Collaborative areas include

Energy Transitions @ Cambridge Grand Challenges 

Two of the Energy@Cambridge Strategic Research Initiative's grand challenges fall within the efficient energy use theme, namely: 

Materials for Energy Efficient ICT

The Materials for Energy Efficient Information Communications Technology (ICT) Grand Challenge aims to reduce the energy consumed directly by ICT devices and in other sectors, enabled by the application of energy efficient ICT. Current technologies for energy usage, generation and storage all operate way below limits set by thermodynamics and there is huge potential to introduce radical changes that derive from fundamental scientific advances in materials-based technologies. This new Grand Challenge, which involves over 50 academics from across the Schools of Physical Sciences and Technology, focuses on the new materials and devices discoveries required to engineer a step-change in ICT. 

Contact: Energy Transitions team

Algorithms and Systems for Energy Efficient Computing

Algorithms and Systems for Energy Efficient Computing is a joint Grand Challenge between the Energy@Cambridge and Big Data Strategic Research Initiatives. The ICT industry has proved a major stimulus for world-wide economic growth over the last two decades, but this has come at a cost in terms of growing energy demand.  Increased energy efficiency is required, not just for environmental reasons, but to exploit opportunities using Big Data concepts. With strong links to the Grand Challenge in Materials for Energy Efficient ICT, this Grand Challenge focuses specifically on: energy efficiency algorithms; novel energy-efficient architectures for Big Data challenges; and energy-efficient system design, data management and programming models.

Contact: Energy Transitions team and Cambridge Centre for Data Driven Discovery

Energy efficient computing

ARM-Cambridge collaborative programme

University of Cambridge and ARM have formed a partnership to push the next generation of technologies including high performance computing, using light to transmit data (photonics) and devices utilizing the principles of quantum physics. A key tenet of the research will be the creation of more energy-efficient ways to collect, process, analyse and distribute data. This will underpin the growth of new smart and connected economies as described by Internet of Things visionaries.

Together, ARM and the University of Cambridge will research new technologies that ensure data-intensive computing can be delivered within constrained energy budgets that govern many computing applications.

Facilities include

Henry Royce Institute facilities at Cambridge

The Cambridge Royce has fifteen advanced materials characterisation tools that are available for use by academic and industrial researchers. For full details please visit: https://www.maxwell.cam.ac.uk/programmes/henry-royce-institute