Green Steel Hub Set to Share £44m of Innovation Funding

A Welsh project working to green steel is one of four new manufacturing hubs which will share £44 million in government funding.
The Indigenous Green-steel for Net-zero Innovation, Technology and Enterprise (IGNITE) Hub aims to reshape steel design and use to deliver environmental and economic resilience for key areas of the economy including defence, transport, and energy.
IGNITE is led by Professor Cameron Pleydell-Pearce at Swansea University and is funded by an £11 million investment from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as part of their flagship Sustainable Manufacturing Research Hubs programme. It is complemented by £11.9 million in partner funding.
More than 30 partners, including steelmakers, scrap processors, Network Rail, Nissan and Rolls Royce, and government departments such as DESNZ, DEFRA and DBT, are involved in the hub.
Its seven-year research programme is designed to transform steel-intensive manufacturing.
Hub Director Professor Cameron Pleydell-Pearce said:
'Steel has never been more important to the UK; it's a key material in everyday life. If something's not made of steel, it's made using steel.
'The IGNITE Hub will give us the opportunity to work with industry, supporting the resilience of the UK's manufacturing sector on the road to net-zero. This groundbreaking project will benefit everyone who relies on and uses steel products.'
Backed by £44 million through the EPSRC, the four new Manufacturing Research Hubs for a Sustainable Future will bring together world-class researchers with more than 180 industry and civic partners to drive practical, sustainable innovation across the UK. The four hubs have attracted a total of £38.8 million in direct and indirect contributions from partners.
Each hub will focus on a different critical area of manufacturing, from creating net-zero supply chains and resilient production systems to transforming waste and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Their work aims to support businesses of all sizes, deliver impact in regional economies, and provide workers with new skills in areas like AI, sustainability, and engineering biology.
The IGNITE Hub builds on the success of the SUSTAIN Future Manufacturing Research Hub. SUSTAIN is a £35 million, seven-year initiative supported by £10 million from EPSRC and co-funded by universities, trade bodies, research and technology organisations, and businesses.
The Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
'It is great news that significant UK Government funding is coming to Wales to support this green steel manufacturing hub. Investing in research and innovation in sectors where there is huge potential for growth is vital for the Welsh economy and for the creation of new well-paid jobs.'
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) said this project was the latest in a series of research and innovation investments which are helping to drive regional growth in Wales. Investments are creating jobs and training opportunities, supporting business and helping to ensure a cleaner, healthier, more prosperous place to live, it said.

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