Applus+, through its subsidiary Applus RTD, has teamed up with its U.S.-based company Kiefner to create an industry partnership with Iowa State University (ISU) to support its Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, according to a press release.

The partnership coincides with the announcement of a recent award given to ISU by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration as part of its new Competitive Academic Agreement Program.

CAAP was created to introduce master’s and Ph.D. students to common pipeline integrity challenges and demonstrate how their engineering or technical backgrounds might contribute to the field of pipeline safety.

As part of the agreement Applus RTD and Kiefner will provide a strong technical background with applied knowledge of the industry for students to call upon. This relationship will, in turn, allow students to see how their research is directly affecting the industry and aim to provide a better focus for research and development in the future.