Battery company Agratas, part of India’s Tata group, has partnered with the UK’s Faraday Institution to bring new recruits into the battery industry.
Both organisations claim shared goals and a pilot programme has started with three PhD studentships at the Faraday Institute, funded by Agratas. These researchers will be embedded in Faraday Institution projects, it said.
The PhDs last four years and will include internships at Agratas, which is building a £4 billion ($5 billion) gigafactory in Bridgwater, Somerset, UK.
The PhD studentships:
- Becky Larner, University of Oxford, working with Professor Patrick Grant and Dr Guillaume Matthews on advanced manufacturing
- Chris Smith, University of Cambridge, working with Professor Dame Clare Grey and Professor Michael De Volder on battery degradation
- Tihana Štefanić, University of Oxford, working with Professor David Howey and Professor Charles Monroe on multi-scale modelling.
The researchers are part of a cohort of 16 involved in the knowledge and skills Faraday Institution PhD Enrichment Scheme.
They are joining 85 others who are currenting doing or have finished its PhD training programme, it said. Faraday has trained doctoral students in academia, industry and policy surrounding the battery sector.
Professor Martin Freer, CEO of Faraday Institution said: “This partnership’s commitment to talent development comes at a key time for the UK battery sector as we look to build on the nation’s distinct advantage in battery R&D as it competes in the global race to attract investment in battery manufacturing and innovation.”
Dr Valentina Gentili, vice president of global R&D, cell technology, at Agratas, said: “We are so excited to be part of the vibrant UK ecosystem, collaborating with our partners the Faraday Institution and world leading academics, to shape a sustainable electric future for the UK.”
Photo: Chris Smith, Tihana Štefanić and Becky Larner. Faraday
