PARIS (ESA PR) — European industry has decided to ‘put the pedal to the metal’, by creating the world’s largest research consortium in the field of metals research and manufacturing. Media are invited to learn about the new programme in a press conference at London’s Science Museum on 9 September.

Aptly called Metallurgy Europe, the R&D programme will be funded to the tune of one billion euros over seven years.

The programme has recently been selected as a new Eureka Cluster, and it will now integrate the skills, ingenuity and energy of over 170 companies and laboratories from across 20 countries.

Some of the largest engineering companies in Europe have joined forces, including the likes of Airbus Group, BP, Siemens, Daimler, Rolls-Royce, BMW, Thales, AvioAero, PSA Group, BAE Systems, Philips, Ruag, Sener, Bombardier, OHB Systems, Linde Group, ESI, Rolex, Richemont, ArcelorMittal, Sandvik, Bruker, SKF, Johnson Matthey, Tata Steel, GKN, Boston Scientific, ThyssenKrupp, Outokumpu, Haldor Topsøe and Fiat to name just a few of the major players on board.

Over 60 small and medium-sized companies are also teaming up.

ESA, and a number of European organisations such as the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the Institut Laue Langevin (ILL), the European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) and the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE-ITER), are also providing their unique expertise and innovation to this initiative. Many breakthrough discoveries are expected in this domain that could be worth billions of euros to the European economy. Several tech start-ups and new factories have already been created in preparation for the mass manufacturing of the new alloys and products