A panel of industry experts discussed the role of co-engineering and innovation in the development of fuel efficient lubricants.

Following the success of the first two editions of Shell's Global Lecture Series at Imperial College, London, and Tsinghua University, Beijing, Shell brought together automotive industry experts at the third edition of the Shell Lubricants Technology Lecture in India on 25th February 2014, at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Chennai. Here speakers emphasised cross-industry co-engineering as the fastest route to optimising fuel efficiency in lubricants for vehicles. The event was attended by leading automotive and engineering experts in India as well as IIT Madras faculty and students.

Dr Selda Gunsel, Vice President of Shell Global Commercial Technology and one of the speakers at the event said, "At Shell, we believe lubricants - alongside new fuel and engine technologies - have a unique and vital role to play in meeting the global energy challenge. Our research shows that fuel economy can be improved by using the most suitable quality lubricant for an engine, and that even higher savings can be achieved when the lubricants provider and the automotive original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, work together to develop bespoke products for a particular vehicle. This involves long-term co-engineering projects within the industry."

Co-engineering was further reinforced by Professor Gordon Murray, renowned Formula One and McLaren designer as well as the Chief Executive Officer and Technical Director for Gordon Murray Designs (GMD): "At GMD we are developing innovative cars that challenge every aspect of car design concepts, including lubrication. A lubricant is a vital engine component that has more potential than most for improving a vehicle's fuel economy and cutting its CO2 emissions. That is why we have been working closely with Shell as technical partners since 2010. We share the same drive for fuel efficiency and innovation in an energy challenged world."

Nitin Prasad, Country Head, Shell Lubricants India, inaugurated the event. He said, "The Shell Lubricants Technology Lecture is a great platform to collaborate across media, academia and industry on how lubricants can be used as a valuable design parameter in the automotive industry as opposed to an afterthought. I am very glad to see such an impressive turn out and hope we can continue to share knowledge delivering greater fuel efficiency and lower emissions in the Indian automotive industry."

Professor Krishnan Balasubramanian, Dean of Industrial Consultancy & Sponsored Research at IIT Madras said, "We are proud to host the Shell Lubricants Technology Lecture at IIT Madras for industry experts who are at the forefront of automotive technology in India. Education and practical experience go hand-in-hand and this type of technical knowledge sharing is vital for the development of India's future engineers."

Other distinguished speakers at the Shell Lubricants Technology Lecture included Dr Tim Leverton, Head of Advanced & Product Engineering at Tata Motors; Rick Finn, Corporate Strategy Team, Infineum.