25 July 2011
Corporate News

Royal Academy of Engineering and Tata Steel establish new Chair at Warwick University

Tata Steel RD&T and the Royal Academy of Engineering are jointly funding a new Chair for research into Low Carbon Materials Technology at WMG at the University of Warwick.

The two partners will put £600,000 into the new Research Chair.

WMG Director Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya said: 'This announcement not only allows us to create a crucial new Chair to research this vital area, it is also wonderful recognition by the prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering and the renowned Tata Steel Group of the significant work WMG is already undertaking in low carbon vehicle technology.

“This research has already produced vital research for major manufacturers and has also helped many SMEs in the West Midlands region.'

Robert Barrett, Head of Research Programmes at the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “The Academy strongly supports the effective combination of academia and industry through our prestigious Research Chairs Scheme.  This new professorship at the WMG is an example of the Academy’s commitment in supporting areas of strategic importance to the UK economy and we look forward to appointing a world-leading individual to this post.'

Dr Debashish Bhattacharjee, Group Director for Research, Development and Technology at Tata Steel, said: 'We are very pleased and honoured that the Royal Academy of Engineering is supporting this Chair. We will be using this to spearhead our strategic work in steel-based low carbon solutions for the automotive and other related sectors to show that steel is very much part of the solution to the environmental challenges facing our society.'

The announcement is particularly timely as WMG held a special event last week for SMEs to showcase the new research and technical support in low carbon light materials already available free-of-charge to West Midlands SMEs. This new Chair will undoubtedly lead to the development of even more low carbon materials technology that will benefit manufacturers large and small.

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For further information, contact:

Bob Jones, Tata Steel, +44 (0)207 717 4532, bob.jones@tatasteel.com
Peter Dunn, WMG/University of Warwick, +44 (0)7767 655860, p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk

Ed Holmes, Royal Academy of Engineering, ed.holmes@raeng.org.uk

 

Notes for editors:

About the Royal Academy of Engineering

Founded in 1976, the Royal Academy of Engineering promotes the engineering and technological welfare of the country.  Our fellowship – comprising the UK’s most eminent engineers – provides the leadership and expertise for our activities, which focus on the relationships between engineering, technology, and the quality of life.  As a national academy, we provide independent and impartial advice to Government; work to secure the next generation of engineers; and provide a voice for Britain’s engineering community. www.raeng.org.uk

 

About WMG

WMG was founded by Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya in 1980 in order to reinvigorate UK manufacturing. The Group started small: just an office, the Professor and his secretary.  Today there are over 450 staff working across four buildings at Warwick, with education centres in six countries and an annual programme of over £120m.  The Group works with both global companies and regional SMEs to improve their competitiveness through the application of value-adding innovation, new technologies and skills deployment, bringing academic rigour to industrial and organisational practice. The research capabilities span three themes: digital technologies, materials & manufacturing, and operations & business management. www.wmg.warwick.ac.uk

 

About Tata Steel

Established in 1907 as India's first integrated steel company, Tata Steel Group is one of the world’s top ten steel producers with annual crude steel capacity of more than 28 million tonnes.  It is the world's second most geographically diverse steel producer, with operations in 26 countries and a commercial presence in more than 50.  Tata Steel Group has over 80,000 employees across four continents and is a Fortune 500 company. The European operations of Tata Steel (formerly known as Corus) comprise Europe's second largest steel producer.  With main steelmaking operations in the UK and the Netherlands, they supply steel and related services to the construction, automotive, packaging, material handling and other demanding markets worldwide.  www.tatasteeleurope.com

 

About Tata Steel Research, Development and Technology (RD&T)

Tata Steel Research, Development & Technology has technology centres in Teesside and Rotherham in the UK, IJmuiden in the Netherlands and Jamshedpur in India.  The work carried out by its scientists, researchers and engineers focuses on process and product innovations, enhancing the Group’s competitiveness by improving the quality, applicability and sustainability of steels. RD&T collaborates with universities and research institutes all over the world, as well as with major customers in the automotive, transport, construction and packaging markets.

 

 

 

 

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