Professor Sridhar Seetharaman has this week taken up the new post of Professor of Low Carbon Materials Technology at WMG.

The new Chair is jointly sponsored by Tata Steel and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Professor Seetharaman has a wealth of experience in developing ways of working with next-generation steels, including steels whose enhanced strength can help automotive companies meet their obligations to make lighter and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

The appointment of Professor Seetharaman is in line with the market differentiation strategy that Tata Steel is pursuing in Europe’s mature steel markets. A key element of this strategy entails the use of technical innovation, including the development of new products, to help customers achieve their business goals.

WMG's founder and chairman, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya welcomes Lord Heseltine's report 'No stone unturned in the pursuit of growth' which sets out a comprehensive plan to improve the UK's ability to create wealth. Professor Lord Bhattacharyya was consulted in the development of the report.

WMG’s Chairman and founder, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, welcomes Dr Vince Cable’s promise of a £1bn 'business bank'.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya said:

“For two years now I've been fighting hard for a business bank, having seen how hard it has been for SME's to get capital.”

“I am absolutely delighted that Dr Vince Cable has made this announcement. Whilst details are sketchy, it is a wonderful start. This will really help SME's throughout the country."

WMG’s Chairman and founder, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya has been involved in a series of high level discussions in Beijing including State Councillor Liu Yandong and Minister of Education, Mr Yuan Guiren building on his close involvement with China since 1984.

A week of highly successful meetings with the Deputy Administrator State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs, the Beijing Deputy Mayor for Industry, the Chairman and leaders of enterprises in the Zhongguancun Development Group, the President of the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology and the Science and Technology Commission of the Beijing Municipal Government culminated in a very positive meeting with President Chen of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries where Lord Bhattacharyya was asked to cooperate in various areas of the relationship between the two countries.

WMG at the University of Warwick is to play host to a new ‘UK Energy Storage R&D Centre’ for the advancement of electric and hybrid vehicle batteries.

Co-funded by Government (£9 million) and industry (£4 million), the £13 million centre will be created to capitalise on the growing electric and hybrid vehicle battery market, which has been estimated to be worth £250 million for the UK by 2020.

The Centre is the latest move by Government to secure future growth opportunities for the UK’s automotive sector, building on its £400m commitment over the next four years to supporting electric cars and other ultra-low carbon vehicles.

WMG at the University of Warwick are to recruit ten new Professors and Associate/Assistant Professors including two new research posts in nanocomposite technologies.

Those new two new nanocomposite researchers will help engineers create new engineering products and materials using nanotechnology -the science of the very small manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale – but researching the very small will also create a huge size milestone for WMG as they will in fact be the 499th and 500th persons to be employed in WMG’s research buildings.

WMG are pleased to be leading on a pioneering new education programme, announced today by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which is aimed at boosting the skills of engineers working within the automotive supply chain and other hi-tech industries.

The Advanced Skills Accreditation Scheme (ASAS) was formally launched, June 21, at JLR by Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, today, welcomed a delegation from DRB-HICOM to WMG.

The delegation were here to discuss industry collaborations, with DRB-HICOM being the largest automotive manufacturer in Malaysia, they are keen to explore the potential for collaborative partnerships. Included in the delegation was Lt Jen Dato’ Wira Allatif bin Mohd Noor the Vice Chancellor of Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM).

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya has been pleased to welcome the Science and Technology Committee to WMG.

WMG were hosting the committee, which is chaired by Andrew Miller, MP and as part of their visit they took part in a round table discussion on the commercialisation of research with Professor Lord Bhattacharyya and senior members of WMG. They were also interested to understand the diverse research undertaken by WMG. Through the discussions they had the opportunity to discuss the quality and impact of research and the approach WMG takes to collaboration with industry.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya was pleased to welcome the Associate Parliamentary Group on Manufacturing to WMG today.

The Group, which is co-chaired by Chris White, MP for Warwick and Leamington, exists to encourage the exchange of knowledge and understanding between Parliament and the manufacturing industries, helping to raise the profile of manufacturing both inside and outside of Parliament.