Over the coming weeks and months, we will be sharing Q&A profiles from the members of the RSE Innovations Team. Their profiles will reveal innovative concepts that RSE is looking to develop and discuss the ways the team is currently working to implement change and improve the world that we work in, to become more sustainable for the business our people and the planet.
Jamie Melling
Graduate Chemical Engineer
Q1. What is your background and experience in the Water Industry?
I recently graduated with a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde. After gaining one year of experience at a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant, I joined RSE. At RSE, I have been involved in diverse projects, including preliminary design of treatment works, ensuring compliance with Scottish Water policies, and contributing to ongoing innovative initiatives. I’m excited to apply my skills and knowledge as a Chemical Engineer in these endeavours.
Q2. What does your role in the RSE Innovations Team include?
As a member of the innovations team at RSE, my role encompasses several key responsibilities. These include:
- Researching new and emerging technologies: I actively explore and study cutting-edge technologies that have the potential to benefit RSE in the future. By staying abreast of the latest advancement in the field, I contribute to the identification and evaluation of innovative solutions that can enhance RSE’s operations.
- Process design for innovation projects: I collaborate with the team to develop and refine the process design for innovation projects. This involves analysing requirements, optimising processes, and ensuring that maximum performance and efficiency are achieved across all aspects of the projects. By focussing on process design I contribute to the successful implementation of innovative solutions.
- Pilot trials management: I play a crucial role in overseeing the operation of active pilot trials conducted by RSE. This includes closely monitoring the trials, conducting sampling, and ensuring that all necessary data is collected. I also take charge of analysing the data gathered from the trials in a detailed manner.
Q3. What’s the most exciting thing about your role?
One of the most exciting aspects of my role in the innovations team is being on the leading edge of the water industry. It provides me with the thrilling opportunity to be involved in projects right from their inception, contributing to the development of ground-breaking ideas and solutions that have the potential to shape the industry’s future. Moreover, the chance to work with new and emerging technologies adds to the excitement, as it allows me to stay ahead of industry trends and actively contribute to shaping the water sector.
Q4. What do you think are the big challenges facing Water Engineering Innovations in the next 5-10 years?
As regulatory organisations continuously raise the bar for water quality standards, it becomes imperative for us to innovate and enhance our processes and technologies to meet these evolving requirements. The industry-wide drive towards achieving net-zero emissions presents another significant challenge in the water sector. In order to tackle this challenge, we must leverage our expertise and knowledge to develop equipment that is not only more durable but also requires less energy and chemical inputs. By striving to extend the lifespan of our equipment while simultaneously reducing energy consumption and chemical usage, we can contribute to the industry’s sustainability goals and make significant strides towards a greener future.
Find out more about the
RSE Innovation Hub
RSE has now formed an Innovation Hub to gather all our talented engineers’ ideas and develop them into ways we can support our clients deliver their challenging quality and environmental targets.
