University partnership with Tata Group celebrated with Bhattacharyya Award

The University of Warwick and the Tata Group have won the Bhattacharyya Award, recognising the impact of their partnership on academia and industry.

The esteemed Bhattacharyya Award, which honours the founder of the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), the late Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, recognises projects that help make the world become a “better, more sustainable place”.

The win celebrates the University’s partnership with the Tata Group, India’s largest business conglomerate, as well as the University’s commitment to innovation and high-level research.

According to WMG News, the University’s relations with the Tata Group have enabled “decades of sustained innovation and growth”, including delivering over 100 research projects and training over 750 degree apprentices at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and doctoral training centres.

WMG has also worked with both JLR and Tata Motors on a number of projects in automotive and aerospace technologies, including on pioneering innovations such as I-PACE batteries and lightweight carbon fibre components for electric cars which help to reduce both emissions and manufacturing waste.

Partnerships between academia and industry are needed now more than ever to realise the government’s vision set out in its industrial strategy – we are proud to be playing our part

Prof Kerry Kirwan, Dean of WMG

These connections with companies benefit both the University, which gains financial investment, and the businesses who can source talent. These mutually beneficial solutions also open the door to cutting-edge, highly innovative research.

Professor Kerry Kirwan, Dean of WMG, said: “The breadth of our work across electrification, materials, sustainability, steels, and supply chain resilience continues to thrive and has led to real benefit for both organisations and the communities we serve.

“Partnerships between academia and industry are needed now more than ever to realise the government’s vision set out in its industrial strategy – we are proud to be playing our part.”

The Bhattacharyya Award has been presented annually since its launch in 2019 and is funded by the Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology.

The winning entry, which receives £25,000, is rewarded for innovation, sustainability, and working towards securing a better future for wider industry.

Warwick’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart Croft, celebrated the University and Tata’s win, telling WMG News that the University is “defined by its pioneering partnerships”.

“Our work with Tata – spanning research, education, and industry – exemplifies our commitment to working with partners to build a better world”, Croft added.