NU Solve
Innovate. Validate. Grow.
Innovate your processes with accurate insights
Newcastle University Solve (NU Solve) has been helping businesses, public sector organisations and industries to find answers to complex challenges for more than three decades. We emerged out of the Industrial Statistics Research Unit, which had successfully engaged with enterprises since 1984.
Thanks to our internationally recognised expertise, we deliver innovative solutions spanning research, training, funded placements and more. We’re here to help you solve the complex challenges of today, and tomorrow.
Our Research
NU Solve’s team of students, academics and researchers bridge the gap between business and the world of mathematics, statistics and physics. All of our projects and consultancy work for clients is grounded in world-class research.
Many of our experts partake in several interdisciplinary research groups, with some being heavily involved with internationally-acclaimed centres of excellence. This includes the National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD), the Alan Turing Institute and the Joint Quantum Centre.
Training
NU Solve offers a range of training programmes geared towards public and private enterprises, targeting improvements in key areas such as analysis, quality, service, operational excellence and professional development.
We can be flexible in terms of delivery and are able to host in custom-built training suites at Newcastle University, at client premises or online.
Training Programmes
Our training programmes include:
- Design of Experiments (DoE)
- Quality Analysis and Control
- Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA)
- Reliability Analysis
- Data Analytics and Visualisation
- Regression, Time Series and Demand Forecasting
- Product Acceptance Sampling
- Bayesian Statistics
- Statistical Methods for Process & Product Validation
- Statistical Methods for Lean Six Sigma
- R Statistical Software
- Excel VBA
Other programmes may be available upon request.
Contact us for further information and to find out how we can support your organisation’s training needs.
Funding opportunities
Collaborating with NU Solve can also unlock funding for student and graduate job placements. Proven to add value to your business and explore fresh ideas.
We conduct these partnerships in a variety of ways, including through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, and the Arrow innovation support scheme for North East SMEs.
We also facilitate PhD student placements, spanning 3 to 4 year industrial PhD studentships to shorter-term agreements lasting 2 to 3 months.
Safer roads and cost savings through statistical analysis
A Newcastle University statistics research team applied novel Bayesian statistical methods to create software for:
a) predicting traffic collision hotspots, and
b) evaluating site-based road safety interventions
Health, commercial and economic impacts have occurred on a regional, national and global scale including:
- reducing casualties by 24% with a contribution to £22.5m estimated accident prevention savings on North Yorkshire roads
- influencing traffic and road safety policy in over 60 countries
- developing new software applications for global license holders generating over £500k of revenue
- an investment in safety cameras of €5m in Portugal
The research benefits are enabling the global initiative Vision Zero. Vision Zero is “the aim of achieving a highway system with zero accidents or fatalities involving road traffic”.
Innovative modelling for guiding government policy
Applied mathematicians are working with the UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DERFA). They're providing innovative models to:
- predict tree disease spread
- develop strategies to mitigate epidemics
- guide national policy for protecting our tree species
The spread of contagious tree diseases threatens woodlands and urban trees in the UK and globally. Recent epidemics affecting ash and chestnut trees have been covered extensively in the news.
The decimation of entire tree populations leads to dramatic ecological changes and can also pose profound socio-economic challenges.
Quantitative image analysis: from sight-saving to cost-saving in high-value manufacturing
A Newcastle University mathematics research team has developed and implemented novel image analysis methods within the healthcare and high-value manufacturing sectors.
The impact of this fundamental astrophysics research includes the delivery of faster, higher-quality solutions. It also minimises the effects of human bias.
Economic, commercial, health and service impacts include:
- the development of analysis software for materials including graphene, nanomaterials, foams, and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)
- the development of a significant enabler within the multi-million-pound graphene sector
- a 50% reduction in the time taken for particles analysis
- an increased capacity equating to £33k p/annum for senior scientists
- the development of software for ophthalmologists
Forecasting gas demand
A mathematical sciences research team at Newcastle University has developed and implemented an original Bayesian statistics forecasting solution for gas demand within Northern Gas Networks. The research has delivered economic, operational and educational impact over a large geographical scale.
Specifically, the research has:
- reduced gas bookings by 16%, resulting in capacity savings of over £1m per annum
- maintained reputation and avoided charges of £1m per day during extreme weather conditions
- optimised network inspection planning, avoiding wasted expenditure
- mitigated gas storage errors, maintaining system balance and supply
Partnering Jumping Rivers to help the UN better analyse fish stocks
Part of a UN FAO initiative, we are developing a methodology to better measure the health of fisheries, a project which could help shape ocean sustainability policies in the future.
Jumping Rivers to help the UN better analyse fish stocks case study
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Tackling the spread of tree diseases and plant pests within the UK through sharing robust mathematical models and bespoke computational statistical techniques
More information can be found here.