A Port Talbot company that is developing new technology and products for both rail infrastructure and offshore oil and gas production has secured £1 million in EU funding.
TWI Technology Centre Wales has received investment through Horizon 2020 — the EU’s largest research and innovation programme, which aims to make breakthroughs in science and technology and support the development of world-class products and services (
www.twi-global.com).
TWI will collaborate with leading organisations from across Europe on two Horizon 2020 schemes over the next two years.
It will work with the University of Birmingham and partners in Belgium, Portugal and Spain to develop a robotic evaluation system that will enable more frequent inspection of rail tracks and improved detection of faults and defects.
It will also develop a product for assessing the condition of flexible ‘risers’ — widely used in offshore oil and gas production — with partners in the UK, Cyprus and Greece.
Mark Drakeford, the Welsh Assembly government’s Finance Secretary, said: “I am delighted that another Welsh company has been successful in securing Horizon 2020 funding; this is a highly competitive programme, investing in projects at the forefront of innovation.”