Category / BU research

RKEDF: Introduction to RED – the Research and Enterprise Database

Post-award, Training

This online session on Wednesday 7 May 2025, 13:00-13:45, is aimed at all academics to provide an overview of the Research & Enterprise Database.

Including how to access the system, the information available to view, budget management via RED, and how to use RED to identify your supporting pre and post award officers.

Book your place here

For any queries regarding this workshop, please contact RKE Development Framework

Photo exhibition happening now at Talbot Campus – Ageing in a digital world

The photo exhibtion currently running in the Atrium Gallery space at Talbot Campus showcases the benefits and hurdles of ageing in a digital world from the stories of older adults.

This research project uses a method called Photovoice to capture images and stories on this topic
www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/projects/perceptions-ageing-digital-world Photo exhibition – Ageing in a digital world

The project is co-created by academic researchers and local older adults, who are co-researchers and members of the ADRC Research Participation Group, after discussing the challenges they face with the digitalisation of society www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/ageing-dementia-research-centre/adrc-research-participation-group

The exhibition is on until 8th May.

 

For more information please contact Michelle mheward@bournemouth.ac.uk

A compassionate approach to Simulation: new national blog post published

Student Engagement

The Association for Learning Developers in Higher Education (ALDinHE) have a national blog focussing on pedagogic practice and the student experience. Una Brosnan (Paramedic Science) and Debbie Holley (Nursing Sciences) collaborated to create the blog (extracts below) and the full blog is available here https://aldinhe.ac.uk/take5-122-from-accidents-to-aquariums-a-compassionate-approach-to-simulation/

#Take5 #122 From accidents to aquariums: a compassionate approach to simulation
“The world of simulation and immersive learning technologies is developing rapidly and in parallel to the existing and predicted future requirements of health and care on a global scale”.
[Enhancing education, clinical practice and staff wellbeing. A national vision for the role of simulation and immersive learning technologies in health and care HEE, 2020]
This #Take 5 reflects upon ways in which paramedic students responded to a compassionate pedagogical approach to debriefing groups after a high intensity simulation experience. Their experience through changing the ambience of the debrief transformed their session from one where students reported anxiety, insecurity where lecturing staff noticed students showing signs of stress to relaxed bodies, a calm atmosphere and a readiness for self and peer reflections. This was now a space where individual voices could be heard, and deep learning took place.
Studies have shown that students can find clinical simulation to be extremely stressful and anxiety provoking (Jowesy et al. 2020 and Mills et al. 2016). Could a potential solution to controlling the amount of stressor added by the educator be to embed compassionate pedagogies in clinical simulation training? Compassionate pedagogy is a teaching approach that emphasizes empathy, care, and understanding in the educational process by focusing on and creating a respectful and understanding learning environment. Here the students’ emotional, personal, and academic needs are recognised, fostering both their professional competence and well-being. This method enhances the development of compassionate, patient-centered care by modelling empathy in the educational process.
This short illustrative video clip shows the contrast between a high stress, high intensity environment (a rail crash scenario where students were expected to triage and the treat mannequins with different injuries) to their low stress environment (a virtual aquarium of tropical fish swimming and soothing water ripple sounds) enabled by using the resources available in an immersive classroom – a Blended Learning Interactive Simulation Suite (BLIS). The ‘classroom’ is a mixed reality platform, comprising three fully interactive walls, with any imaginable scenario projected onto them, with video, audio and tactile capabilities.
Creating an atmosphere of quiet and calm is enabled through transforming the immersive classroom into an ‘aquarium’, with rippling water and fish swimming. This dramatically different space offers the student an atmosphere reducing stress and anxiety caused by the simulation and a place to consolidate their learning.
https://youtu.be/ygFshwj-kSQ?si=fk2Jog11IspjvqQ7

Research into the consequences of parental migration in Nepal

student research

At today’s Centre for Wellbeing and Long-Term Health (CWLTH) Research Seminar, Yagya Adhikari, a PhD student supervised by Professor Edwin van Teijlingen and Dr Pramod Regmi, presented part of his doctoral research focusing on ‘Parental migration for work and psychosocial problems among left-behind adolescents in Nepal‘. Yagya is part of the CWLTH’s Marginalised Groups Workstream and will be submitting his thesis later in 2025.

An astonishing 2,000 people leave Nepal everyday to work overseas and it has long been known that this has an impact on the families left-behind. Yagya’s research explores a new dimension by focusing on the experiences of the left-behind adolescents. The findings Yagya presented today demonstrate that left-behind adolescent boys and girls have poorer results on measures of psychosocial well-being when compared to similarly aged adolescents not left behind by a parent. Yagya’s research has genuine potential to have a positive impact in Nepal.

If you would like to know more about Yagya’s research he can be contacted at yadhikari@bournemouth.ac.uk. For more information about the CWLTH contact cwlth@bournemouth.ac.uk. 

 

Crimmigration, Societies, Borders key note talk – Friday 16 May

Keynote talk as part of Crimmigration, Societies, Borders: Transformation of Boundaries and Narratives (British Academy event).
Prof. Ana Aliverti presents – At the heart of the state: the emotional and moral economies of migration policing in Britain.

Date: 16 May
Time: 3.30-5pm
Location: Shelley Lecture Theatre Talbot Campus
Overview: In this lecture, I explore the contrasting and competing rationales, emotions and values that underpin the contemporary governance of marginalised groups, and reflect on the implications of the attendant emotional and moral complex for understanding the state. I focus on migration policing in the UK as a paradigmatic example of such complex, as immigration policies have appended safeguarding and care for the vulnerable to the priority of detecting and ejecting illegal migrants. Drawing on ethnographic research I have conducted with police and immigration officers since 2016, I explore how these officers navigate competing demands for care and control, and the moral tensions and dilemmas that arise in their everyday work. In placing our gaze on the moral and affective world of these frontline staff, the paper seeks to reflect on the complexities of statecraft and rethink state power through more humane and progressive forms of governance, by retrieving a moral grammar of welfare from below forged through human proximity.
Booking now open
www.bournemouth.ac.uk/crimmigration-societies-borders

Capturing the Power of Heat: NCEM’s Breakthrough in Clean Energy Storage Gains Global Recognition

Industry collaboration, innovation, international, Knowledge Transfer, Publishing, Research assessment

The NanoCorr, Energy & Modelling (NCEM) Research Group, led by Professor Zulfiqar Khan at Bournemouth University, has made pioneering developments in the field of thermal energy storage, an area critical to the future of renewable energy. Their groundbreaking work in enhancing the performance of latent heat storage systems using phase change materials (PCMs) has been featured on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) website—marking a prestigious global endorsement of their innovations in clean energy technologies.

A Leap Toward Sustainable Energy

As the world shifts from fossil fuels to renewable sources, the ability to capture and store energy efficiently is a central challenge. PCMs—materials that absorb and release heat during phase transitions (like melting and solidifying)—offer an ingenious solution. NCEM’s research focuses on improving these materials’ thermal conductivity, stability, and compatibility with various containers, making energy storage more efficient, stable, and commercially viable.

Their study reviews and categorises organic paraffins and inorganic salt hydrates, the most promising groups of PCMs, highlighting enhancements like encapsulation, multi-PCM integration, and advanced container geometries. These techniques significantly boost energy capture rates and storage capacity, making clean energy more practical for widespread use.

Real-World Impact and Innovation

Backed by five industry-funded and match-funded projects, NCEM’s efforts have not only led to commercial patents in the UK and USA, but have also influenced engineering solutions for solar heating, industrial heat recovery, and smart building technologies. These contributions align strongly with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs):

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Global Recognition: Why the IAEA Feature Matters

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an influential global body under the United Nations, works to promote the peaceful use of nuclear and clean energy technologies. Being featured on their platform is a significant milestone—it underscores the global relevance, technical merit, and strategic value of Professor Khan’s research. It also places Bournemouth University and NCEM at the heart of international discussions on sustainable energy systems.

This acknowledgment by the IAEA is a testament to the NCEM team’s commitment to tackling real-world problems with innovative science. It further demonstrates the potential of UK-led clean energy solutions to contribute to a low-carbon, energy-secure future for all.

A Bright Future for Clean Energy

The research led by Professor Zulfiqar Khan exemplifies how innovative materials science and engineering can drive change on a global scale. With continued support and collaboration between academia and industry, NCEM is set to play a pivotal role in accelerating the transition to clean, resilient energy systems worldwide.

 

Acknowledgements: Dr Zakir Khan (NCEM ex PGR/ Post Doc) and Professor A Ghafoor.

Research Connect Seminar Series- April Seminar

This month’s Research Connect Seminar—the second-to-last for this academic year—featured two engaging presentations, both delivered by our Postgraduate Researchers (PGR’s). While we usually hear from one academic and one PGR, this month we had the pleasure of hearing from two PGR’s who shared their exciting PhD research.

Fachri Saputra, who recently completed his major review, presented his work on “A Framework for Future Research on Anthropomorphism-Based AI Robots in the Tourism and Hospitality Industries.” His research explores the growing role of AI and how human-like characteristics in robots can shape the future of customer experience in tourism and hospitality.

Luu Thuy Linh Pham shared her research on “Luxury Brands and Consumer Manipulation: The Use of Social Media to Influence Brand Loyalty.” Her work delves into how luxury brands use digital platforms to shape consumer perceptions and build lasting loyalty.

It was fantastic to see our PGR’s showcasing their research. These opportunities not only help build their confidence and presentation skills but also contribute to strengthening our research culture within our community.

Our final seminar of this academic year will take place on Wednesday, 4th June 2025, in F306, 4-5pm.
We look forward to seeing you there 😊

 

European Migration Research and Impact – Invitation to a Roundtable Discussion

Date: Wednesday, 7th May, 10am-12pm

Venue: K101 Talbot Campus

Ticket booking: European Migration Research & Impact – Invitation to Roundtable Discussion Tickets, Wed 7 May 2025 at 10:00 | Eventbrite

As part of our recently awarded, British Council-funded “Springboard” project, titled ‘Between vulnerability and resilience: gendering anti-migrant nationalism and migrant responses’, we would like to invite colleagues and PGRs from across BU and AUB with related research interest to a Roundtable discussion on European Migration Research & Impact on 7th May, from 10am to 12pm.

The panel will feature European and BU colleagues actively involved in researching migration across the continent and in the UK, bringing together both internal and international, cross-disciplinary expertise and experience of how to build impact into their projects from scratch. It will also benefit from specialised RDS/REF insights on building research impact. We plan to critically explore different types of potential impact, how to develop impactful research, and discuss both opportunities as well as limitations in achieving meaningful impact through migration research. We hope this panel will aid, inform, and inspire both early and advanced academics interested in migration research, including and beyond Europe, and we welcome lively contributions and discussions. The event will also provide an opportunity for academics across disciplines, working on or interested in related topics, to network with colleagues within and beyond the university.

The Springboard grant awarded by the British Council aims at deepening, specifically, German-UK academic collaborations and developing research projects together. The project is led by Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers (PI), Dilvin Dilara Usta and Anna Wimbledon (Co-Is), all of BU’s Centre for Seldom Heard Voices (CSHV). Beyond British Council funding, project development has kindly been supported by BU’s Global Engagement, RDS, and the FHSS faculty teams as well as the CSHV. Our current international partners include (international lead team only) Carolin Leutloff-Grandits from the B/Orders in Motion research centre at the European University Viadrina (EUV), Frankfurt (Oder), Germany; our long-term partner Linda Gusia of the Sociology Institute and Gender Studies Programme of the University of Prishtina, Kosovo; and Emma Shercliff of the Arts University Bournemouth.

This international team, including further senior researchers, ECRs and PGRs from all the involved partners, is coming together in early May for a dedicated workshop to develop its collaborations, links, and future project plans. (To avoid confusion: the Springboard project and workshop is both complementary to and separate from, Dilvin’s and Anna’s current British Academy-funded project on Crimmigration, which runs in parallel and aims at building collaborative networks, specifically, amongst UK-ECRs and with local non-academic partners; see recent announcement for this associated event, taking place on 16th May).

International Springboard team members Carolin Leutloff-Grandits, co-editor of Migrating Borders and Moving Times (2017) and author of Translocal Care Across Kosovo’s Borders; and Dr Marija Grujić, currently co-leading a project on Gendering asylum infrastructures in Germany and the UK, both of the B/Orders in Motion research centre at EUV, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, have kindly agreed to speak on the European Migration Research & Impact roundtable. Furthermore, we are delighted to welcome Dr Ingrida Kerusauskaite-Palmer of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (Institute of Law), Vilnius, on the panel, who recently completed policy-relevant research on the local, societal impact of Ukrainian migration to Central Europe, and who also is a Visiting Fellow at FHSS. Finally, we are particularly pleased to confirm attendance of BU academics and migration experts, Alina Dolea (who has studied and advised on Romanian migrations) and Nicola De Martini Ugolotti (who has worked with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Italy and the UK), as well as of RDS impact manager, Amanda Edwards, as panellists. Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers will chair the panel discussion who, herself, has a long history in studying, specifically, Albanian migrations and societal responses.

Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management (CIPPM) celebrates 25th anniversary

The Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management (CIPPM) at Bournemouth University has celebrated its 25th anniversary.

The previous and current directors of CIPPM with Professor Einar Thorsen

From L-R: (Top) Prof. Martin Kretschmer. Prof. Einar Thorsen, Prof. Maurizio Borghi, (Bottom) Prof. Ruth Soetendorp and Prof. Dinusha Mendis

Established in 2000 by founding directors Professor Ruth Soetendorp and Professor Martin Kretschmer, CIPPM has since carried out over 50 research projects by around 100 members – informing intellectual property policy in the UK and internationally.

In 2018 the Centre was named as a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence for European Intellectual Property and Information Rights, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Research and consultancy projects have covered topics including 3D printing and intellectual property law; copyright and the regulation of Orphan Works; and the music publishing industry.

CIPPM research commissioned by the UK Intellectual Property Office recommended the introduction of a parody exception to copyright, which was adopted by the UK government and has benefited the creative sector through increased income, innovation and freedom of expression.

To celebrate the anniversary, CIPPM hosted a two-day event, bringing together past and present members and collaborators to showcase the changing landscape of intellectual property and the work of the centre during the past 25 years.

Opening the event, Professor Einar Thorsen, Dean of the Faculty of Media and Communication, said: “[CIPPM’s] reach across BU and beyond is truly incredible.

“The centre rightly prides itself on its reputation of evidence-based research and interdisciplinarity, exemplified by strong links with other departments within our faculty.

“The work of the centre extends nationally and internationally. It is really impressive and we’re incredibly proud of it.”

Panel of former and current directors of CIPPM at 25th anniversary event

The former and current directors of CIPPM took part in a panel discussion

As part of the event, the past and current directors of CIPPM – Professor Martin Kretschmer (Founding Director, 2000-2012), Professor Ruth Soetendorp (Founding Director, 2000-2007), Professor Maurizio Borghi, (Director, 2013-2021) and Professor Dinusha Mendis (Director since 2022) – came together for a panel discussion to share their insights and experiences of being part of the centre.

Professor Kretschmer spoke of CIPPM’s unique approach of looking at the effects of IP law and its impact, working with businesses and companies of all shapes and sizes to help them understand what IP meant for them.

Professor Soetendorp described CIPPM as acting like a ‘marriage guidance counsellor’ – bringing together partners and helping them to understand each other.

Professor Borghi added that CIPPM brought together intellectual property enthusiasm and scepticism, adding that a critical view of the limits of IP was needed alongside a strong and solid knowledge of the field, while Professor Mendis spoke about the creative and collaborative approach taken by CIPPM, talking to people outside of IP law.

When asked what the biggest challenges in the next 10 years might be, the panel spoke about advances in technology such as AI, changes in geopolitics and foreign policy, and maintaining a balance of IP rights against other legal protections like trade secrets and confidentiality.

Attendees at the event were also asked to contribute to a time capsule, writing their predictions for the future of both the centre and intellectual property.

Professor Dinusha Mendis, current director of CIPPM, said: “CIPPM isn’t the biggest centre but the people we have – whether they are permanent staff or visiting fellows – have built a vibrant community.

“It’s not about the quantity but the quality of what we do. CIPPM members together have achieved a lot, and we can be really proud of that.”

Find out more about CIPPM

Free lunch voucher & prize draw for all PGRs – please complete the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2025

PG research

Free lunch voucher & prize draw for all PGRs – please complete the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2025! 

Check your email to access your link to complete the survey. 

 

Did you know you can get a FREE lunch voucher if you complete the Advance HE Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2025. This is worth £3.95 which covers the cost of a meal from the Savour menu but can be used to purchase any items from Chartwells outlets. Please come to the Doctoral College (DLG08, Talbot Campus) to collect your voucher. If you are based in Lansdowne Campus, you can collect your vouchers from Tina Ikin in BG507.

The voucher can be used at the following outlets on Talbot and Lansdowne Campus:

On completion of the survey, you will also be entered into a free prize draw, with the opportunity to win one of four £50 shopping vouchers. As a thank you for your time, we will be making a £1 donation on your behalf to the student mental health charity, Student Mind.

So far 35% of PGRs at BU have taken part in this survey. If you have not already completed it, we would really appreciate if you could find a few minutes to respond and tell us about your experience this year. The survey helps us improve the student experience at BU and compare ourselves with other institutions across the country.

To do this we would like to know what you think works well and what as a university we could do better.

How do I take part?

PGRs have now received an email containing a unique link which will allow you to access and complete the survey. If you can’t find this email, contact PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk and we’ll help you to get access.

What will I be asked?

The survey will take around 15 minutes to complete. Your response is confidential, and any reporting will be entirely anonymous. The survey is your chance to tell us about your experience as a PGR at BU. It will ask you to share your views on supervision, resources, research community, progress and assessment, skills and professional development and wellbeing.

Why should I take part?

Your feedback is important. The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey is the only national survey of PGRs and so is the only way for us to compare how we are doing with other institutions and to make changes that will improve your experience in the future.

More information

If you would like to know more about the survey, please visit: PRES 2025.

If you would like to know more about the surveys at Bournemouth University, please visit: Your feedback | Bournemouth University.

Please click here to see actions that we have taken based on feedback from previous surveys.

 

We hope you take the opportunity to get involved this year and help us make improvements to your experience.

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

For any PRES related queries, please email: PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk

Using AI to build a ‘Database from Below’: reflections on collecting, coding and quantifying media reports. 15 April at 2pm on Zoom

You are warmly welcomed to this week’s research process seminar.

Using AI to build a ‘Database from Below’: reflections on collecting, coding and quantifying media reports

Experimenting with Google Notebook LM to blueprint a workflow for coding and quantifying verified information from media and organisational reports, our ‘database from below’ prototype draws from participatory media data initiatives. In this research process presentation, I will provide some background context on these data-driven initiatives and then introduce how we are attempting to use Notebook LM software to transform unstructured humanitarian and media reports into quantifiable and comparable data. Here I’ll address ethical and practical challenges, as well as opportunities.  The methods and workflow I introduce could be applied to any project seekingto curate and investigate an evidence-base using scattered media and other text-based sources. The workflow is co-designed with and for budget and time-strapped stakeholders, to work quickly and affordably, without the need for specialised coding.

Speaker bio

Professor Anna Feigenbaum is an internationally recognised expert and innovator in the fields of digital media and data storytelling, specialising in health and science communications. Her research has been funded by Google, CancerUK, the NHS, UKRI, the Wellcome Trust, British Academy, the US Embassy, and the United Nations. She is author of 50+ peer review books, chapters and articles, including Tear Gas (Verso 2017) and The Data Storytelling Workbook (Routledge 2020). She regularly leads data storytelling trainings for the NHS, local councils, NGOs and universities around the world. Her work also reaches wider audiences through public engagement and media activities.

About the research process seminar series:

The purpose of this research seminar series is different to your typical research seminar and conference presentation. Instead of presenting the results and outcomes of research, we want to share good practices around the process of doing research. This might often involve a focus on research methods but it also includes aspects of publishing, writing, time management, career management etc.

The idea here is that the speaker takes us through the anatomy of the project or approach focussing particularly on the process – the challenges, the successes, and the failures. For the audience, we walk away with a practical application of a method or approach we may not be familiar with or may not have applied in this way before. Our ambition is to make us all better researchers as a result.

15 April at 2pm on Zoom

Please register here: https://bournemouth-ac-uk.zoom.us/meeting/register/_uKDKmLyT7OdSSHev1AjLQ

And if you can’t make it but would like the recording then please register and i will send you it.

 

BU research on road network efficiency reported in Times of India

international

BU research , led by PhD graduate Dr. Assemgul Kozhabek and Dr. Wei Koong Chai, on characterising efficiency of road networks in big populous cities around the world was covered by the Times of India, the world’s largest selling English-language daily in the world. The article reported the findings from BU’s work, specifically highlighted its insights into the structure, properties and efficiency of road networks in relevant cities in India.

 

Article: “Study rates ‘efficiency’ of city road network” March 17 2025, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/study-rates-efficiency-of-city-road-network/articleshow/119086477.cms.

 

BU collaborates with University of Exeter on modelling innovation adoption

innovation, open access, Publishing

Bournemouth University (BU) has collaborated with the University of Exeter on modelling innovation adoption diffusion. The work, led by Dr. Wei Koong Chai in BU, draw on the epidemic theory and model the diffusion dynamics considering (1) the role of network structures in dictating the spread of adoption and (2) how individual’s characteristic/capability influences the path of diffusion (e.g. an individual may have different attitude or ability towards adopting a new innovation). A positive adoption decision is related to the number of neighbors adopting the innovation. The neighbors decisions are, in turn, dependent on their own neighbors and so, it forms a complex cascading inter-dependent relationship between the different individuals in the network. As such, each node in the network is unique and its relevant adoption rate must be considered separately conditioned with the activities occurring in the network over time.

The model offers insights into how the network spectrum affects the innovation exposure rate and spreading of innovation individually and across communities with different adoption behaviours. It also illustrates the effects of the embedded social structure and the characteristics of individuals in the network on the path of innovation diffusion via two use cases: (i) innovation adoption of EU countries in a Single Market Programme and (ii) innovation adoption of specific class of technology (specifically financial technologies (FinTech)).

 

Reference:

Duanmu, JL., Chai, W.K. Modelling innovation adoption spreading in complex networks. Appl Netw Sci 10, 10 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41109-025-00698-8

 

 

BU Researchers Pioneering Green Hydrogen Production through OcenGen Startup

A team of innovative researchers from Bournemouth University (BU) is making waves in the sustainable energy sector through their pioneering startup project, OcenGen. Focused on green hydrogen production, OcenGen aims to develop next-generation low-cost, high-performance electrocatalysts that could drastically reduce the dependence on expensive and scarce platinum-group metals currently used in conventional water electrolysers.

This ground-breaking project has recently been selected to join Cohort 8 at Conception X, which runs the leading cross-university programme dedicated to launching and accelerating deeptech ventures created by PhD researchers.

At the core of OcenGen’s innovation is the development of advanced electrocatalytic materials using earth-abundant transition metals, designed to work efficiently under mildly alkaline and seawater conditions. This makes the technology an ideal fit for Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolysers, offering a cost-effective and scalable alternative to the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) systems, which heavily rely on iridium and other rare metals.

Shadeepa Karunarathne, PhD researcher at BU and founder of OcenGen, shared his excitement:“We are thrilled to be part of the Conception X journey. This marks a significant milestone in translating our laboratory research into commercial reality. Our catalyst technology has the potential to revolutionise the green hydrogen sector by reducing material costs and enabling large-scale, sustainable hydrogen generation.”

Shadeepa further added, “Our work aligns closely with the UK’s Net Zero goals by 2030 and contributes toward the transition to clean energy. By enabling hydrogen production directly from seawater without costly desalination, we also offer a more sustainable path forward for offshore and coastal applications.”

The technology developed at OcenGen leverages cutting-edge material engineering techniques, including facet engineering and orbital occupancy tuning to optimise oxygen evolution kinetics. The team is also integrating machine learning algorithms to accelerate catalyst discovery and process optimisation with fewer physical experiments.

Supporting this effort, Associate Professor Amor Abdelkader, a renowned materials scientist and Shadeepa’s PhD supervisor, who serves as a senior advisor to the project, stated:
“This is a timely and impactful innovation. The OcenGen technology demonstrates how research excellence can be translated into practical solutions to address pressing global energy challenges. I’m proud to support a project that bridges fundamental science and commercial potential so effectively.”

The core OcenGen team includes Dr. Chirag Ratwani, Co-founder and expert in 2D materials and business strategy, and Eshani Fernando, AI Scientist responsible for integrating data-driven approaches for catalyst optimisation.

The team also extended their thanks to Michael Board, Research Manager and Facilitator, for his continued encouragement and support for innovation and entrepreneurship among BU’s PhD researchers.“Michael’s leadership in fostering a startup mindset within academia is truly commendable and has been instrumental in motivating us to pursue this venture,” said Shadeepa.

OcenGen now welcomes funding opportunities and collaborative partnerships to accelerate development and commercial deployment.

Get in touch to join our mission in driving the future of green hydrogen.

🔗 Staff Profile 🔗 LinkedIn

Author: Shadeepa Karunarathne