Autumn 2002 PW 5 - Cranfield University

2
CRANFIELD NEWS
NEWS
A STAR-STUDDED START
The official launch of Silsoe’s new
National Soil Resources Institute
(NSRI) was a star-studded
affair, presided over by
The Rt Hon Alun
Michael MP, Minister of
State for Rural Affairs and
with none other than Professor
David Bellamy giving the Inaugural
Lecture.
Speaking on: ‘The Soil Resource: the
Gold Standard of Sustainability’, the
world-reknowned environmentalist
explained how soil, a living resource,
is being damaged worldwide and
looked at the necessity of good soil husbandry
to the global focus on sustainable
development.
The occasion was also an opportunity
for the high-profile guests to be introduced
to NSRI’s new Director, Professor
Mark Kibblewhite.
“Irreplaceable soil resources are being
lost because of gaps in the planning system,”
said Mark, going on to explain that,
while soil contains immensely important
biological systems - the powerhouse for
our environment – planning decisions fail
to treat them as habitats.
“A new approach is needed urgently,”
he continued, “and Cranfield’s National
Soil Resources Institute stands ready to
support a new approach to sustainable
Materials for life
Aresource and training package
developed for the National
Federation of Women’s Institutes (WI)
by Professor Clifford Friend and colleagues
at Shrivenham has had its
most prestigious ‘outing’ to date.
Mariane Morgan from the Powys
Brecknock WI Federation used the display
material as part of a presentation
to Her Majesty the Queen on her visit
to Mid-Wales in early June.
� Professor David Bellamy emphasises a
point in his own inimitable style
planning - one which must include a clear
policy for soil protection.”
NSRI, one of the three environmental
and life sciences institutes based at Silsoe,
has more than 50 soil scientists and engineers
and about 100 students studying for
Masters and PhD degrees.
Ongoing projects include the ‘Smart
Stick’, revolutionary equipment to standardise
the measurement of the ‘going’
on racecourses; a joint project with
Syngenta, the leading agribusiness, to
look at soil protection in perennial crops,
and one with staff from the Maltese
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
relating to their soil information system.
The ‘Materials for Life’ Public
Awareness of Science package is
designed for use by trained WI volunteer
‘communicators’ and features
simple ‘storyboards’ to deliver strong
messages about the role materials
science plays in our everyday lives.
Mariane attended a course and used
Cranfield’s display package to prepare
her exhibit for the Queen. The
‘Materials for Life’ package continues
to be widely used by the WI, including
in the Powys Radnor Federation,
where the life history of the squeezy
sauce bottle is a firm favourite.
www. cranfield.ac.uk/alumni
Give us a choice,
consumers insist
People want greater choice and interaction
when they buy from a
machine, according to the first piece of
major research into the UK vending
machine business carried out by
Cranfield School of Management.
The author of the research, carried
out on behalf of the Automatic Vending
Association (AVA), was Senior Lecturer
in Marketing Dr Susan Baker.
She said: “The vending machine business
is very functional - people today
want a more personal experience.
“Vending machines have appeal, as
people are able to pick up a drink or a
snack virtually anytime anywhere - and
know, particularly if the product is a
named brand, what the quality of the
product is.
“We found, however, that changing
lifestyles and increased mobility means
that people have higher expectations.”
More variety has also been called for
by consumers, who want more than hot
and cold drinks, chocolate or crisps.
Healthier options are being requested
together with more payment options,
such as credit cards or smart cards, to
avoid having to search for the right
change.
AVA members in the UK and Ireland
are largely associated with the provision
of food and drinks. But the future could
see more options introduced, such as
those available to the Japanese, who can
buy a range of items from a machine -
from underwear and hair gel to bunches
of flowers and CDs.