Tata Steel collaborates with Imperial College London on research and technology development

Tata Steel Company has reached an agreement with Imperial College London to create a Sustainable Design and Manufacturing Innovation Centre in the city. Thanks to this center, it will be possible to accelerate the progress and use of technology in key areas, attract talent and strengthen collaboration between industry and academia. As part of this commitment, Tata Steel will spend £10 million over four years on the development of the center.

The center’s main focus will be on four key areas: developing manufacturing strategies for the economy of the future, implementing smart technologies, promoting the use of sustainable technologies to link different materials, and fostering the development of zero net-emission building technologies. In addition, the center will focus on the sustainable production of materials, including the creation of processes with low CO2 emissions, low energy consumption and reduced costs.

It seeks to jointly utilize Imperial’s group of engineering and design partners to develop solutions composed of different materials, with a focus on sustainability achieved through the implementation of processes for the manufacture of parts.

Narendran, the CEO and managing director of Tata Steel, mentioned that the Innovation Center is an important part of its effort to establish strong relationships between industry and academia to drive technological progress and gain strategic advantages. The Center at Imperial has an outstanding academic and research platform with a talented team. The main objective is to combine research excellence with industry expertise to develop advanced technological solutions for a more sustainable future.

This initiative also demonstrates Tata Steel’s unwavering commitment to creating a knowledge-centric organization. Tata Steel’s vice president of technology and research and development, Debashish Bhattacharjee, announced that the newly opened Imperial center will focus on the design and development of sustainable solutions. Bhattacharjee emphasized the importance of integrating sustainability from the beginning of the production and material design process. He further highlighted Tata Steel’s commitment to innovation in disruptive technologies through collaborations with academic institutions such as Imperial, with the goal of achieving technological leadership and sustainable business growth.

Mary Ryan, who is the Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at Imperial College London and co-chair of the Center’s Governing Council, said the new center formed by Imperial and Tata Steel will focus on reducing the environmental impact of steel production and steel-using sectors, such as renewable energy. To achieve a pollution-free future, it is important to prioritize the integral transformation of industrial systems. In this way, the Center will contribute to creating a modern and thriving steel industry both in the United Kingdom and globally.