IAAPS was delighted to welcome Claire Hazelgrove, the new Member of Parliament for IAAPS’ constituency Filton and Bradley Stoke, last week. The visit provided an opportunity to showcase IAAPS’ critical work in sustainable transport technologies and its role in driving innovation in net zero mobility.
Hazelgrove toured IAAPS’ facility, hosted by Professor Chris Brace, IAAPS Executive Director, and Professor Xiaoze (Shirley) Pei, IAAPS’ Deputy Academic Director. During the visit, she saw firsthand how IAAPS collaborates with industry to develop cutting-edge propulsion technologies, with demonstrations of IAAPS’ state-of-the-art test cells, including its digital twin and simulation capability, as well as green hydrogen facility.
Professor Pei outlined IAAPS’ ambitions in aviation, particularly advancements in hydrogen-powered electric aircraft and superconducting powertrain technologies. These innovations, while presenting substantial engineering challenges, offer a major opportunity to drive forward the decarbonisation of flight, a key focus area for IAAPS.
Hazelgrove also met with the University of Bath’s new Vice-Chancellor Professor Phil Taylor to discuss the regional and national impact of IAAPS’ research and innovation, highlighting its strategic significance within her constituency. Their conversation explored how IAAPS is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between academia and industry, translating world-class research into real-world applications that drive economic growth and help deliver the UK’s net zero commitments while fostering innovation and skills development.
The visit concluded with a lunch meeting with PhD students Pete Dyson, Sarah Toy and Julian Wilkinson from the AAPS (EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems) alongside Yvonne Ascott, Centre Manager. Hazelgrove was introduced to their research, spanning critical areas such as sustainable travel and behaviour change, private car ownership models, and life cycle analysis for hydrogen fuel technologies - all of which contribute to decarbonising the transport sector.
Claire Hazelgrove commented: "It was a pleasure to visit IAAPS to see the ground-breaking work the innovative team are doing in helping the transport industry get to net zero – including shaping the future of flight. I was glad to meet with University of Bath Vice-Chancellor Phil Taylor while on site – not least as a Bath graduate myself – and to hear from some of the doctoral students about their fascinating research.
Our new Labour government has been laying the groundwork towards accelerating decarbonisation and making Britain a clean energy superpower. The type of innovation and collaboration we see here at IAAPS, bringing together industry, enterprise and academia, is key to making headway on this – one of the biggest challenges we face today."
Professor Chris Brace, IAAPS Executive Director, remarked: “It was fantastic to showcase the work we’re doing at IAAPS to help decarbonise the transport sector while supporting innovation and job creation across the region. Our collaboration with industry is key to accelerating progress towards a sustainable future.”
As a University of Bath alumna, Hazelgrove also reflected on her own academic journey and how her studies inform her work in Parliament. Her visit reinforced the vital link between research, policy, and industry in tackling the urgent challenge of transport decarbonisation. Hazelgrove graduated from the University of Bath in 2021 having studied a distance learning MSc Public Policy with the IPR and Department of Social & Policy Sciences. In addition to her constituency duties, she is PPS to Rt. Hon Darren Jones MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury as well as co-Chair for the APPG on Financial Education.
18 March 2025