wind. They were offering an open-ended project and the opportunity to work in multiple locations where they have offices, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London. It gave Ben the opportunity to enter the space in his interest area of materials science and data analytics without requiring a heavy engineering background.

Alyona came to IDCORE to pursue an interest in offshore renewables, after having spent a period in banking following the completion of a Civil Engineering degree. She was attracted to IDCORE by the nature of the EngD qualification and the training it offered, alongside the opportunity to undertake an industry-based research project.

Anita came to IDCORE from a job as an energy and waste manager in the NHS. She grew up in Portugal where she originally trained as an Environmental Engineer before moving to Suffolk on an international internship scheme participating in renewables projects for Suffolk Council, before taking up the management post at Suffolk NHS Trust. These experiences developed her interest in renewable energy and drove her to seek out PhD opportunities.

The IDCORE training is very broad creating a breadth of knowledge that has been invaluable to Nicholas when working with his project sponsor, EDF, who have been strong supporters of IDCORE since it was first set up. They have sponsored students in most cohorts, and a number of times they have sponsored more than one from their R&D centres in London and in Chatou, France.

Mujahid has a background in Mechanical Engineering, which led to an MSc in thermo-fluids for the petrochemical industry. Following this, he worked as a research engineer at the Centre for Engineering Research, a research institute in Saudi Arabia, focusing on industry-academia projects involving multiphase flows in the oil and gas industry. He was attracted to IDCORE as part of a personal response to the climate crisis, seeking to apply his experience to something new and meaningful. He saw the interaction with industry offered by IDCORE as holding the potential to realise his dream of becoming a research engineer in the burgeoning renewable energy sector.

Lubica developed her passion for the geosciences while working with the British Geological Survey. She subsequently completed an MSc in Reservoir Evaluation and Management at Heriot Watt and wanted to continue studying in this area. She came across the IDCORE programme at the right time, viewing it as an opportunity to go deeper, building her field of expertise by applying her skills to offshore renewables. In this way she could produce research directly applicable to the industry.

Mac is working at the ‘sharp end’ of device development in the offshore renewable energy sector. He is sponsored by Mocean, where he is exploring a ‘hybridisation’ concept for their wave energy converter (WEC). This involves the installation of photo-voltaic (PV) panels on the WEC to reduce the need for diesel back-up in off-grid and micro-grid locations, the likely early market for Mocean’s products.