College and Anturas win prestigious award for Innovation project
Edinburgh College and Anturas Consulting have won a prestigious award for their work on an innovation project which aims to revolutionise railway safety verification in Scotland, England and beyond.
Anturas and the College were named winners of the Innovation in Business Award at the annual Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awards last week.
The win is well deserved recognition for the collaborative work undertaken by Computing lecturer Jorge Correia to develop a tool to address the time-consuming current processes and ensure full compliance with the Railways and Other Guided System (ROGS) Regulations 2006.
Anturas Consulting is a leader in delivering Safety Verification Schemes and has worked on major projects including Edinburgh Trams and the ongoing Glasgow Subway Modernisation. However existing methods of determining safety verification requirements are costly and resource-intensive.
To tackle this issue head-on, Anturas Consulting and Edinburgh College have collaborated on an Innovation project funded by an Interface Standard Innovation Voucher. The project aims to develop a user-friendly, web-based application that streamlines the safety verification process and ensures compliance with ROGS regulations.
The project
The project kicked off with Edinburgh College lecturer Jorge Correia working alongside Anturas to adapt the Microsoft Excel database, that was at the limits of its application, and develop a purpose-built web application that offers flexibility, security, and ease of use.
The new digital tool will guide users through the process of determining and implementing a Safety Verification Scheme, incorporating features including system definition, interface development, and preliminary hazard analysis. It will also integrate industry-standard risk models and commercial risk tools, providing a comprehensive solution for safety verification.
The current phase of development is focused on enhancing the application's front-end, optimising user experience, and implementing robust data security measures. The modular architecture of the application also allows for adaptability to client and industry needs, while a guided workflow assists users in framing Safety Verification Schemes efficiently.
Looking to the future, the College and Anturas plan to develop the back-end of the digital tool with the help of further funding.
Winning the Innovation in Business Award alongside Anturas is a true testament to the incredible partnership and dedication displayed by the team, of which I am proud to be a part. Together, we have demonstrated that innovation transcends barriers, and we're thrilled to be revolutionising railway safety verification not just in Scotland, but on a wider scale.Jorge Correia, Computing and Tech lecturer
We are delighted to have won this award alongside Anturas. Huge congratulations to Jorge and colleagues at Anturas who have worked together to develop this innovative solution which we hope will make monumental improvements to safety verification in the railway sector. This is a terrific success story of education and industry working together innovatively and we look forward to more joined up working with Anturas in the future.Shona Pettigrew, Director of Enterprise and Knowledge Exchange