Forthcoming events
Details of our 2023-2024 programme of meetings will be shown here when available.
If you need any additional information please contact Tom Purcell by email or 07306 757000.
Members and visitors are welcome at all meetings.
Meetings are held either online via Microsoft Teams, or as physical meetings. The choice will be shown here when details are available. In either case they will commence at 7:00 pm.
27th September 2023, at 7:00 pm
Operations Technology Evolution, by Ian Verhappen, of Willowglen Systems. (Microsoft Teams)
The presentation has taken place. A link will be placed here when the recording becomes available.
For now, a PDF file of the presentation pages may be downloaded by clicking on THIS line.
(The file will open in a new page)
About this event:
The automation sector like any other microprocessor-based technology continues to evolve capabilities at exponential rates, however, its adoption in the operations technology (OT) domain lags significantly.
In the latter 1990’s it was fieldbus-based communications driving change, then it was packet-based ethernet networks, and now IoT and its industrial cousin IIoT. All of which have gained traction in the automation space, but to a lesser degree in the process industries.
This presentation will in addition to discussing the different generations of control systems for context examine some of the drivers for change and reasons why the adoption of each generation of technology lags in the OT domain and process industries in particular.
Ian Verhappen, of Willowglen Systems
25th October 2023, at 7:00 pm
Bacteria: Plants’ little helpers, by Susan Mosquito, postdoctoral researcher at Rothamsted Research. (Microsoft Teams).
On 25th October 2023, for 7:00pm, click here to link to the Microsoft Teams meeting.
About this event:
Like animals, plants are complex organisms that live alongside microbes from the soil, air or water. These microbes associated with plants form the “plant microbiota” which includes several thousands of species of bacteria and fungi. The bacteria associated with plants can be beneficial for the plant development. Bacteria can help the plant to get nutrients, promote plant growth, resist stressful environmental conditions and to fight against diseases. One use of these bacteria is as biofertilizers. These are plant fertilizers containing microbes, which can be applied in farming crops.
Dr. Susan Mosquito
29th November 2023, at 7:00pm.
The Birth Of A Distillery. The talk is by Mary Vincent of Willow Tree Distillery.
(Venue: Eaton Electric Ltd, Great Marlings, Luton LU2 8DL).
About this event:
Willow Tree Distilling Company is a successful enterprise based locally in Bedfordshire, and its director is Mary Vincent. The starting point for the company stems from the time Mary spent in Detroit as an adventurous twenty-something. Her love of travel and adventure took her to the United States for 5 years where the American dream and entrepreneurial spirit rubbed off on her and sowed the seed of creating her own product and operating her own sustainable and socially responsible business.
Willow Tree gin was originally distilled in small batches on Mary’s family farm, before moving to new
premises in Thorncote Green, Sandy, Bedfordshire.
Mary’s talk will include:
- How the distillery came to be
- Developing her recipe, the production process and her USP
- The challenges in getting the brand awareness out there locally
- The wins
- Future growth of the distillery
Please refer to 'Past Events' for presentations from previous year's programmes.