- Tata Steel commits £10 million over four years to joint R&D initiative with The Henry Royce Institute.
- Collaboration focuses on Medical Materials, 2D Materials, and second-life materials with an emphasis on reuse and recycling
Mumbai: Tata Steel and The Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, based in Manchester, UK, have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Center for Innovation in Advanced Materials. This collaborative venture involves Tata Steel committing a £10 million investment over a four-year period. The Center for Innovation is slated to be situated at the University of Manchester, the headquarters of the Royce Institute.
The primary objective of this new Center is to foster collaboration on Advanced Materials within the broader UK innovation ecosystem, engaging multiple universities, catapult centers, and the National Health Service. The research and development program will benefit from the involvement of leading academics and technologists from the Royce Institute’s partner network.
Tata Steel, with a burgeoning business in composites, graphene, and medical materials, aims to push the knowledge boundaries in these areas through the research program. The Center will also explore 2D and second-life materials, with a particular emphasis on establishing recycling technologies as an integral part of materials development.
T. V. Narendran, CEO & MD of Tata Steel, emphasized the strategic move represented by the establishment of the Center for Innovation in the UK, signifying Tata Steel’s commitment to harnessing global technology and innovation. He stated that the collaboration with the Royce Institute would enable the company to work with world-class scientists and a rich partner network to create sustainable, breakthrough applications.
Dr. Debashish Bhattacharjee, Vice President of Technology and R&D at Tata Steel, highlighted that the Center for Innovation in Advanced Materials at Royce is part of Tata Steel’s broader plan to set up global satellite R&D and Technology centers in key strategic areas.
The collaboration was praised by Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, who lauded the integration of the University’s leading materials researchers with Tata Steel’s commercial expertise.
Professor David Knowles, Royce CEO, underscored the significance of the collaboration in advancing materials and manufacturing capabilities, particularly in the North West and across the UK. He expressed anticipation that the program would contribute to regional economic growth and address challenges in health, sustainability, and achieving net-zero goals.
This collaboration is expected to fortify the strong existing relationship between Tata Steel and the Royce Institute, leveraging Tata Steel’s technology translation and commercialization expertise alongside Royce’s strengths in science and innovation in advanced materials. The initiative will also allow the Royce Hub at Manchester to tap into its key partners, including the Universities of Cambridge and Sheffield, and Imperial College London, under the MoU.
