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GSPK Design has teamed up with the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE) at the University of Sheffield to help to guide entrepreneurial students to realise their potential.
The university annually matches students to Yorkshire based companies to give them the opportunity of a work placement over the summer months and GSPK Design is a dedicated sponsor of this scheme.
GSPK Design invited Richard Drake, an electronics engineering student from the EEE Department at the University of Sheffield, to tap into the facilities and expertise provided by engineers working on the GSPK Technology Park to assist with his final year project.
Such was the success of Drake's project that he won himself a place at the STEP Awards (Shell Technical Enterprise Programme) held in London on 27th September last year, a competition run through University centres with a focus on electronic and electrical engineering.
The competition was sponsored by New Electronics on Campus, a University magazine and it awarded the highest achieving students.
Says Drake: "Working with GSPK Design has given me an insight into the world of consumer driven electronics and an invaluable chance to get hands on experience with real electronics design projects.
I have been able to work alongside electronics experts and finally put the theory into practice".
Graham Whitby, GSPK Design's Managing Director, adds: "This project and collaboration with the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Sheffield has not only given us a great opportunity to give something back to the community, but also to invest time and skills in the electronic designers of the future.
We have been assisting Richard with his project using solar cells to power Luxeon Lumileds for road traffic, school crossings and road sign lighting, in combination with LumiDrives, the LED lighting specialists, also based on the technology park.
Having volunteered the time and effort of our experts on site to the disposal of the University of Sheffield lecturers and students, this has given GSPK Design Ltd the opportunity to nurture and encourage, in a practical way, the bright young entrepreneurs of the future".
Professor Tony Cullis, Drake's Project Supervisor says: "We are extremely pleased to have these close collaborative links with GSPK Design, and indeed the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering regarding such interactions with industry as part of its overall remit".
The research project undertaken by Richard Drake has led to the development of a solar power battery recharge system for remote LED lighting capabilities.
As a result of this research, the company is endeavouring to launch a system that is capable of battery recharge throughout the day ready for powering LEDs at night.
For those of us who are "green", this research and development will prove to bring huge benefits for the environment.
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