CASE Centre webinar series

The Birmingham CASE Automotive Research and Education Centre (the CASE Centre) holds webinars regularly as its brand activity.

The purposes of organising CASE Centre webinars are to disseminate the latest automotive research results and promote internal and external research collaborations.

Since its inauguration in March 2022, the centre has held four webinars including three academic seminars and one industry forum. The academic speaks from UoB include Professor Clive Roberts (Engineering), Prof Professor David Bailey (Business), Professor Marina Gashinova (Engineering), Professor Emma Kendrick (Metallurgy and Materials), Professor Yulong Ding FREng (Chemical Engineering), and Professor Robert Steinberger-Wilckens (Chemical Engineering).

In the industry forum, we invited Tom Witcomb, chief engineer from Lotus group (a leading sports car manufacturer), and Dr Tony Duan, technical specialist from CHANGAN UK R&D Centre (a big-three Chinese OEM). The webinars have attracted more than 93 thousand audiences joining online and in person.

CASE Webinars

CASE Centre webinar 1: 21 March 2022

Person delivering presentation to a room of academicsThe first webinar and networking as an inauguration event were on 21 March 2022. Chaired by Professor Hongming Xu, this event marked the formal kick-off of this new establishment. Professor Clive Roberts, Head of the School of Engineering, and Professor David Bailey of Business Economics delivered their talks respectively. Prof Clive Roberts introduced the background of the School of Engineering and activities in the Birmingham Transport Research and Education Centre. Prof David Bailey introduced his recent study into big trends in the motor industry from the perspective of policies, economics, politics, and business. The event was attended onsite by managers from industry companies including AVL Powertrain UK, MAHLE Powertrain, Lotus Group, We Predict, Ecobat and UBIPOS UK with several other industrial partners online. The event was watched by more than 23 thousand online through the live-streaming service provided by Gasgoo.

CASE Centre webinar 2: 11 May 2022

Person delivering presentation to a room of academicsThe CASE Centre held its second webinar on 11 May 2022. The event invited Professor Marina Gashinova, Chair in Pervasive Sensing and Professor Emma Kendrick, Chair of Energy Materials to present their research. Prof Gashinova delivered a presentation on “Automotive radar from the viewpoint of relevant research and development trends”, and the topic of Prof Kendrick’s presentation was “sustainability in battery manufacturing and parametric battery modelling methods”. The attendees of this event include Richard Burden, former member of Parliament of the United Kingdom; Corinna Fletcher, Director of Group Lotus Organization Development; Tony Duan, Fuel cell specialist, CHANGAN UK R&D Centre; George Ye, Managing director, UBIPOS UK Ltd. With the support from Gasgoo, the event was streamed live online with over 28 thousand viewers following online.

CASE Centre webinar 3: 11 July 2022

Webinar title presentation PowerPoint slideThe third webinar was held on 11 July 2022. The webinar invited Prof. Yulong Ding RAEng and Prof. Robert Steinberger-Wilckens to give speeches on the topic of energy in transportation, followed by a live Q&A session between the online audience and the participants. Prof Ding talked about the topic of “energy issues in transportation”, and the topic of Prof Steinberger-Wilckens is "Zero Carbon Fossil Fuels". The webinar was hosted by Prof. Hongming Xu, Director of the C.A.S.E. Centre for Automotive Research and Education in Birmingham and was watched live by over 15,000 people.

CASE Centre webinar 4: 27 September 2022

Close-up of person delivering presentation with a screen in the backgroundThe CASE Centre held an industry forum as its fourth webinar on 27 Sep 2022. Dr Tony Duan, technical specialist from CHANGAN UK R&D Centre (a big-three Chinese OEM) and Tom Witcomb, chief engineer from Lotus group (a leading sports car manufacturer) were invited to deliver presentations in the industry forum. The topic of Dr Duan’s presentation was “Overview of fuel cell vehicle and its system related control development”, and Tom talked about “The electrified future of sports car powertrains”. The webinar was chaired by Professor Hongming Xu, Director of the C.A.S.E. Centre for Automotive Research and Education in Birmingham, and was streamed live online by Gasgoo, with over 27,000 viewers following the event online.

CASE Centre webinar 5 with CBBC: 10 January 2023

Group of men and women standing on the steps of the Engineering building at the University of Birmingham, taking part in a CASE Centre webinarthe

The Birmingham CASE Automotive Research and Education Centre recently hosted a roundtable on commercial vehicles and new energy developments. Supported by Silverstone Technology Centre, the Northern Automotive Alliance, and the UK Chinese Society of Automotive Engineers, the event featured notable speakers including industry experts and professionals from academia and renowned organisations.

Presentations covered various topics such as the design of new materials for Li-ion batteries, strategies for recycling them, challenges, and opportunities of low-carbon fuels, and the decarbonization of transportation. The online event drew an audience of over 5,000 viewers and facilitated engaging discussions and exchanges during the Q&A session.

Find out more: China-Britain Business Council holds Auto Roundtable in collaboration with University of Birmingham

CASE Centre webinar 6 with IJPT: 27 April 2023

Academic delivering a presentation in a seminar room with two members of the audience visible

The Birmingham CASE Automotive Research and Education Centre recently held its sixth webinar on April 27th, 2023. Professor Peter Slater focused on the design of new materials for Li-ion batteries and strategies to recycle them. He discussed the issues concerning the recycling technologies for Li-ion batteries and expressed his vision for advancements in high-performance lithium battery research. Professor Athanasios Tsolakis discussed the challenges and opportunities of low-carbon fuels. He analysed the major challenges faced by low-carbon fuel studies, examined the synergies and interactions. During the Q&A session, the online audience actively participated and engaged in in-depth discussions with the speaker.

CASE Centre webinar 7 with IJPT: 21 September 2023

Three male academics standing at the front of a university lecture theatre

The 7th Webinar of Birmingham C.A.S.E. Automotive Research and Education Centre focused on Automotive Battery was held on 21 September 2023. The event benefited from livestreaming support by Gasoo Automotive and featured two prominent speakers: Dr Mike Bassett, Engineering Director at MAHLE Powertrain Ltd., and Dr Yongjing Wang, Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham.

Professor Hongming Xu, the Director of the Centre, Chaired the Webinar and presented an in introduction including accomplishments of the previous six webinars while outlining the future direction of the centre. Dr Bassett introduced MAHLE Powertrain's groundbreaking reconfigurable battery module, which holds the promise of delivering customized high-performance battery packs incorporating an advanced cooling concept. Dr Yongjing Wang delved into the recent advancements in robotic disassembly technologies developed at the University of Birmingham, with a particular emphasis on their potential applications within the automotive industry.

This event served as a platform to unite distinguished figures in the field, facilitating the advancement of automotive research and the exchange of cutting-edge technology. The webinar attracted an impressive total of 7,894 online viewers, further underlining its significance and impact.

CASE Centre Webinar 8: 5 December 2023

 

Two lecturers at the front of the room giving a presentationThe 8th webinar was successfully hosted by Professor Hongming Xu, Director of the Birmingham C.A.S.E. Automotive Research and Education Centre on 5 December 2023, with livestream support from Gasgoo Automotive. The event garnered widespread attention, attracting over 16k online audiences.

During the webinar, Professor Paul Anderson, Co-Director of the Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements and Critical Materials at the University of Birmingham, and Mr. Jason Hu, Deputy Director of Programme Management at London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC), Geely, delivered insightful speeches. Professor Xu provided an overview of the agenda and discussed the experiences from previous editions. He also outlined the future development direction and goals of the Centre.

Professor Anderson's presentation focused on "The Elements & Alchemy of the Net Zero Transition," covering the diverse elements essential for modern technologies, the efficient management of the earth's elemental resources as a crucial factor for an effective and equitable net-zero transition, and a commitment to net-zero waste for a sustainable future.

Following this, Mr. Hu explored "The Future of Green Mobility," delving into insights on electric disruptions in commercial transportation, evolving business models, and technological developments. The webinar brought together distinguished representatives in the field, fostering technological exchange and research development within the automotive industry.

CASE Centre Webinar 9: 19 March 2024

On March 19 2024, the Birmingham C.A.S.E. Automotive Research and Education Centre held its 9th webinar with on-site livestream support from Gasgoo Automotive Company. The event garnered significant attention, attracting over 20,000 online viewers and dozens of attendees present at the venue. The webinar was a panel discussion on "How Fast Will the Automotive Energy Transition Take Place?" Director of the Centre, Professor Hongming Xu chaired the webinar, outlining the centre's future development direction and goals. Professor David Bailey of the Business School of Birmingham University, the government consultant, delivered a talk on the automotive business. Professor Gautam Kalghatgi, ex-Shell principal scientist and Aramco expert, and Professor Huw Williams, Director of Deep Power and ex-JLR senior specialist, attended and spoke on world energy transition and UK Auto industry approaches, respectively. Dr Guoxiang Lu, Director of the Product R&D Centre at BYD Auto Industry Co, and Mr Mark Xu, Director of Industrial Innovation at CBBC, participated in the webinar online, giving talks on new energy cars and China-Britain business cooperation, respectively. The online/offline discussions and active audience participation led to a good exchange of views on Automotive Energy Transition from various perspectives. The webinar is expected to positively contribute to the development of automotive energy transition and automotive industry.

Presenters at the 9th CASE Centre webinar
9th-case-centre-webinar-presentation2

 

CASE Centre Webinar 10: 28 June 2024

On 28 June 2024, the Birmingham CASE Automotive Research and Education Centre hosted its 10th webinar regarding energy policy with on-site livestream support from Gasgoo Automotive Company. The event garnered significant attention, attracting over 20,000 online viewers and many attendees present on site. The webinar commenced with an introduction by Professor Hongming Xu, he outlined today’s agenda and shortly summarized the experiences of past webinars. The first presentatin was delivered by Dr Georgios Fontaras, Research Project Manager at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. His talk, titled "Road Vehicle Decarbonisation Current EU Situation and Insights From Recent Policy," focused on the EU's electrification trajectory and the development of a zero-emission fleet. Then Professor Robert Elliott, Director of Research at the Department of Economics, University of Birmingham, presented his findings on "Do Electric Vehicles Match Longevity of Internal-Combustion Engine Vehicles? Estimates from 300 Million MOT Test Results in Great Britain." His discussion highlighted the increasing longevity of electric vehicles (EVs) and the variety of EV technologies currently in use. With active engagement and discussion from the audience, the webinar offered valuable market perspectives on the current state and future outlook of automotive development, fostering knowledge sharing and innovation within the industry.

Presenters at the 10th CASE Centre-webinar
Presenters at the 10th CASE Centre-webinar

 

Future plans

The CASE Centre plans to organise regular webinars (target every quarter). The CASE Centre staff play key roles in developing global impact and promoting international collaboration for the University in the field of automotive engineering through these webinars.

Professor Hongming Xu, Director of the CASE Centre has been elected the founding chairman of the Global Alliance of Overseas Chinese Societies of Automotive Engineers (GAOCASE) which is a strategic partner of the International Federation of Automotive Engineering Societies (FISTA). The CASE Automotive Webinar is supported by Gasgoo Automotive New which is a strategic partner of GAOCASE by providing a live streaming service.

The CASE Centre also works closely with the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC). We have hosted CBBC automotive events twice on campus in 2022 and 2023 respectively.