Industrial partners wanted for steel research programme in Wales

Partnership opportunity

The Welsh Assembly Government is looking for industrial partners to join the Steel Training Research and Innovation Partnership (STRIP), a programme led by Swansea University, to carry out research projects that benefit partners across the steel industry supply chain.

STRIP will be funded for its first six years with GBP 4 million from the Convergence European Social Fund Programme 2007-2013, through the Welsh Assembly Government, and a further GBP 3 million from the universities and the industry partners.

Dave Worsley, Director of the EngD Centre in Steel Technology at Swansea University’s School of Engineering, said, “STRIP is an opportunity for Bangor, Cardiff, Glyndwr and Swansea universities to work with the steel industry in Wales to create the next generation of functional steel materials.”

Graduate scientists and engineers will work on industry-led research projects to develop products and technologies that address specific company needs.

Tony Jones, Manager of External Research, at Corus Research Development & Technology, said, “The steel industry is highly competitive and to be successful we need to continuously develop our products and processes through world class-research and development. To support this we need a stream of high-quality technologists.”

“STRIP gives us the best of both worlds – not only do we get high quality research projects but also at the end of the doctorate we have highly trained potential recruits who can hit the ground running in Corus.”

To date 22 companies have committed to working with the Welsh universities on the STRIP initiative. Over the six years of the programme it is anticipated that up to 50 Wales-based companies which manufacture, process or distribute metal products, will participate in the scheme.

Nick Brown, Director of BASF Coatings Ltd, said, “BASF welcomes the cost-effective R&D support and the opportunity to collaborate further on the development of technologies that will lay the foundations for our continued success.”

A sample of the areas expected to benefit from the initiative include new functional coated steel products, such as low cost photovoltaic materials, novel corrosion resistant advanced high strength steels that can be used in the next generation light weight cars, and technologies to minimise energy use through production, in service and at end of life recycling.

Graduates participating in the four-year industry-based research projects, sponsored via the scheme, will gain an engineering doctorate and be on a fast track toward gaining Chartered Engineer status.

There is a wide range of options for research topics with potential STRIP students recruited from across chemistry, physics, materials science and engineering. A generous bursary is available to attract the best EU graduates.