Research and innovation centre the Materials Processing Institute strengthens its ties with international steel producers, as part of a collaborative £500,000 research project.
Image credit| (L-R) Professor Hong Dong, University of Leicester, Chris McDonald, CEO, Materials Processing Institute, Yixin Huang, Chair of NISCO Board, Alan Scholes, Chief Technology Officer, Materials Processing Institute, and Juefei Chu, Chief Engineer, NISCO
The Institute has partnered with the University of Leicester and TWI Ltd to support Chinese steel manufacturer Nanjing Iron and Steel Company (NISCO). The project forms part of a £2m investment by NISCO at the University of Leicester in creating a UK-based steel research facility.
The collaboration aims to develop technology that can control the solidification process during the casting of very thick semi-finished steel products at NISCO’s production line, and improve productivity by reducing the segregation and porosity in these materials.
NISCO is a world leading steel manufacturer, which is based in Nanjing, the capital of China’s eastern Jiangsu province.
The research project follows a joint call for R&D between Innovate UK and the Jiangsu Science and Technology Department, which forms part of the Jiangsu-UK Industrial Challenge programme that aims to stimulate economic growth in China.
The UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, has allocated up to £5m to fund projects in the programme, with the Institute successful in winning support for the joint development project. The Jiangsu Science and Technology department is also funding eligible partners from the Jiangsu province, as all projects involved in the programme must involve at least one UK business and one from the province.
The Materials Processing Institute is a research and innovation centre serving organisations that work in advanced materials, low carbon energy and the circular economy. It is recognised as a leading centre for the global steel industry, delivering research and innovation projects, consultancy and training.
Chris McDonald, CEO of the Materials Processing Institute, said: “We are delighted to have been selected as a research partner for the development of new steel products and environmental technologies, for one of the world’s leading producers. The Institute is internationally recognised for its long track record in industrial R&D and is a globally-recognised research centre working with many steel companies to improve their products, processes and productivity.
“The collaborative expertise and industry knowledge between the Institute, the University of Leicester and TWI will prove to be an effective partnership that will add real value to the research project, and support the wider Industrial Challenge programme.”
