Entrance hall of the ICMSKnowledge Transfer

ICMS BACKGROUND

The International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS) is a research centre which brings together mathematicians and practitioners in science, industry and commerce for research workshops and other meetings.

ICMS supports mathematics research in a variety of ways. The core activity is the organisation of an internationally renowned workshop programme, covering all areas of mathematics (see http://www.icms.org.uk/forthcomingWorkshops). ICMS aims to create an environment in which mathematical sciences will develop in new directions and to encourage and exploit those areas of mathematics that are of relevance to other sciences, industry and commerce. ICMS is also committed to increasing the level of knowledge transfer (KT) arising from its workshops, as well promoting and exploiting the latest research.

In recognition of, and to support, the important contribution mathematics has to offer to the wider community, ICMS organises a range of KT activities, to engage both the public and industry. This section of the website provides more information about the KT services we offer to business, commerce, policy makers, the wider scientific community and the general public as well as information about upcoming ICMS KT events.

BUSINESS AND COMMERCE

Mathematics, through modelling, simulation and analysis, is an indispensable tool in business innovation and underpins the understanding and development of strategy and processes across all sectors of business. An important aim of ICMS is to facilitate knowledge transfer between mathematical scientists and organisations outside academia, so that mathematics may be widely exploited by, and bring benefits to, the widest possible community. ICMS has access to the strong, internationally renowned UK mathematics research base, as well as to the international experts who attend its popular and highly regarded workshops, ensuring that we have the right contacts to best help your business.  

Some example case studies of how mathematics has been applied to assist businesses in a range of sectors are available and more information can also be found on the Industrial Maths Knowledge Transfer Network homepage

ICMS has run networking events as well as industry-led problem scoping sessions (see Former KT Activities for further details)

OTHER ORGANISATIONS (Government, Academics)

Data analysis, signal processing, combining different models, dealing with uncertainty, sensitivity analysis to highlight key parameters, optimisation, developing, verifying and validating models; mathematics is essential to the other academic sciences. For instance, in the social sciences mathematics can help to model opinion formation, human behaviour and decision making, crowds and transport, wealth distribution and conflict resolution. Maths can be applied to analyse statistical information about a current situation and assess and predict the effects of policy changes. 

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

Maths is both a fascinating and an essential subject. Mathematics is behind the encryption that allows us to safely shop on the internet, offers us methods to analyse the huge volumes of data generated by biological and medical research hopefully resulting in the faster development of safer, more effective treatments and is critical in engineering for modelling design changes during product development. Maths assists in scheduling and routing deliveries and internet traffic, in optimising the connection of variable renewable energy sources to the electricity grid and in image recognition and generation software for a variety of applications including security, computer games and films. More esoteric aspects of maths include weird and wonderful subjects like monsters and moonshine, different infinities.

ICMS runs a series of public engagement activities including public lectures and Science Festival events.

GETTING INVOLVED

Please contact Dawn Wasley, Knowledge Transfer Officer, ICMS via email (dwasley@icms.org.uk), if you

  • have an idea for a workshop
  • would like to discuss procedures for submitting a proposal
  • would like to discuss how maths can help in your business/work
  • have suggestions or ideas for mathematical events that you would like to attend
  • wish to attend a forthcoming ICMS event.

To join our mailing list (for public engagement and/or industrial activities), please send your contact details to the following email address dwasley@icms.org.uk.

KT ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR 2011

The list below provides details of the KT activities currently planned during 2011.

PREVIOUS KT ACTIVITIES

Details of previous KT activities are provided.† This list is not exhaustive but provides a flavour of the types of KT events that ICMS has organised. However, we remain receptive, and would actively encourage, new ideas and initiatives to promote KT.

KT Workshops

Applications of Maths in the Energy Sector industry workshop involving the discussion of 3 problems from the energy sector presented by industry.

In 2001 ICMS ran the Scottish Industrial Networking Initiative in Mathematical Sciences, which facilitated collaboration between companies and universities on industrially motivated mathematical or computational problems.
Further information: SINIMS | Report

Network Activities during Workshops

Public Engagement activities

  • Meet the Mathematicians 2010. A large schools outreach event held at the Royal Society of Edinburgh on Wednesday 7th April: http://www.meetmaths.org.uk
  • Lectures and film screenings at the Edinburgh International Science Festival. Read blog reports on ICMS News.
  • Over the years ICMS have provided various public and schools engagement events as a part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival and as the organisers of Maths Year 2000 Scotland.

Public Lectures