Finance Minister praises Swansea-led EU project to boost steel industry

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A Swansea-led scheme to boost skills in the steel industry has been praised by Welsh Government Finance Minister Jane Hutt, who addressed a steel conference highlighting the impact of the scheme, called STRIP, Steel Training Research and Innovation Partnership.

STRIP is aimed at boosting the skills of the Welsh steel industry and its supply chain.  It is delivered by Swansea University and is backed with £3.5m from the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government.

Solar cellThe project was launched in 2009 and has attracted over 90 high-calibre people to undertake Doctorates and Masters degrees. Since then they have gone on to study research projects, collaborating with partners such as Tata Steel, Murco and BASF.  It is hoped that people trained through STRIP will use their knowledge to help develop the Welsh steel sector.

The conference showcases some of the achievements of the Doctorate students.

Finance Minister Jane Hutt said:

“I am delighted to see the positive impact EU Funds are having equipping individuals with leading-edge skills to help drive forward the Welsh steel industry and its supply chain. 

Increasing opportunities for greater collaboration between HE and businesses is vital for innovation, building our knowledge economy and helping to secure Wales' industrial future.”

Picture:  a solar cell.  STRIP has helped develop the world's first solid state dye-sensitised solar cell

‌Through STRIP students can access the Centre of Advanced Training for Engineering Doctorates (COATED), co-funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), EU funds and industry. 

Linked to SPECIFIC (Sustainable Product and Engineering Centre for Innovative Functional Industrial Coatings) in Baglan, students can benefit from the facilities and academic staff at this innovation and knowledge hub with a focus on the commercialisation of coatings on steel and glass that allow energy capture, storage and release.

Industrial-led research projects that have got under way through the project include:

  • developing the world’s first solid state dye sensitised solar cell
  • replacement of carcinogenic materials in corrosion resistant coatings
  • development of the next generation of steel products for the automotive industry.

Dr Dave Penney from the College of Engineering at Swansea University, who is project manager of STRIP, said:

STRIP logo“The STRIP scheme has provided the opportunity for students to access funded industrial research. This gives them vital experience and research skills for a successful career in industry.  The benefits of such training are clearly visible with a number of our alumni becoming senior leaders in industry”.

Amongst the speakers at the conference are   Dr Phil Ramsey (CTO NSG Pilkington) and Prof. Julie Williams (Chief Scientific Advisor for Wales)

As part of the EU-backed project, participants receive an annual tax free bursary of around £16,600 which allows people who have financial commitments the opportunity to return to full-time education.  To date EU projects have already helped some 182,000 people to gain qualifications and some 60,800 into work, and created some 28,000 (gross) jobs and some 9,100 enterprises.

Swansea University College of Engineering

Swansea University work on the history of the steel industry in Wales