My name is Andrei Feraru, and today I own a Coventry-based business called Feraru Dynamics with my brother Vlad. My journey from undergraduate student to entrepreneur began while on placement with Rolls-Royce as a student at Coventry. That was when I first learned about the devastating effects of a preventable condition called Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome.
Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome – or HAVS – isn’t just an abstract issue: over two million workers in the UK are exposed to vibration at work every single day. The number of HAVS cases continues to rise, and I have seen the heartbreaking reality of this condition—workers left unable to use their hands, losing not just their livelihoods but their independence.
Having become aware of HAVS whilst at Rolls-Royce, I became deeply committed to protecting the health and dignity of the people who build and maintain our infrastructure, and I spent the last few months of my placement researching and understanding HAVS.
I proposed an improvement idea that involved prototyping a device that could measure human hand exposure to vibration in real time and I started working on this as part of my individual project in my final year at Coventry University. The project received support from people at both Rolls-Royce and the university. A lot of people were telling me this was a spin-out opportunity, so I asked my brother for support and together we thought out a business plan to rise to the challenge.
I owe a great deal to Coventry University, which supported me in starting my business in 2018 while I was still studying mechanical engineering. Their guidance, mentorship, and introductions to the investment world helped me raise over £800,000 in funding, access cutting-edge laboratories, and develop technology that is now protecting over 400 workers across the UK, US, and Canada. This kind of university-backed innovation is essential for driving progress and growth across a whole range of sectors, as well as in health and safety.
As a direct result of my placement with Rolls-Royce and the support of Coventry University, I am today the Managing Director of Feraru Dynamics Limited. Our company has developed HAV-Sentry—a cloud-based system that uses real-time data and wearable technology to help businesses prevent HAVS in their workforce.
Why is what we do at Feraru Dynamics so important? Well, when workers feel safe, valued, and protected, they perform at their highest capacity. We must ensure that those in manufacturing, construction, and infrastructure—who build the roads, bridges, and cities we rely on—can return home in the same condition they arrived in. By making these industries safer, we can also close the skills gap and retain talent, proving to the next generation that these careers are not just essential but sustainable and secure.
To do this, occupational health and safety must keep pace with technology. Sensor advancements now allow us to track real-time motion, grip force, and posture with barely noticeable wearable devices. Yet, too often, companies rely on outdated databases or compliance checkboxes instead of using modern technology to understand what workers are actually exposed to. This must change and our mission at Feraru Dynamics is to drive that change.
A big part of driving progress in this area, as in many others, will be supporting innovation at professional and technical universities like Coventry. The links these universities have with industry, their commitment to innovation and the way they support student entrepreneurs is often unseen but integral to the success of our regions and to a wide range of industries.
