The EPSRC CDT in Digitalisation of Metals Industry: Research, Training and Industrial Impact

Hongbiao Dong is the University’s 125th Anniversary Chair and Professor of Materials Engineering, and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He is internationally renowned for AI for materials and manufacturing, particularly its application in materials manufacturing, and has made distinctive contributions to the metals industry. He is Director of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Transformation of the Metals Industry (DigitalMetal CDT) and Co-Director of the UKRI IGNITE Sustainable Manufacturing Hub. Research in his team explores the full potential of AI and computer modelling in materials manufacturing. By fusing AI and digital technologies with materials science and manufacturing, they develop robust, interpretable and bias-aware digital tools. These tools are designed to accelerate progress towards a net-zero carbon future and to foster sustainability across the materials industry. The outcomes of his team’s research enable knowledge-informed decision-making for high-value engineering production routes, including single-crystal aero-engine components and deep-sea oil and gas transport systems. He successfully led a major European project on modelling advanced welding (MintWeld), developing the first multi-scale modelling framework for arc welding. Its deployment in the subsea industry has helped mitigate pipeline failure risks, delivering significant cost savings. He has chaired the STFC-ISIS Engineering User Committee and serves on the Steering Committee of the European Materials Modelling Council. He is also a recipient of the Metrology for World Class Manufacturing Award. His research has been translated into impact across multiple sectors, including aerospace (Rolls-Royce), energy (The Welding Institute, TWI) and steel (NISCO and the Materials Processing Institute). He held a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair sponsored by TWI and was a Royal Society Industry Fellow hosted by Rolls-Royce plc. He has also played a key role in establishing international partnerships between the UK and China, India and South Africa.