Featured image via ARC Nanocomm’s Twitter page.
Two new Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial
Transformation Research Hubs that will focus on collaborative research and
development projects to drive industry growth, productivity and competitiveness
have been launched
at Monash University today.
President of the Senate, Senator the Hon. Scott Ryan, opened
the ARC Research Hub
for Computational Particle Technology and the ARC
Research Hub for Nanoscience-based Construction Material Manufacturing today
on behalf of Minister for Education and Training, Senator the Hon. Simon
Birmingham.
These two ARC Research Hubs are each receiving AU$5 million
over five years through the Industrial
Transformation Research Hubs scheme, a key component of the ARC
Industrial Transformation Research Program (ITRP)—delivering research
funding to enhance collaboration with key industries to find solutions to
critical industry problems.
ARC Chief Executive Officer, Professor Sue Thomas, said the
two Research Hubs will bring together world-class, multi-disciplinary teams of
university scientists collaborating with many leading industry partners.
“These two ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hubs are
bringing university researchers and industry together to undertake cutting-edge
research that will provide tangible outcomes for Australia,” said Professor
Thomas.
“The ARC Research Hub for Computational Particle
Technology will provide significant economic and environmental
benefits to industry, such as blast furnace ironmaking, the main process for
producing iron ore for the steelmaking industry. This Research Hub is working
to optimise the ironmaking process, to reduce the energy inputs and also reduce
carbon dioxide emissions.
“The ARC Research Hub for Nanoscience-based
Construction Material Manufacturing will create strong working
linkages to innovate and modernise products, processes and technologies to
transform Australia’s construction materials manufacturing industries. This
Research Hub is bridging the divide between research and manufacturing.”
Researchers at the ARC Research Hub for
Computational Particle Technology at Monash University will
collaborate with thirteen organisations, including: The University of New South
Wales; The University of Queensland; Western Sydney University; Macquarie
University; Deakin University, and participating organisations: Chinese Academy
of Sciences; University of Twente, The Netherlands; Heriot-Watt University,
Edinburgh, UK; Hamersley Iron Pty. Limited; Baosteel Company; Fujian Longking
Co Ltd; and Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute.
Researchers at the ARC Research Hub for
Nanoscience-based Construction Material Manufacturing at Monash
University will work with over sixty participating organisations, including: 12
Australian universities; the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation; Australian Nuclear Science And Technology Organisation and other
national and international industry organisations.
The researchers at the ARC Research Hub for
Nanoscience-based Construction Material Manufacturing and their
industry partners from Australia, China, Singapore, and the USA have been
collaborating on affiliated projects for over a year. To date, 38 Nanocomm Hub
projects have commenced chief investigators have reported in over 10
publications with research teams filing at least one provisional patent, with
more in development.