News
02 October 2007
Sponsorship to support environmentally aware motorsport
Oxford Brookes has signed a sponsorship agreement with Abbey, part of the Santander Group, which will see the further development of a hybrid petrol car which could rival conventional racing engines. It will also give students invaluable experience of this technology of growing importance.
Last year, Oxford Brookes was the only team that succeeded in bringing a working hybrid car to the Formula Student competition, and now, with the support of Abbey, further work can be done on making the hybrid car a serious competitor.
Hybrid cars are already having a huge impact on the industry, demonstrating that they can match conventional engines in terms of performance, as well as economy. The use of hybrid cars links with the increasing use of biofuels in Rally and Racing competitions, and Oxford Brookes’ experts are also leading research into this development.
Oxford Brookes University and Abbey, part of Santander Group, have signed a three year £60,000 co-operation agreement to involve the bank in different aspects of the University. As well as sponsoring the hybrid car, the money will:
- provide undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships
- support the introduction of University smart cards, and
- enable the University to explore having an Abbey branch on campus.
The ‘Santander Universities’ scheme already supports 575 universities across Spain, Portugal, Latin America and the Russian Federation. Oxford Brookes is one of the first UK universities to enter into a similar arrangement.
Professor Janet Beer, Vice–Chancellor of Oxford Brookes, said: “I am delighted that Oxford Brookes is at the forefront of this new co-operation between universities and Santander in the UK. I am particularly pleased that the cooperation agreement will enhance the University’s already growing reputation for developing the motorsport industry in an environmentally aware direction.”
Luis Juste, Director of Abbey Universities, said: “The agreement with Oxford Brookes is an important step for Abbey and Santander in our programme of working with universities in UK. We are especially pleased to be supporting the University’s Formula Student racing car, which fits neatly with Santander’s sponsorship of Formula One.
“Our groundbreaking support for the higher education sector will enable us to work together to further our knowledge, promote international cooperation and build a more prosperous society.”
