Tata Steel and UK-based Royal Academy of Engineering have joined hands to bring a three-year research and innovation partnership to increase the use of sustainable and recycled materials.
The partnership will be supported by almost £1.9 million from the UK Government, matched by £1 million from Tata Steel, bringing critical industrial expertise to the programme. Winning projects will also receive funding equivalent to at least half the value of their grant. This dynamic funding model will allow teams that are already on the precipice of advancing their technology to invest and scale their project through industrial input and access to new expertise.
Subodh Pandey, Vice President – Technology, R&D, NMB and Graphene Tata Steel said the support by the UK Government, and partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, not only presents an opportunity to move promising research towards real industrial application, but also builds a lasting and meaningful relationships to accelerate adoption of more circular approaches to construction and manufacturing.
Professor Ravi Silva CBE FREng, Director, Advanced Technology Institute, University of Surrey and Chair of the Academy’s Transforming Systems through Partnership programme said the programme supports the development and deployment of meaningful solutions that can be scaled and applied in the real world, underpinned by relationships that extend beyond individual projects.
Delivered through the Academy’s already successful Transforming Systems through Partnership programme, the partnership will support grant holders in both countries from next April for three years. This collaboration will build on the UK and India’s complementary research, innovation and industrial strengths. For more than a decade, TSP has enabled over 300 collaborative projects that connect universities and industry across the world, building a network of more than 800 awardees.
The partnership is expected to support up to 15 research and innovation grants, all between £100,000 and £150,000, with projects running for up to three years. Each of the projects will be co-led by a UK and Indian academic or research partner and provide a clear pathway towards industrial, entrepreneurial or wider practical impact.
In addition to funding, the support from Tata Steel will offer access to critical industrial insight and expertise, with mentorship from senior industry staff and access to laboratories and facilities.
Published on October 12, 2026
