A specialist centre at the University of Bradford which aims to help engineering companies tackle business problems has got a fresh new look.

Bradford Engineering Consultancy (BEC) is the new name for the Bradford Centre for Advanced Design and Analysis (BCAD), with the relaunch following on from the unit's growing success.

Part of the University's growing efforts to boost links with the business community, BEC is based at the internationally-respected School of Engineering, Design and Technology.

Business associate Jonathan Philby said the work being undertaken was a key part of the 'Making Knowledge Work' philosophy.

"Industry can often find itself facing problems that are hard to address either because of technical or scientific constraints, or time pressures and resource constraints," he said.

"BEC offers specialist resources and know-how with the breadth and depth of our research and industry expertise, delivered with a philosophy of transferring the knowledge we have to help others."

Dean of the School, Professor Andrew Day said the expertise it could offer was becoming increasingly important to industry.

"This expansion provides Engineering, Design and Technology with a very important resource at a critically-important time for industry locally, nationally and internationally," he said.

"The future of engineering and technology lies in the application of Computer, Information and Communications Technology to the design and manufacture of products, systems and processes.

"We have the ability and resources to respond to those needs to make our knowledge work for the region's industry.

"We have now gathered a network of experienced industry professionals to work alongside our academic staff to form a team with the state-of-the-art skills and expertise that employers need in successful, modern industry.

"We support this with one of the best Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) facilities in the region."

The consultancy has already worked with major international companies like Ford, Federal-Mogul - which has a large presence in Bradford - and AMEC as well as small and medium-sized businesses in the region many of which can get Government help to fund consultancy work with BEC.