An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ that begins with a filmed report on the links between knowledge and knowhow, between science and society and the unsung vital work done by universities and polytechnics in the Northeast within industry. In the final part of the programme Ian leads a discussion on the new parliamentary session with three prominent Northeast MPs. Title: Tyne Tees Briefing Cars and pedestrian travel past The Arches building outside...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ that begins with a filmed report on the links between knowledge and knowhow, between science and society and the unsung vital work done by universities and polytechnics in the Northeast within industry. In the final part of the programme Ian leads a discussion on the new parliamentary session with three prominent Northeast MPs. Title: Tyne Tees Briefing Cars and pedestrian travel past The Arches building outside the entrance of Newcastle University. Presenter Ian Breach comes through them asking the question in this time of recession what are the regions universities and polytechnics doing industrially and socially that is of relevance to the outside world? A philosophy tutorial taking place at Newcastle University with students sitting around their tutor as she uses a blackboard to illustrate some of the points she is raising. In the Department of Naval Architecture, a model of a marine prototype being tested in a large water tank with a crane pulling the vessel through the water. The campus of Durham University with the towers of Durham Cathedral in the distance. In a laboratory a scientist takes part in a project for the textile industry on a prototype machine that will replace a weaving loom shuttle with a high-speed air jet. At the Bonas Machine Company in Sunderland a technician tests a loom that incorporates this new design in readiness for going onto international market. Standing beside one of the machines is Ian Breach who speaks with the companies Chief Designer John Griffiths who is also a tutor at Durham University. He is asked about how commercially successful this new super-jet machine will be and how much of this success is based on the collaboration work between his company and Durham University? As John Griffiths responds to the questions and explains how it works, the loom in operation in the factory. Back in the laboratory the air-jet developed for the loom is also in operation and Dr David Gregory-Smith from the university explaining the importance of such project which helps industry sort the basic science of what they are doing. In the Industrial Design Unit at Newcastle University a technician works on an engine. Its head Dieter Hofmann explains the importance of product development to the success of particular piece of equipment and how this is becoming more accepted within industry. Large organisations are looking for expertise in product development outside their own organisation which they find within universities. The sailboat Bellway Sunbird is launched into a lake or reservoir by members of Department of Naval Architecture. Standing over the testing tank back at Newcastle University George Mitchell explains the development and features of the boat which he hopes will be used for single-handed racing, in the background a technician places a model of the boat into the testing tank. Back on the lake or reservoir the Bellway Sunbird is sailed through the water changes to John Kelly from Bellway Marine who talks about the importance of the project with Newcastle University. As he continues to talk about setting up his company in Consett and the number of people he employs, in his factory workshop several produce a new boat from fibre glass removing the finished shell from its mould. In a Newcastle restaurant a group of regional industrialists and university staff sit around a table chatting before ordering a meal. Professor Geoff Needham from Newcastle Polytechnic says that some schools don’t see engineering as an ‘honourable profession’ and discourage their students from taking it up. Alan Scott from Truscott Ltd believes that the gap between theoretical and practical engineering is getting too wide and needs to be reduced. A cargo ship is launched from the slipway of the Southwick yard of North East Shipbuilders in Sunderland. The film changes to the Parsons Cavitation Tunnel sitting on a plinth in the Department of Naval Architecture at Newcastle University. A model of a propellor being tested in a cavitation testing tunnel, standing beside it Fred Leathard from Newcastle University explains what is happening and why it is important. He goes onto talk about how the tank was refurbished in 1980 and made possible by a joint venture between Stone Manganese Ltd, a major propeller manufacturer, and the university. At the Lyle and Scott factory in Gateshead seamstresses work at machines producing men’s underwear. John Russell Managing Director explains that he is looking to simplify production in order to become more competitive in an international market. At Durham University a post-graduate project is working to build automatic machines that will do many of the jobs seen being done by the seamstresses in the factory. As John Russell talks about fostering a dynamic relationship with the university, one of the prototype machines is tested in the factory beside the women working at their machine. Ian Breach asking the question what the long-term social cost with the loss of many jobs. John Russell doesn’t want to underestimate the work done for him by Durham University both today and in the future but would like to see more done quicker. Title: End of Part One Part Two In the Newcastle restaurant the regional industrialists and university staff continue to decide what to order from the menu. Tony Atkinson from Allen Bradley Electronics Ltd explains that the past few years have been a difficult period for his company, and he haven’t the people or money to support universities or polytechnic. However, he needs to use them to help him develop products for the future so can create jobs in the area. Dieter Hofmann from Newcastle University believes industry isn’t using universities enough, possibly because they aren’t training the students industry needs in subjects like engineering. An electron scanning microscope at York University with Professor Martin Prutton explaining its development and importance. Around the microscope large computers with a technician removing something from one of them, on the walls printout from some of the experiments conducted using the microscope. Professor Prutton talks about a re-build of the machine in the late 1970s costing around £250,000. An image on a CRT monitor changes to a young man sits at a computer printing out an image. Professor Prutton explaining what you are looking at on both screens. In another workshop a jet engine with Professor Prutton explaining in voiceover how the microscope has been used in three industrial projects including this one looking at how to resist corrosion on turbine blades. Back in the laboratory two small samples of metal to be looked at inside the electron scanning microscope. A technician comes over to the microscope and looks inside at possible an experiment taking place. In voiceover Ian Breach explains how it is being used in to study the possibility of storing energy in the form of hydrogen gas. A printed circuit board and a close up of a silicon chip on it. Professor Prutton explains how the electron scanning microscope is being used to find away of having an atomically clean surface on a semi-conducting compound which will help make the silicon chip work faster meaning devises in both domestic and industry could work faster. He believes depending on the results and how effective they are that the microscope will pay for itself in time. A man in a laboratory coat walks into a laboratory at the Chemistry Department also at York University, according to Ian Breach potentially the centre of a Northern Science Park. Following a man coming out of the building the film changes to a building site where a lorry tips its load onto the ground. In the background a small building with a Multispec Ltd banner across the top. Inside a machine developed by the university that analysis milk and dairy products for fat and protein content. Over a bottle of milk being tested Ian Breach provides details of how the machine works. Jack Shields from Multispec Ltd believes more people in the university are going out to industry to see the fruits of their research. In a laboratory at York University a technician looks over the infrared milk analysis machine that was developed there. Around the room other men working on circuit boards relating to the machine checking for faults with Jack Shields explaining in voiceover that the machine has been under development since 1962. In a dairy a farmer looks over his milking machine as cows walk past. In a laboratory at Durham University a no-moving-parts pump in action. Sitting nearby watching is Graham Hartis who explains what it is and how it works using vortex diodes. As he goes on to explain how a laser is being used to improve the performance of the vortex diodes, the laser in action. He goes onto talk about the industrial application of such a pump including the nuclear industry. In another laboratory at Newcastle University a dummy of a child’s head is attached to a piece of medial equipment which is possibly designed to help the child breath. Two balloons are attached to the bottom of the head indicating lungs. Dieter Hofmann explains that while hospital engineering is socially desirable, there is a low commercial impact with small quantities of equipment being produced for a specialised market. Inside the Handicapped Persons Research Unit (HPRU) that is part of Newcastle Polytechnic it Head Jim Sandau tests one of the prototypes sensory toys his department is developing. He shows other examples of toys his department has developed to help disabled children and explains how they work and why they are relevant. He goes onto explains the reasons behind his departments policy of outreach which is due to both limited funding and to prove themselves in the marketplace. Sitting at a BBC Microcomputer disabled user Robert Madison uses his mouth to type words into a voice synthesiser. While this isn’t a commercial project explains Ian Breach, it is essential technology for a caring society. Jim Sandau explains that HPRU are actively working with disabled groups as well as manufacturing organisations who produce their designs which in turn creates employment. On a wall a sign for ‘Microfair: Electronic Aids for the Handicapped’ with Jim talking about outreach into industry. In the Newcastle restaurant Alan Ritchey from Newcastle Polytechnic believes government backing is needed to help fund university and polytechnic be able to make contacts with industry. In a laboratory inside Chemistry Department at York University a machine captures images of crystals inside a droplet of insulin, a technician sits at a computer as it prints out results. Dr Guy Dodson talks about the natural connection between his research and the pharmaceutical industry as well as more recently computing companies. Dr Dodson uses a polyhedral model of a molecular structure to explain that in the human body the molecule doesn’t look like this, but new computing software will allow him to crate more accurate graphical representation of molecules which is being printed out from a computer screen. As a post-graduate student uses Computer Aided Design (CAD) software to draw a molecule on the screen, Ian Breach asks how Britain compares with other educational institutions which focus more exclusively on the sciences and engineering. Dr David Gregory-Smith from Durham University is happy with British universities such as Durham as that mix both the arts with science and technology. This he believes makes the students more rounded. In the Newcastle restaurant Dr Peter Kirby from Welwyn Electronics Ltd doesn’t believe universities or polytechnics have a strong commercial angle to their operations and need to sell themselves more. At NEI Power Engineering on Tyneside robotic welding machines are at work producing stainless steel boiler tubes for nuclear power stations at Heysham and Torness. Inside a small research and development unit at the factory an academic from Newcastle University programmes a prototype of the automated welder on the shop floor watching as the machine goes about its work. Back in the restaurant Dr Peter Kirby states the need for a bridge between universities, polytechnics and industry. However, that bridge is only a success if someone walks across it. Back in the Tyne Tees studio Ian Breach ends the report by comments on a poster he recently saw on the side of a Tyne and Wear Transport bus. An image of said poster with the tagline that reads ‘Britian Needs Its Universities’. Ian explains the Briefing is hoping to return to this subject in the autumn. Title: End of Part Two Briefing Politics Ian Breach introduces this edition of Briefing Politics in which he leads a discussion on the new parliamentary session and what would be the repercussions for the region. Joining Ian is Jack Dormand Labour MP for Easington, Alan Beith Liberal MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed and John Spence Conservative MP for Ryedale. Subjects discussed include the intended abolition of metropolitan counties such as Tyne and Wear, curbs on trade unions and a revamped Police and Evidence Bill put forward by Home Secretary and Richmond MP Leon Brittan. Ian Breach brings the discussion to and end and gives details on a filmed report in the next edition on conflict in the countryside. Credit: Presenter Ian Breach Film Camera Fred Crone Film Sound Ed Gray Film Editor John Louvre Research Lynne Petrie, Sharon Needham Political Editor John Sleight Director Paul Dickin Producer Bob Farnworth End title: Tyne Tees Colour. © Tyne Tees Television Ltd. MCMLXXXIII