The Centre for Research in Information Storage Technology (CRIST) consists of a group of academics researching leading edge electronic, magnetic and optical memory technologies. There are research projects on magnetic disk drives, magnetic tape storage systems, magnetic random access solid state memories, magneto - optical memories and smart materials. This includes research on advanced thin-film magnetic materials, piezo-actuator systems, giant magneto - impedance (GMI) field detection and electronic data channels (including data encoding/decoding, error detection and correction). Another group in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics concentrates on theory and modelling of magnetic recording processes. The Centre has facilities for microfabrication of magnetic thin film devices for magnetic field detection (recording heads) as well as new thin film materials for computer disks.

The Centre has worked with external companies such as SONY, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Seagate and Thomson CSF on various successful research projects.