Wed, 18 December, 2024
TWI was delighted to welcome representatives from long-standing partner the University of Leicester to its headquarters in Cambridge recently, to discuss support for the University’s new Centre for Doctoral Training, an initiative enabled through successful application to an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funding opportunity, with the support of TWI.
The aim of the EPSRC-led scheme is to train more than 4,000 doctoral students over the next 9 years across 65 Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT), starting from 2024. In order to participate in this prestigious programme, Centre operators must demonstrate that they can: deliver cohort-based training in areas where both breadth and depth of research training are required; and training in responsible research and innovation; and embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into all aspects of research and training practices; together with principles of trusted research, environmental sustainability and student wellbeing to the highest standard in all they do.
The University of Leicester (ULEIC)’s CDT, the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Transformation of Metals Industry (DigitalMetal), is led by the University’s Professor Hong Dong, under the 'EPSRC primary theme of relevance' Manufacturing and the Circular Economy. As well as EPSRC, the Centre is also being supported by the universities of Birmingham, Loughborough, Nottingham and Warwick, and industry.
The metals industry is a vital component of the UK's manufacturing economy and makes a significant contribution to key strategic sectors such as construction, aerospace, automotive, energy, defence and medical. DigitalMetal aims to train a new generation of technical experts who have the ability to lead digital transformation in the metals industry and its supply chain, helping to increase the agility, productivity and international competitiveness of the UK metals industry.
Crucially, DigitalMetal will provide postgraduate training that combines metals and alloy engineering with digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) skills, to help the UK metals and manufacturing industries reap the benefits of data. The Centre’s vision is to deliver future leaders for industry who can rapidly take advantage of the latest discoveries in manufacturing processes through digital twinning, to enable defect-free, right-first-time manufacturing at reduced costs.
The visit to TWI saw a productive and informative exchange of thoughts and ideas between Prof Hong Dong and Dr Bo Tian of ULEIC, TWI’s Research and Quality Assurance Director Paul Woollin, Non-destructive Testing Group Manager Phillip Wallace, Team Manager – Materials Performance and Characterisation, Paola De Bono, Section Manager – Power Beam Processing, Michael Dodge and Group Research and Technology Officer – Materials Business Development, Nithin Jayasree, and Dr Shiladitya Paul, Director of the Materials Innovation Centre (MatIC: a University of Leicester-TWI partnership).
Commenting on the synergies between TWI and DigitalMetal, Paul Woollin, Research and Quality Assurance Director, TWI said “The National Structural Integrity Research Centre (NSIRC) was established in 2012 by TWI, Lloyd’s Register Foundation and BP to deliver postgraduate engineering qualifications that are industrially-led, with the PhDs awarded by leading universities. This has enabled TWI to build up a wealth of experience in facilitating doctoral training that meets the needs of specific industries.” Adding “From a technological perspective, TWI has a strong track record in multi-disciplinary, collaborative R&D that generates unique data on metals processed by advanced manufacturing methods and is looking to exploit the opportunities digitalisation brings, all of which are in alignment with the aims of the new Centre.”
Prof Hong Dong, ULEIC, said “DigitalMetal CDT aims to train around 80 PhD students, helping to transform the metals industry with AI and digital technology. TWI has strong links with the five CDT university partners in the Midlands, including collaborative research and other partnerships, in addition to recruitment of graduates. DigitalMetal CDT will also gain links to the technological needs of approximately 500 Industrial Members of TWI across a wide range of industries."
Photograph shows, left to right, Dr Bo Tian, ULEIC, Michael Dodge, Team Manager – Materials Performance and Characterisation, TWI, Prof Hong Dong, ULEIC, Paul Woollin, Research Director, Phil Wallace, Group Manager – Non-destructive Testing and Nithin Jayasree, Group Research and Technology Officer – Materials Business Development, TWI and Shiladitya Paul, Director of the Materials Innovation Centre (MatIC: a University of Leicester-TWI partnership).