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WMG partners with Tata Steel UK to advance green steel technologies

Wednesday 16 July 2025

WMG partners with Tata Steel UK to advance green steel technologies

Academics at WMG, University of Warwick, have partnered with Tata Steel UK on a major new research initiative: Accelerating the Development of Automotive and Packaging steel Technology for Electric Arc Furnace production (ADAPT-EAF).

The £7m project, which is backed by Tata Steel UKLink opens in a new window, WMG, Imperial College London, University of Cambridge, and the EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships programmeLink opens in a new window, will develop a new generation of advanced steel products to transform the future of automotive and packing 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.

To do this, the ADAPT-EAF team 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.

ADAPT-EAF team, including WMG's Professor Claire Davis

It is hoped that ADAPT-EAF 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.

As part of the project, WMG will help develop a robust digital and experimental smart framework for creating new, value-added steel products that can be manufactured in the UK using low-CO₂ steelmaking methods.

Professor Claire Davis, Head of the Advanced Steel Research Centre at WMG, said: “Prosperity Partnership programmes like ADAPT-EAF 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.”

The five-year programme will also fund 13 PhD studentships across University of Warwick, Imperial College London, and University of Cambridge, to conduct leading research into the advanced manufacturing of steels and steel products suited to EAF steelmaking.

To find out more about WMG’s steel research, visit Advanced Steel Research Centre.