Liberty House Group signs multi-million-pound ‘contract for innovation’

International metals, industrials and engineering group, Liberty House, has signed a multi-million-pound partnership with the Materials Processing Institute (MPI), designed to accelerate the growth of the business through innovation.

The group, with 5,500 employees, aims to use MPI’s technical and scientific expertise to help it develop advanced manufacturing processes and a new generation of products across its plants in the UK and Australia.

The deal will see the flagship North of England-based innovation centre provide a range of research services to the steel industry giant to help achieve its ‘Greenmetal’ vision for competitive, low-carbon, steel and aluminium production.

MPI will help deliver large scale operational efficiency improvements, as well as product and process capability enhancements to Liberty’s operations.

The agreement covers three major research programmes to support the growth and development of the Liberty business.

One programme is targeted at Liberty’s speciality steels business, based in Stocksbridge in the UK, which will benefit from a research programme to enhance capability of super high-quality engineering and aerospace steels.

The final strand of the agreement covers the development of an integrated supply chain for high-value plate and offshore steels, made at the Liberty plate mill at Dalzell in Scotland.

Jon Bolton, chief executive of Liberty’s UK steel division, said: “Metal production is a tough, competitive market, but we intend to play an increasingly prominent role in the sector by developing high-value-added products using the most efficient, low-carbon and integrated processes. Through this exciting contract for innovation, the MPI will play a key role in helping us to achieve that. We have already developed a productive working relationship with the institute and we are delighted to formalise this into a partnership that we believe with forge major new growth possibilities for the business.”

The Materials Processing Institute is an independent, not-for-profit, UK based research and innovation centre, working with industrial clients in advanced materials, low carbon energy and the circular economy.

Materials Processing Institute www.mpiuk.com

Liberty House Group www.libertyhousegroup.com