Tata Steel will be creating a new R&D centre at the University of Warwick in the UK to better serve the needs of its current and future customers. Company scientists and engineers will develop a range of materials to meet manufacturers' and consumers' future demands, such as for renewable energy generation and more fuel-efficient cars and planes which Tata Steel announced in February.

This development was made possible following the investment of £8 million from the UK Government's Regional Growth Fund.

Tata Steel's R&D Group Director Debashish Bhattacharjee said: "We are strengthening our Research & Development in the UK to further develop technology and knowledge partnerships with customers, suppliers, and universities.

"We want to meet the future demands of our customers who are asking for lighter, stronger and more versatile steels."

Lord Bhattacharyya, Chairman of Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick, said: "This new centre creates a critical mass of research excellence which positions the UK at the forefront of the international iron and steel research agenda. WMG and Tata Steel researchers will work together with this significant concentration of steel processing talent and technology to develop and deliver crucial new technologies to manufacturers enabling them to bring new products to our homes and businesses."

Tata Steel already has strong research links with academia in the UK. The company sponsors three joint Chair positions at the University of Warwick, an endowed Professorial Chair at the University of Cambridge and other Chairs at the universities of Sheffield, Swansea and Imperial College, London.

Tata Steel is the largest operator in the UK steel industry, employing 18,000 people, and is a major supplier to many strategically-important UK manufacturers.

The company is the key partner in establishing The Proving Factory - an innovative partnership with high-tech companies in the automotive supply chain to help develop the technologies of tomorrow.