The Duke of York has spent the day in Cambridge to see some of the City’s innovation in Engineering, Medical Technology and Plant Science, starting at the University of Cambridge’s new Civil Engineering Building. The multimillion-pound collaborative space will allow those from the civil engineering industry to work alongside leading researchers from the University of Cambridge.
His Royal Highness is Patron of the Institute of Civil Engineers, the professional membership body for the Civil Engineering industry, and the during the visit he met a number of researchers and was shown how the new building is enabling new discoveries in the sector. The state-of-the-art building is also home to the new National Research Facility for Infrastructure Sensing (NRFIS) and will support research in the application of advanced sensor technologies.
The day in Cambridge continued at Brookfield’s Hospital, where The Duke was introduced to Dr Tamsin Brown who has developed new technology to help those suffering with Glue Ear. Around 3 million children in Europe suffer from Glue Ear, and children who suffer are substantially disadvantaged at a critical time in the development of speech and language, listening and attention, socio-communication and auditory processing skills.
His Royal Highness, who supports a number of hearing-related charities, met patients who benefiting from the latest technology that enables those with Glue Ear to hear. Using Bluetooth technology, the bone-conduction headset connects to a microphone attached to the lapel of a parent or teacher, making a remarkable difference to those who suffer from Glue Ear. This can also be connected to a free APP, which helps children develop their listening, speaking and auditory processing skills through specially designed songs, games and audiobooks. \
The Duke finished the day at the Sainsbury Laboratory (SCLU), which was opened by The Queen in 2012, and is working to further understand how plants grow and develop, which is paramount for the long-term security of a sustainable supply of food and other plant products, such as fuel, fibres and building materials. His Royal Highness was shown how the Lab’s technology, which includes an in-house state-of-the-art advanced imaging facility, is advancing knowledge of plants.
