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Industry link to create world-leading centre

Brunel’s successful collaboration with leading research body The Wielding Institute(TWI) will lead to the creation of a multi-million pound, world-leading centre for structural integrity research.

The university has been working in conjunction with TWI since 2003, pursuing joint research into the use of ultrasonic guided waves for the non-destructive testing of pipelines, plates, rails and other engineering materials.

In 2009, the Brunel Innovation Centre (BIC) was formed – a joint venture to develop a financially sustainable research facility. Under the guidance of academic director Professor Tat-Hean Gan, its success means TWI and Brunel University London will now enter into their biggest collaboration yet – a new National Structural Integrity Research Centre (NSICR) in Great Abington, Cambridgeshire.

The centre, to be built with a grant of £22 million from the Regional Growth Fund and complemented by a £10m investment from the company and a £15m HEFCE grant for equipment, is expected to be completed in spring next year.

The centre will provide cutting edge facilities for engineering and materials research in the UK and provide 300 training places for Brunel’s postgraduate students.

Since its inception in 2009, the BIC has attracted €9.2m of external research funding from the European Union and a further £1.3m from other funding bodies. Meanwhile, more than 50 companies and organisations have benefited from its research projects, including Airbus, Network Rail and Lloyd’s Register.