Uni of Adelaide to play a key role in new manufacturing CRC

Tuesday, 26 May 2015

The University of Adelaide will lead the South Australian arm of the new national Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), announced today by the Minister for Industry and Science Ian Macfarlane.

The IMCRC will receive $40 million over seven years to assist Australian manufacturers to transition to high-value internationally competitive manufacturing. The Centre will be led by the University of Melbourne nationally, with the University of Adelaide playing a key role in a range of local manufacturing research projects.

University of Adelaide acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research) Professor Richard Russell AM says Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) are highly successful initiatives and the University of Adelaide is proud to be assisting in driving the future of the country’s manufacturing industry.

“This newest CRC provides a platform for collaboration between universities and manufacturing industries, ensuring the translation of cutting edge research into industry practice,” says Professor Russell.

“This CRC includes high calibre researchers from universities right across Australia as well as the CSIRO and international partner, Fraunhofer. It will initially comprise 14 larger companies as essential research partners, with the aim of quickly recruiting a further 300 small and medium enterprises.

“Various University of Adelaide entities will be involved in the new IMCRC. Our involvement will include research projects undertaken by our Australian Workplace Innovation and Social Research Centre (WISeR), Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, and Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences. And we are pleased to be leading one of the four major CRC programs focusing industrial transformation.

“The University of Adelaide has some of the nation’s leading researchers in manufacturing and is well positioned to inform the new IMCRC,” he says.

Associate Professor John Spoehr, Executive Director of WISeR, says the new IMCRC will look at new opportunities for knowledge intensive manufacturing in Australia, and South Australia.

“Manufacturing in Australia, and South Australia, is going through a period of great change,” says Associate Professor Spoehr. “With the closing of the car industry imminent and the current concerns surrounding the South Australian economy, this CRC will shine a light on the key issues and aid innovation.

“Changes in technology and international supply chains, together with new innovative business organisation, have opened up opportunities for competitive new manufacturing.

“These changes mean that being small no longer need be a disadvantage. New manufacturing uses new technologies and materials to supply low volume, high value products into global niches,” he says.

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