• The goal is to enhance their ties to develop sustainable solutions, tackling challenges such as decarbonisation and the application of artificial intelligence in the steel industry.
• The strategic agreement will boost joint projects, knowledge transfer, and talent exchange, enabling both organisations to address complex challenges more efficiently.

IMDEA Materials Institute and ArcelorMittal have signed a strategic agreement aimed at advancing the development of sustainable solutions and technologies based on materials science and engineering for the steel industry.

This agreement, which consolidates a preexisting relationship spanning more than ten years, seeks to address critical challenges and further strengthen the connection between research and industry.

“Signing an agreement with ArcelorMittal, one of the world’s leading companies in the steel sector, represents a significant opportunity for IMDEA Materials,” stated Prof. José Manuel Torralba, the institute’s director.

“This agreement will not only intensify our collaboration on projects but also allow us to tackle issues of mutual interest directly, reducing reliance on competitive funding,” he added.

The director emphasised the importance of working with industry to steer research toward practical solutions that benefit society. IMDEA Materials already includes ArcelorMittal on its Industrial Advisory Board, and this agreement will lead to the launch of new collaborative initiatives.

“In the past ten years, we have built a trusting relationship based on IMDEA Materials’ capacity to address projects of shared interest,” said Charles Martins, Head of R&D at ArcelorMittal for Spain and Brazil. “This agreement will enable us to move more swiftly and efficiently on complex challenges like decarbonisation and the use of artificial intelligence.”

Martins highlighted that the collaboration will begin with identifying and prioritising projects, with the first joint efforts scheduled for early 2025.

Both parties agreed on the importance of transferring knowledge and talent between research and industry. IMDEA Materials’ commitment to this mission is evidenced by the fact that several of the institute’s Ph.D. graduates are already working at ArcelorMittal and other companies in the sector.

This agreement is expected to benefit not only the two organisations but also the broader community by accelerating the development of sustainable and technological solutions.