Accelogress, Data Analysis (2-3 month plus paid PhD/Graduate Placement – £1,500 per month), Surrey from September 2019

 Company profile

Accelogress Limited is an innovative software and app development company. We work with local clients of any size to deliver complex and intelligent mobile apps, including cloud-based back-ends and are recently working more and more in data science and on big data projects.

Over the last 5 years we have developed Save-a-Space, our cloud-based parking management platform. It is a smartphone app for the end user so they can find, book and pay for a reserved parking space and a management tool for the operator. Current deployment is with the West Midlands Combined Authority at train station Park & Ride car parks. Please see website (currently being revamped): https://www.accelogress.com/home

Placement title

Journey analysis and pricing optimisation for electronic payments at toll stations/city centre car parks and other data science related projects

Placement description

We will take real-world data in anonymised form from people who travel by car in Portugal and create a big data application that helps the electronic payment provider Via Verde optimise pricing of toll and parking. Via Verde deploy an electronic tag in the vehicle and drivers simply pass by a toll gate or pay on press of a button at car parks. You will apply big data techniques including statistics and machine learning, such as clustering and optimisation, in order to gain new insights in the journey patterns of those users. More information about the project can be found on the EDIncubator website under “our start-ups”: https://edincubator.eu/edi-explore-s007/. The aim is to complete the data analysis part of the project and develop a big data application prototype.

Student specification

We are looking for a graduate or postgraduate with a background and skills in data science, mathematics and/or statistics. Ideally the student/graduate would have been working with machine learning techniques, such as clustering and optimisation, possibly before or as part of their current PhD programme. Knowledge of Python and Java will be required. For big data analysis we are using Spark. A good understanding of SQL or, if possible, Spark QL would be of benefit.

Skills gained

You will gain new knowledge and skills working with, and in, analysis of big data sets eg electronic payment transaction data for millions of customers. You will get an insight in to how a big data application will be developed from exploring big data, conceptualisation of big data architecture, implementation and deployment of the big data application.  For a student who fits the specification we will provide an opportunity to gain experience working in Spark in a big data environment using Scala as a programming language. The student/graduate may also have the opportunity to continue working with Accelogress.

Please contact veronica.benson@sepnet.ac.uk for further information on how to apply.

IPFT Fuels Ltd, Product Development Lead (Hardware/Software), (2-3 month plus paid PhD/Graduate Placement – £1,500 per month), Guildford, Surrey (location flexible) from September

IPFT is a start-up developing an efficient and convenient vehicle charging solution. The University of Surrey is undertaking a technical study and the company expects to collaborate with the Cardiff EV Centre for Excellence.  IPFT is part of SET Squared’s accelerator programme and is being supported to form a wide industry and academic consortium to bid for R&D public grants.

 Placement description

The current solution is at (Technology Readiness Level) TRL 2 and the Project Development Lead will be responsible for progressing the development up the TRL scale in association with academic collaborators and industry partners.  The successful candidate will work closely with the Founder and Director and will be the main point of contact for academic collaborators as they progress in the execution.  Great potential to grow in the role which is available to evolve into a full CTO role for the right candidate.

 As a small business, IPFT is flexible about the placement address.  Likely places where the successful candidate will be required to interact with partners – Guildford, Cardiff and possibly Bristol.

 Student specification

A candidate interested in embarking on an entrepreneurial journey and venture.  You should have experience, or an interest, in:

• Machine learning/AI
• Robotics
• Automotive
• Electric Vehicles
• Sustainability

Please contact veronica.benson@sepnet.ac.uk for further information on how to apply.