Lead vehicle

has opened the

’s first Integrated Vehicle Management (IVHM) Centre of Excellence to lead global development of vehicle-monitoring technology.

Located within a 8,100ft² new building at the university’s Technology Park, the centre intends to draw on knowledge from industry experts and academics to advance existing concepts of Maintenance and Repair Overhaul (MRO) for future vehicle platforms.

The technology works using a network of sensors to monitor and maintain the condition of a vehicle and its subsystems. The sensors collect data that is then read by onboard processors that are able to assess the vehicle’s health and predict possible deterioration. Results can be used to reduce operating costs, increase competitiveness, improve vehicle availability and allow companies to assess the effectiveness of their fleets.

BAE Systems, Meggitt, Rolls-Royce and Thales have joined Boeing to become core partners in the centre. The research will benefit from a £3m investment from the East of England Development Agency and £1m from each of the partners over a period of five years.

In addition to supporting global players, the centre will promote technology-transfer initiatives to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within the community.

Many of these SMEs are companies that supply research partners in this field and the university hopes that this will create high-knowledge, high-growth companies around the IVHM Centre.

Roger Bone, president of Boeing UK, told The Engineer: ‘It is because of the technology that companies such as Boeing come to Britain.

'We believe that what’s going on here is going to be of enormous value to us; it helps us grow intellectual property in the UK and to benefit from the technology generated, so we are very excited and very pleased to be the founding partner of this collaboration.’