ETERG is developing a wide range of activities, including strategic and innovative research, as well as applied research, which impacts on aspects of real life and industrial environments. The main elements related to the types of impact specifically relevant to and achieved through our ETERG team are described below, together with the main non-academic beneficiaries of the research carried out. The main types of impact, targeted by the projects in the group are:

1) Impact on industry through Knowledge Transfer. The ETERG staff have worked closely with companies in trying to address the R&D questions they could not solve, due to their limited expertise and resources. Since 2008, the team is handling, on average, two new knowledge transfer projects per year, using several schemes available (regular/short KTPs, KEEPs, Low Carbon KEEPs). The successful schemes benefited several companies, the list below giving a flavour of these projects:

• KEEP with Cambridge Renewable Systems Ltd- company helped to design the electronic monitoring and control system for their modern recycling plant (2008)
• KEEP with Sedgwell Ltd on design a mobile communication system for the firemen and emergency personnel (2009)
• KTP with STV International Ltd - enhancement of in-house engineering design capabilities for ultrasonic pest control systems, in order to save costs and increase profits (2009-11)
• 1 KTP and 3 Low Carbon KEEPs with iDash Ltd on Software as a Service (SaaS) (2010-14)
• 2 Low Carbon KEEPs with Calex Electronics Ltd on intelligent sensors/control (2012-13)
• 1 Low Carbon KEEP with LMK Thermosafe Ltd on temperature monitoring and control system (2013-2014)

2) Impact on industry and beyond at European level through projects sponsored by the European Commission. The Engineering teams were actively involved in 3 EU projects since 2008, two of them as partner and one being coordinated by our team. These are listed below, along with the impact achieved directly on the consortium partners (including several companies) and also indirectly, through the disseminated outcomes, to the wider professional community (via the EC, conferences and events organised by all partners).

• An FP7 Research for SMEs European project Design of new acoustic absorbers for thermal mass buildings - "Echo-to-Echo". There are 7 partners in the project, led by Nowofol, a German SME manufacturing polymer foils. Another three companies are involved: DeAmp (Norway, manufacturers of acoustic absorbers), Acoustic RPG (UK, installers of acoustic absorbers) and Skaly & Couch (UK, consultants). The companies are expected to implement the results of the research. The role of our ETERG team is concerned with the modelling of the new acoustic absorbers (including thermal modelling) and testing them in buildings (including checks for compliance with building regulations). 2012-2014.
• An FP7 Collaborative Project, where our Engineering team is working as partners in a joint project with 17 other UK universities, NPIA/ACPO and Metropolitan Police High Tech Crime Unit. The project title is: ECENTRE: Cybercrime Centre of Excellence Network for Training Research and Education. Lead institution is Canterbury Christchurch University. 2012-2014.
• An FP6 Coordination Action: Control of Renewable Integrated Systems Targeting Advanced Landmarks (CRISTAL). Prof. Cirstea was author of project proposal and the coordinator of the consortium of 11 institutions from 7 European countries, including 3 industrial partners (Cummins Generator Technologies, Sustainable Technology Solutions, Environmental Park Turin). The team has contributed to widening the scale of application solutions to sustainable development (new renewable energy technologies, behavioural change of population) by leading the analysis and report (800 pages) on European research on the integration of renewable energy systems and grid connection. 2008-2009.

Achieving wide European-level impact of our research, through EU funded project opportunities, continues to be a strategic priority for our group. A range of bids have been submitted in the last two years; some have passed the quality threshold but were not funded and for others we are waiting the evaluation result.

3) Impact on industry through innovative consultancy and contributions to the development of industrial designs and products of high performance. Some projects are:

• Consultancy project with Nova Investa to assist in training trainers and to revise their courses in telecommunication engineering related to training projects in the Middle East
• Consultancy to BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre at Great Baddow (Previously Marconi Research Centre)
• Consultancy and advice to Intelligent Sensor Limited (ISL) in radio security systems
• Consultancy for Mr Feltham & Associates in Computer firewalls
• Consultancy project to design a repeater for a VHF/UHF radio system for voice and data transmission

4) Impact achieved through other projects:

• ETERG was awarded a Registered Research Laboratory grant sponsored by Integraph Ltd, the world's pioneers of spatial information management software. The grant was awarded in recognition of the excellence and quality of the research currently pursued by the group in the application of satellite navigation, wireless communication and geographical information systems (GIS).

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