Tata Steel, a renowned Indian multinational steel-making company, is working to develop innovative solutions and breakthrough technologies across the steel value chain. The company for this is leveraging Research & Development strengths and collaborating with a broader community of scientists, researchers, start-ups and industrial organisations.

Tata Steel Advanced Materials Research Centres (TSAMRC) have also been established in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM), at Chennai and Bengaluru, in collaboration with the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS). The objective of these Centres is to work closely with academia and other centres of expertise to strengthen the portfolio of advanced material research and its applications.

TSAMRC also hosts an Open Innovation event, MaterialNEXT to inculcate innovative ideas in advanced materials domain. MaterialNEXT platform incubates young minds in the advanced materials space to promote technology thought leadership. The aim is to shape-up breakthrough products and processes in the emerging areas of advanced materials. Areas like Applied Nanomaterials, Novel Composites, Emerging Construction Materials, and Energy Materials has been in focus.

The event spans five months and has three phases starting with Idea Selection, Idea Developmenta and followed by Idea Evaluation. TSAMRC provides mentorship and incubation support and monetary awards as well as funding offers for the most promising concepts to be developed into long-term joint ventures.