Professor Hongbiao Dong is Fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering. He is internationally renowned for digital manufacturing and solidification modelling and its application in metals, and has made unique contributions to the metals industry. He is the Director of EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Transformation of Metals Industry (DigitalMetal CDT), Deputy Head of School of Engineering.
Research in his team aims to explore the full potential of the application of AI in materials manufacturing, by fusing AI into materials science to develop robust, interpretable, and bias-free digital tools. These tools will be used to accelerate a net-zero carbon future and foster sustainability within the materials industry. The outcomes of research in his team bring knowledge-inspired decision making to the production routes of high value-added engineering structures, such as aero-engine components, deep-sea oil and gas transport systems. He successfully led a major European project on modelling of advanced welding (MintWeld), developing the first multi-scale modelling framework for arc welding. Its deployment in the subsea industry has mitigated pipeline failure risks, delivering significant cost savings. He chaired STFC-ISIS Engineering User Committee and a member of Steering Committee of the European Materials Modelling Council, a recipient of the Metrology for World Class Manufacturing award.
His research has been exploited in various sectors, including in aerospace by Rolls-Royce, energy by the Welding Institute and steel by NISCO and Materials Processing Institute. He was a Research Chair of Royal Academy of Engineering sponsored with TWI, a Royal Society Industry Fellow hosted by Rolls-Royce Plc. He has played a key role in establishing international partnerships between UK and China, India and South Africa.
