Newcastle University Solve
Mathematics, Statistics and Physics solutions for business and industry.
Innovative solutions for business and industry
Through our world-class academic expertise and market-leading skills and capability, we deliver innovative solutions for business, industry and society.
We want to work with you in:
- research
- consulting
- training
- graduate jobs
- industrial PhDs
- student placements
Projects are underpinned by internationally renowned mathematics, statistics and physics research capability.
Our expertise
We have diverse and wide-ranging expertise, including:
- Digital
- quantum computing
- data science, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- security and cryptography
- Environment
- renewable energy and demand forecasting
- climate change
- mathematics for biology and biotechnology
- astronomy
- Social
- ageing and health
- mobility and transport
- Economic
- manufacturing and industrial processes
- Emerging Technologies and Materials
Research groups
Our business and industry projects are underpinned by world-class mathematics, statistics and physics research.
Find out more information about our core research groups
National Centres for Excellence
Our research is interdisciplinary. Our experts collaborate with, and work within, several internationally recognised centres of excellence including:
Training
Continuous Professional Development and Life-Long Learning
Newcastle University Solve has extensive expertise in the development and delivery of training programmes for business and industry. These programmes have delivered significant business improvements in areas such as:
- analysis
- quality
- service
- operational performance
- professional development opportunities
We offer a range of training programmes. Training can be delivered in custom-built training suites at Newcastle University, online, or on-site at a location preferred by the business partner.
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 on request.
Contact us for further information, and to discuss your specific requirements.
Funding opportunities
Several funding opportunities exist for business and industry to collaborate with us. Funding initiatives include:
- Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) - designed to develop or create a new process, product or service and transfer knowledge from academia into an organisation to provide new capabilities
- Arrow - provides North East-based Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with access to academics, innovators and experts to enhance their research and innovation journey
- Industrial PhDs - part-funded 3-4-year industrial PhD placements are available to SMEs in the North East of England
- 3-month PhD student placements - students are regularly placed with business & industry partners for up to 3 months
Our statistical researchers have developed and implemented novel methodologies culminating in software for:
- predicting traffic collision hotspots
- evaluating site-based road safety interventions
A range of health and commercial impacts have occurred on a national and international scale.
The research has:
- lowered casualties and collision rates
- saved lives on our roads
- influenced transport policy in 60 countries
- implemented new software within authorities responsible for traffic management
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”.
Our 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.
Within the healthcare and high-value manufacturing sectors, our researchers have developed and implemented image analysis methodologies. These methods are faster and deliver higher quality outputs.
The research has resulted in the development of:
- computer-based diagnostic tools used by ophthalmologists in the clinical diagnosis and post-operational monitoring of thermal and chemical cornea damage
- an automated computer system used by the process industries to analyse high volumes of soft matter and complex material images. This results in faster processing and significant cost savings, whilst minimising human bias
Our statisticians have developed and implemented a unique Bayesian statistics forecasting solution for Northern Gas Networks. This solution forecasts gas demand affecting 2.7 million homes and businesses.
The research has:
- optimised network inspection planning, avoiding wasted expenditure
- avoided overrunning on gas capacity bookings, particularly during periods of extreme weather
- mitigated gas storage errors, maintaining energy system balance and supply
- increased understanding and education within the gas distribution sector