The Australian Research Council (ARC) is investing $5 million to establish a Training Centre for Innovative Composites for the Future of Sustainable Mining Equipment at the University of Wollongong (UOW).
Over the next five years, the new ARC centre will train and produce highly qualified engineers with skills to tackle future challenges in Australia’s mining equipment, technology, and service (METS) sector.
Zhengyi Jiang, the director of the new centre and a distinguished professor at UOW’s School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic, and Biomedical Engineering, said the new facility would assemble a team of researchers and industry leaders to train a workforce to meet the future skills demand.
“This Centre, by working with industry, will improve and streamline the research and development process, building a solid national network to address the needs of the mining equipment manufacturing, enhancing sustainability, and making a safer mining environment,” Professor Jiang said.
The Australian METS sector is expected to contribute over $50 billion and 80,000 new jobs to the economy by 2030.
UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Patricia Davidson said Illawarra is the perfect setting for a centre focused on sustainable mining.
“Wollongong has deeply held roots in mining and manufacturing, and this training centre will be the perfect launch pad for global collaboration and innovation,” said Professor Davidson.
“Our state-of-the-art engineering and technology hubs will offer the perfect environment to train the future minds of mining and to find solutions to revolutionise an industry that contributes 15 per cent of Australian GDP.”
Some of the centre’s long-term research projects include developing new-generation innovative composites for mining equipment that can be applied in practical harsh working environments in deep mining, as well as creating advanced manufacturing technology of innovative mining equipment and smart mining technology.
The ARC Training Centre will be established in cooperation with various industry and academia partners.
