Ian Mundell

Brussels

Columnist|Business at Science|Business

Film and arts writer, journalist, hiding from London in the Low Countries. For higher ed and other policy: @IMundell

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Articles

Imperial AI spinout Polaron wins £1 million Manchester Prize

1 month ago | imperial.ac.uk | Ian Mundell

Imperial spinout Polaron has won the very first Manchester Prize, a government-run competition supporting breakthroughs in artificial intelligence for the public good. The company will receive £1 million in funding to continue developing AI tools that promise to accelerate the design of advanced materials for applications such as batteries and high-performance alloys.
Lithium needed for the battery revolution could be harvested from saltwater lakes thanks to a new membrane

1 month ago | techxplore.com | Ian Mundell

Demand for lithium is rising due to its use in batteries for mobile devices, cars and clean energy storage. Securing access to natural deposits of the mineral is now a matter of strategic importance, but lithium can be found elsewhere in nature. As an alternative to mining, Imperial researchers have created a technology that could be used to efficiently extract it from saltwater sources such as salt-lake brines or geothermal brine solutions.
Lithium needed for the battery revolution could be harvested from lakes

1 month ago | imperial.ac.uk | Ian Mundell

Demand for lithium is rising due to its use in batteries for mobile devices, cars and clean energy storage. Securing access to natural deposits of the mineral is now matter of strategic importance, but lithium can be found elsewhere in nature. As an alternative to mining, Imperial researchers have created a technology that could be used to efficiently extract it from saltwater sources such as salt-lake brines or geothermal brine solutions.
Smart systems keep water and power flowing in Cyprus

2 months ago | imperial.ac.uk | Ian Mundell

Water and energy networks are known as critical infrastructure because they’re vital to communities and economic activity. This means that they must be operated efficiently and remain resilient to external challenges at all times.
Electric vehicle charging partnership opens global markets for Imperial spinout

2 months ago | imperial.ac.uk | Ian Mundell

A new technology faces a number of challenges when it goes out into the world, from satisfying safety regulations to attracting its first users. But you know it is having an impact when the innovation is embraced by a significant player in the industry. This has just happened for Go Eve, a joint spinout from Imperial and University College Dublin, which has developed a system that allows multiple electric vehicles (EVs) to be recharged from a single charger.
Inspiration turns into application for Imperial’s neural implant research

2 months ago | imperial.ac.uk | Ian Mundell

It takes many hands to bring research out of the lab and into the world. Behind the creation of the spinout MintNeuro, for example, were colleagues at Imperial and other institutions who helped develop the founding team’s knowledge and experience, so that commercialisation of its research into neural implants became a possibility. Meanwhile, grants helped fund different aspects of the transition from research to development and on to application of the original innovation.
Sleep apnoea home testing device recommended for use in the NHS

Jan 16, 2025 | imperial.ac.uk | Ian Mundell

A wearable medical device that tests for the breathing disorder obstructive sleep apnoea has been recommended for use in the NHS by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Developed by Acurable, a company with its roots in research carried out at Imperial, the AcuPebble will help people get a diagnosis without spending a night in a sleep clinic. This will be better for patients and should save NHS resources.
Building a smart grid begins with a new kind of light switch

Jan 13, 2025 | imperial.ac.uk | Ian Mundell

Smart grids are all about using data to make electricity networks as efficient and sustainable as possible. An essential part of that equation is being able to monitor and control how households use energy. This is where startup company Tewke hopes to make a difference, by rethinking two of the commonest elements of household electrical systems: sockets and light switches.
The Ecosystem: spin-offs from research organisations are born under a lucky star

Dec 16, 2024 | sciencebusiness.net | Ian Mundell

Spin-offs from non-profit research and technology organisations (RTOs) appear to be remarkably solid, with a survival rate far above the European average. While some of this effect is down to the sectors these spin-offs are born into, it also comes from the support provided by their parent organisations and the rigour of the spinning out process.
The Ecosystem: Warsaw gains agrifood hub for start-ups

Dec 9, 2024 | sciencebusiness.net | Ian Mundell

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has put its weight behind a new agrifood accelerator in Warsaw, promising increased support for start-ups in this sector across central and eastern Europe. The Future Resilient Agriculture hub extends a network of accelerator hubs run by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Food community, and marks a rare collaboration between the two institutions.