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WMG launches new Steels Processing Research Centre

WMG, at the University of Warwick, has announced the creation of a new Advanced Steel Research Centre. The new Centre complements Tata Steel’s announcement today, Tuesday 23rd September 2014, of the creation of their new international research centre to be based at the University of Warwick.

Professor Sridhar Seetharaman WMGThe new Advanced Steel Research Centre will be led by Professor Sridhar Seetharaman, Tata Steel / Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Low Carbon Materials at WMG. It combines his research excellence with that of two further Tata Steel Chairs at WMG, Professor Claire Davis, Tata Steel Chair for research into Thermo-mechanical Processing, and Professor Barbara Shollock, Tata Steel Chair in Advanced Characterisation and Coatings.

The new Centre will feature new state of the art research facilities, including advanced characterisation facilities, which will provide a unique national resource, complimenting Tata Steel’s long term investment in their new centre at the University of Warwick. The new WMG Centre strengthens the relationship between WMG, the University of Warwick, and Tata Steel through a strategic partnership, with research, research infrastructure, education and exploitation opportunities.

Together the two new Centres provide a critical mass of research excellence that positions the UK at the forefront of the international iron and steel research agenda.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, Chairman and Founder of WMG said:

”This story began with a partnership between WMG, the Royal Academy of Engineering and Tata Steel Group to appoint a Professor in this field of research. He is now part of a team of three professors and associated researchers. Today’s announcements mean that that team will now draw on and interact with a significant concentration of steel processing talent and technology in these two new centres. This story will continue as these initiatives deliver crucial new technologies to manufacturers and new products to our homes and businesses”

Dr Debashish Bhattacharjee, Group Director Research and Development at Tata Steel said:

"WMG is gearing up to provide an eco-system for world class research in steel product and process development through co-sponsored professorial Chairs, funding for equipment, and appointing staff and faculty members to create active groups around the Chair professors. The creation of the Advanced Steel Research Centre will provide the much needed focus on research in this area in the UK. By locating our R&D centre at the University of Warwick, Tata Steel will work closely with the Advanced Steel Research Centre and leverage its expertise and facilities in an open innovation framework for providing our customers and supply chain partners with new products and services."

WMG’s , Director of the new WMG Centre said:

“Tata Steel is undertaking transformative changes that will enable them to operate in sustainable and competitive manner. As a metallurgist, I cannot imagine anything more exciting than to be a part of this. There is a multitude of hypothesis driven fundamental research questions, that need to be investigated in order to engineer the new processes and develop more value-added products."

For further for information for media please contact:

Peter Dunn, Director of Press and Policy, University of Warwick,
UK Tel: 024 76 523708 Mobile 07767 655860 email: p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk

Or Lisa Barwick, WMG, University of Warwick Tel: 024 76 524721 or 07824 540845 L.Barwick@warwick.ac.uk

Tata Steel Press contact:
Damien Brook Tele: +44 (0) 1724 405786 or email: damien.brook@tatasteel.com

PR301 PJD 23rd September 2014