The Steel Research Technology Mission of India (SRTMI), a joint initiative of the Indian steel industry and academia supported by the ministry of steel, has launched three new R&D schemes and a web portal called SteelCollab, a ministry statement said on Thursday, March 13.
The three schemes launched by SRTMI include a challenge method identifying and solving critical industry-wide challenges of national interest, an open innovation method supporting open research proposals from academia and researchers in collaboration with industry, and a start-up accelerator supporting early-stage startups to develop cutting-edge steel technologies, the ministry said in the statement.
The SteelCollab platform will act as a matchmaking hub, connecting industry leaders, researchers, startups, and academia to drive decarbonization, digitalization, and advanced steel development. The solution seekers such as steel industries can pose their problems, while researchers and startups can put forward their research innovation ideas on this platform, it added.
The ministry outlined key challenges, including plant efficiency, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) adoption, digitization, and decarbonization, stressing the need for research tailored to India’s unique industry structure, where 45 percent capacity lies in the secondary steel sector.
Forging greater and more efficient industry-academia collaboration is needed for pilot testing facilities, industry-aligned university programs, and research priorities focused on green steel and decarbonization, the ministry said.