Professor Liliang Wang is Deputy Director of the Tata Steel–Imperial Centre for Innovation in Sustainable Design and Manufacturing, a £10 million partnership between Imperial College London and Tata Steel. The Centre is dedicated to advancing innovative manufacturing processes and materials to accelerate the decarbonisation of steel production and to enable high-performance, sustainable products for the automotive and clean energy industries.
At Imperial, Professor Wang leads the internationally recognised Metal Forming and Modelling Group (MFG), recipient of the President’s Medal for Outstanding Research Team (2022). Established in 2008 by Professors Lin and Balint, MFG has grown into one of the largest university-based research groups of its kind in the UK and is widely regarded as a global leader in metal forming research. The group integrates the fundamental mechanics of metals with the development of advanced manufacturing technologies for lightweight structural applications.
In the past five years, the Metal Forming and Modelling Group (MFG) has published over 240 scientific articles in leading journals, attracting more than 8,300 citations. Its research excellence has been recognised with numerous awards, including the ISME Gold Medal (2021) from the Institute of Sheet Metal Engineering. The group has secured over £25 million in direct funding and contributed to projects worth over £100 million with UK and European research councils and global industries. Representative programmes include: Innovate UK RACE-Form; Innovate UK LightBlank; Innovate UK UlCab; EC-H2020 LoCoLite; EC-H2020 LoCoMaTech; and EPSRC LightForm.
MFG’s record of innovation is demonstrated by its 31 patents, 22 of which have been successfully adopted by industry. Its global reputation has also led to the establishment of three research centres and two laboratories at Imperial, supported by over £25 million in industrial funding. The group’s achievements in industrial collaboration were recognised with the President’s Medal for Excellence in External Engagement and Partnerships (2016).
Professor Wang’s research spans advanced forming technologies, digital manufacturing, tribology, and materials modelling. He is the inventor of the award-winning FAST (Fast light Alloys Stamping Technology), which significantly enhances the formability of high-strength steels, aluminium, and titanium alloys through thermal-rate viscoplasticity. The FAST technology received the Best Press & Forming Technology Award at the 2023 Blechexpo Trade Fair in Stuttgart and has attracted over $30 million in industrial investment to support its global deployment in the automotive sector.
Professor Wang’s leadership exemplifies how Imperial’s research delivers real-world impact, addressing critical global challenges in sustainability, decarbonisation, and next-generation manufacturing.
