IIT Kharagpur, Swansea University partner for smart manufacturing, materials engineering research

KOLKATA: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT KGP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Swansea University, Wales to deepen research partnerships, promote academic exchange and foster innovation in advanced manufacturing and materials engineering.

As part of the collaboration, Prof Surjya K Pal, Founder Chairperson of Centre of Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing Technology (CoEAMT) is scheduled to visit Swansea University in July 2025, the institute said in a statement on Thursday.

His visit will include lectures and strategic meetings with faculty members from the departments of Computer Science, Materials Engineering, and International Education to chart future directions of this collaboration. Pal's visit was preceded on January 27 by Tashi Gyaltsen, a representative of Swansea University.

The visits, recommended by their collaborator Tata Steel UK, aimed to explore research synergies, facilitate knowledge exchange, and lay the groundwork for long-term joint initiatives.

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IIT KGP, Swansea University partnership

Speaking on the collaborative venture, Pal said on Thursday, "This mutual collaboration will drive major breakthroughs in advancing cutting-edge research in smart manufacturing and materials engineering." The MoU brings together the complementary strengths of CoEAMT IIT Kharagpur and Swansea, enabling us to leverage expertise in AI-driven manufacturing and materials innovation.

"We look forward to deepening academic exchanges, fostering joint research projects, and creating impactful industry partnerships that will benefit our faculty, students, and the broader engineering community globally," he said. The partnership offers a wide array of benefits for both the institutions. It enables knowledge transfer in AI-driven manufacturing, supports joint industry-funded research projects and promotes student exchange programmes.

For IIT Kharagpur, the collaboration is expected to significantly strengthen its research capabilities, expand global engagement, and establish the institution as a leader in engineering innovation, Pal emphasised. This initiative aligns with the shared vision of both institutions to drive real-world impact through interdisciplinary research and global academic partnerships.