A new research centre, sponsored by the engineering firm SKF and focused on improving the performance of mechanical systems such as cars, aeroplanes and industrial equipment by reducing the friction between moving parts in their machinery has been officially opened at Imperial College London.
The SKF University Technology Centre in Advanced Modelling and Measurements in Tribology will carry out research to find out how surfaces interact with one another in relative motion. By reducing friction between parts, the researchers hope to enable machinery to run more efficiently and reliably, leading to energy savings, lower costs and reduced carbon emissions. This will provide useful inputs for SKF, a manufacturer of high performance bearings, seals and lubrication systems for industrial machinery.
An initial five-year collaboration will see researchers at Imperial working with SKF’s Engineering Research Centre in The Netherlands, developing new advanced testing techniques, theoretical studies and computer models in tribology that will help SKF to develop ways of prolonging the life of bearings.
As part of the project, SKF will also fund a minimum of five PhD students at Imperial, recruited from around the globe.
Receive the Funding Newswire each Tuesday, our Policy Bulletin each Thursday, and news about bridging Europe’s east-west innovation gap twice a month in The Widening. 
A unique international forum for public research organisations and companies to connect their external engagement with strategic interests around their R&D system.