Professor Campbell Booth of the University of Strathclyde was an invited speaker at the DAFNI Conference on 10 September 2026, where experts from academia, industry and government explored how digital twins can support the UK’s future infrastructure and clean energy ambitions.

Held around the themes of Climate and Security Resilience and Government Industrial Strategy, the conference highlighted the role of advanced digital technologies in delivering more resilient and sustainable infrastructure systems.

Professor Booth’s presentation focused on the ENSIGN Project, which is developing an Integrated Energy System Digital Twin (IES-DT) to help manage the growing complexity of the UK’s future energy networks. Bringing together the University of Strathclyde, SP Energy Networks and other partners, ENSIGN is creating a digital twin capable of representing electricity, heat, hydrogen and industrial energy systems within a single framework.

The presentation explored how digital twins can improve understanding of interconnected energy networks and support planning and operational decision-making. Professor Booth also highlighted opportunities for collaboration with DAFNI to develop trusted, interoperable models that will help support the transition to a secure, resilient and net-zero energy system.

Alongside presentations from leaders in the UrbanAir and CReDO projects, the session demonstrated the growing importance of digital twins in helping the UK tackle some of its most significant infrastructure and energy challenges.

We’re delighted to see Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer OBE featured in Chemical Industry Journal, recognising her outstanding contributions to industrial decarbonisation, innovation and sustainable industry transformation.

Alongside her leadership of the UK Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC), Mercedes is also Co-Investigator of Work Package 5, Industrial Cluster Sub Digital Twin, within the ENSIGN programme, helping to advance digital solutions that support the transition to net zero.

The article also recognises her wider contributions through Heriot-Watt University and the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions, where she continues to champion innovation in carbon capture, utilisation and storage, sustainable manufacturing and the development of future industry leaders.

Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition and for continuing to drive impactful research and collaboration across industry and academia.

We’re delighted to share that Dr Graeme Hawker, Co-Investigator for WP1 on the ENSIGN – IES-DT project, will be serving on the judging panel for the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) Hackathon: Empowering the Next Generation of Energy Researchers, taking place in Birmingham on 11 September 2026.

The hackathon brings together early career researchers, academics, industry professionals, and policy stakeholders from across the UK energy sector to tackle real-world energy challenges and develop innovative solutions supporting the UK’s energy transition.

Delivered by Energyz Black in partnership with UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), Supergen Energy Networks Hub, the Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC), and SuperAIRE Network, the event will provide participants with a unique opportunity to collaborate across disciplines, gain valuable experience, and build connections with leading experts.

Great to see Graeme contributing his expertise to support and inspire the next generation of energy researchers as they explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the future energy landscape.

We’re delighted to share that Professor Campbell Booth, Principal Investigator of the ENSIGN – IES-DT project, will be speaking at the DAFNI: Data & Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure 2026 Conference on 10 September.

In his presentation, “From Data to Decisions: Building Digital Twins for the Future Energy System”, Professor Booth will explore how digital twin technologies can help address the growing complexity of the UK’s energy system as we progress towards net zero.

ENSIGN – IES-DT brings together the University of Strathclyde, SP Energy Networks and a range of industry and academic partners to develop an integrated digital twin spanning electricity, heat, hydrogen and industrial energy systems. The session will highlight how these models can support planning, operations and decision-making across interconnected energy networks.

Professor Booth will also discuss the importance of collaboration in developing trusted, interoperable digital twins and the opportunities for working with DAFNI to help shape the future of net zero infrastructure.

If you’re attending DAFNI 2026, don’t miss this insightful session on the role of digital twins in transforming energy systems.

Today’s International Conference on Community Energy Storage at UHI North, West and Hebrides is set to be a fantastic opportunity to discuss the future of community-scale renewable energy.

From battery storage and hydrogen technologies to project planning and future local energy opportunities, the conference will highlight practical solutions that enable communities to make the most of their renewable generation.

A particular highlight will be Graeme Hawker’s presentation, “Local Energy from a System Perspective”, showcasing work with UKERC and Ensign, and exploring the wider role of local energy systems in supporting the transition to a sustainable energy future.

Congratulations to the University of Strathclyde on being named Research University of the Year in the Daily Mail University Guide 2027.

This recognition is a testament to Strathclyde’s world-class, industry-engaged research and the impact it delivers for students, society and the economy. From pioneering work in energy, health, photonics and space, to transformative collaborations with industry, Strathclyde continues to lead the way in research and innovation.

We’re particularly proud that the Ensign project is part of this world-leading research environment, contributing to innovation that delivers real-world benefits and supports the next generation of skilled graduates.

Congratulations to all colleagues involved in this well-deserved achievement.

Read the full article: Research University of the Year

PHMe26 brought together researchers, industry experts and practitioners from across the PHM community, building on the success of PHMe24 in Prague. The conference featured keynote presentations, technical sessions, tutorials and panel discussions focused on the latest advances in prognostics, health management and reliability engineering.

Congratulations to Dr Junyi Lu for representing the Ensign project and sharing this important research with the international PHM community.

We’re delighted to share that Dr Junyi Lu and Dr Bruce Stephen will be presenting their paper:

“Impact of Reactive Power Assumptions on Physics-Informed Assessment of Transformer Ageing in Distribution Networks”

at PHME 2026 in Oslo on Friday 10 July 2026.

Co-authored by Junyi Lu, Blair Brown, Qiteng Hong, Campbell Booth and Bruce Stephen, the paper explores how changing reactive power flows, driven by increasing adoption of residential solar PV systems and low-carbon technologies such as heat pumps, can significantly affect transformer ageing assessments.

Using a physics-informed prognostic framework, the research demonstrates that commonly used constant power factor assumptions can lead to overly optimistic asset-life predictions by misrepresenting transformer loading and thermal stress. The findings highlight the importance of improved reactive power assumptions for more accurate transformer health assessment and asset management in data-scarce distribution networks.

Congratulations to the authors, and we look forward to the presentation and discussions at PHME 2026.