The aim of this project is to enable the public release and long-term support of software prototypes developed during the NETEM research project, thereby vastly increasing the impact and dissemination of the research. The NETEM ('Networking Technology and the Experience of Ensemble Music-making') project asked whether a wireless network of tablet computers could be transformative to the experience of musical ensemble playing. To explore this question, we developed two apps for Apple's iPad: NETEM Conductor and NETEM Performer. These apps display musical scores in the place of conventional paper scores, and synchronise the performers' scores with the conductors score. With synchronised scores, musicians cannot lose their place in the music. This reduces stress and increases confidence, enabling the whole ensemble to focus on musicality. It also enables access to ensemble music for less experienced musicians, and supports ensembles with performers of varied abilities. The NETEM project followed a participatory ethos, and the apps were developed with regular testing and feedback from a primary school orchestra and with a varied set of local musical ensembles, musicians and conductors. Feedback from these groups has demonstrated that the NETEM apps would be valuable to many musical ensembles. The apps in their current form are research prototypes, designed for the NETEM research project, and to be used with the support of the research team. They lack some user interface features and basic functions that everyday users would normally expect from a public release. Users without specific technical expertise may find them difficult to use. This project will develop the apps from research prototypes into consumer quality releases, following a clearly defined specification of new features that need to be implemented. We will also build an online community hub to support users. We will make the apps available to a wide user-base by creating a new version for Android in addition to iOS. Building on the rich participatory ethos established with the initial project, we have organised frequent testing sessions with a student ensemble and with our partner ensembles: Lewes Concert Orchestra, Dorothy Stringer Secondary School Orchestra and Community Music for All Sussex. A core concern of this project is to ensure longevity of the outputs, beyond the lifetime of this and future research grants. To achieve this, we are collaborating with Sussex Innovation Centre (SInC), a business support hub at the University of Sussex. SInC are conducting market research within the UK education sector and with community orchestras, and are identifying structures and organisations that will help us engage with stakeholders in these sectors. They will work with us to create a plan for setting up a company to support the apps and the community of app users. The company will operate with sustainability and affordability as its priorities. Revenue will pay for future updates and repairs to the software, and for long-term support for the community of users. Our collaboration with SInC is supported by a £5,000 grant from the University of Sussex Enterprise Panel, and will lay the foundations for an ongoing partnership through the company we form. The apps will be released in spring 2017, with a public launch event in London. At the event, members of the public of any musical skill level will be able to take part in an ensemble rehearsal and performance with professional musicians, supported and enabled by the software. A similar event will follow at Edinburgh Science Festival.

NIMRC's research portfolio is at the heart of the national manufacturing agenda and is active in the generation of patents and the construction of full scale demonstrators to enhance technology transfer. The Centre has strong links with industry in a range of sectors including aerospace, automotive, instrumentation, power engineering, steel, textiles and clothing, and consumer product sectors. With the exception of a small number of blue-skies projects, all projects are driven by industrial need. During the past 3 years, the Nottingham Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre (NIMRC) has continued to succeed in its stated objectives. By exploiting synergies between themes and research strands within the Centre and with other academic groups and industry outside the Centre, NIMRC has continued to expand its world-leading research portfolio and develop new directions. From a start of 8 principal investigators in the IMRC, this year we have an additional 15 investigators participating in current projects within the portfolio, complemented by 22 researchers and 29 research students. In the past 3 years, 9 students have been been awarded a PhD and another 7 are currently submitting their dissertations.The quality, timeliness and novelty of NIMRC's research is highlighted by its publication record. Since the Centre began, staff have published widely in peer review journals and presented at prestigious international conferences.The IMRC status has attracted a wider research community both in the University and without. The NIMRC continues to develop strategic partnerships with research groups outside the University and include many internationally recognised centre's of manufacturing excellence. The Centre also has strong links with other IMRCs. Already, NIMRC has collaborative research projects with Warwick, Bath, Cranfield and Loughborough IMRCs. NIMRC is also participating in the Grand Challenge 3D Mintigration related to the economic Manufacture of 3D Miniaturised Devices . NIMRC has made excellent progress during the last 3 years towards its stated objectives. It believes that the future research strategy it has developed will continue to address both the immediate and longer term needs of the manufacturing industry and it looks forward to providing the enabling research needed to improve the competitiveness of UK plc. The importance of NIMRC's world-class research is demonstrated in the composition of the Industrial Advisory Board which includes 20 senior industrialists from well established UK manufacturing sectors. The Board is impressed with the work of the Centre and the rapport with the Board of PIs. Board members have their own examples of how their company has benefited from the work of the NIMRC. In summary, Rolls-Royce and the Industrial Advisory Board fully support the activities of the NIMRC and will continue to do so. Chair of NIMRC Industrial Advisory Board, Mr Stephen Burgess, Manufacturing Process and Technology Director, Rolls-Royce Plc.