Tata secures £7 million funding for AI-powered research

ADAPT-EAF team with representatives from all three partners, Tata Steel UK, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and the University of Warwick

Tata Steel UK has announced a major new research initiative, ADAPT-EAF (Accelerating the Development of Automotive and Packaging steel Technology for Electric Arc Furnace production) aimed at developing a new generation of advanced steel products from its EAF, set to transform the future of automotive and packaging applications — from car bodies to food cans.

As the UK steel industry transitions towards electric arc furnace (EAF) technology, the ADAPT-EAF programme will address one of the key challenges of using high-recycled-content steel: how to control and optimise residual elements that can affect performance in demanding applications such as some automotive components and packaging.

The ADAPT-EAF project will develop a world-leading, AI-powered platform to predict how different scrap types and compositions impact steel quality and processability. This will be integrated with rapid alloy prototyping and testing to generate the data required, as well as to pioneer automotive and packaging steel grades suited to EAF processing.

This work will reinforce Tata Steel UK’s efforts to produce cleaner, high-performance steels in the UK, while building local expertise and sharing best EAF steelmaking practices, product knowledge, and robust processes across the Group.

Backed by significant £7 million funding investment from Tata Steel UK, three partner universities and with a contribution from the EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships programme, the project will not only drive innovation in high-performance, low-carbon steels but also support the UK’s clean growth ambitions, marking a crucial step toward more sustainable manufacturing and a circular steel economy.

Tackle key industry challenges
ADAPT-EAF is one of 23 new Prosperity Partnerships announced on Thursday, 10 July by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) which will tackle key industry challenges in areas from drug manufacturing and artificial intelligence to cybersecurity. EPSRC is funding the partnerships with a £41 million investment, matched with a further £56 million from businesses and academia.

Professor Claire Davis, University of Warwick, said: “The Prosperity Partnership programmes are excellent vehicles for close collaboration between industry and academia. This is an exciting opportunity to work with leading academics and industrialists to make the UK a leader in the production of ‘green’ steel.”

ADAPT-EAF brings together Tata Steel UK with the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and the University of Warwick to drive innovation in low-emission steel production. This proposal is in line with Tata Steel’s vision of being a beacon for green steelmaking in the UK.

The announcement also comes ahead of the upcoming groundbreaking on the Electric Arc Furnace at Tata Steel’s Port Talbot site. Rajesh Nair, CEO of Tata Steel UK, commented: “This partnership enabled through the EPSRC Prosperity Partnership Program has come at the right time. We need to pool all available resources available at our academia to develop technologies at speed that can lead to a sustainable steel business in the UK.”

Tata Steel UK, Cambridge University, Imperial College and Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick will collaborate to develop a robust digital and experimental smart framework for creating new, value-added steel products that can be manufactured in the UK using low-CO steelmaking methods.

Unique opportunity
Mr Subodh Pandey, Tata Steel UK’s vice president RD&T, new materials business and graphene, said: “This partnership gives us a unique opportunity to work with the UK academia and innovate new products and process technologies that have sustainability at the core.”

The five-year programme will also fund 13 PhD studentships across the three universities to conduct leading research into the advanced manufacturing of steels and steel products suited to EAF steelmaking.

The project represents another major step towards achieving the UK’s clean growth ambitions, supporting skilled jobs, and securing the long-term prosperity of the UK steel industry, while advancing technological leadership in low-carbon steelmaking.

Professor Howard Stone, University of Cambridge, lead academic for the project, said: “This partnership will enable us to unlock the full potential of electric arc furnace steelmaking, combining advanced data science with metallurgical expertise. By working closely with Tata Steel, we aim to deliver practical solutions that support a more sustainable future for the UK steel industry and beyond.”

Dr Jun Jiang, Imperial College London, said: “We are thrilled that the Imperial Forming and Structural Integrity Groups can bring their expertise in advanced forming, fracture characterisation, and modelling to the ADAPT-EAF partnership. This collaboration will accelerate the development of low-emission steel grades tailored for demanding applications, firmly positioning the UK as a world leader in green steel innovation.”