Swansea to lead multimillion steel research initiative
12 Feb 2019
Wales is to host a £35 million new initiative between research bodies, universities and business to make the steel industry more environmentally conscious and competitive.
The Sustain network is being led by the University of Swansea, close neighbour to the city’s Tata Steelworks. It will collaborate with peers Warwick and Sheffield universities to pave the way for the sector to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
With more than 20 partners, it is supported by a £10 million investment from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and money from steel companies and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.
Its aims include zero waste iron and steelmaking, with the aim of making the industry carbon-neutral; also, to ensure introduce new smart steel processing approaches by better harnessing of data.
Success rests on our ability to remain at the forefront of innovation, delivering the new steel products demanded. This new hub will enable us to do just that
Gareth Stace, director general, UK Steel
Gareth Stace, director general of UK Steel, said:
“This new boost of innovation funding into the sector is a vital piece of the puzzle to help deliver our vision of a cutting-edge, vibrant, and sustainable steel industry in the UK.
“The future success of our sector rests on our ability to remain at the forefront of product and process innovation, delivering the new steel products demanded by our customers and society. This new hub will enable us to do just that.”
