Victoria has strengthened its reputation as a hub for innovation with the opening of a new state-of-the-art carbon fibre production and research facility at Deakin University in Geelong.
According to the media release by the Premier of Victoria, the globally unique carbon fibre research and development facility — known as Carbon Nexus — was launched on Wednesday by Premier Denis Napthine himself.
“As part of the $103 million Australian Future Fibres Research and Innovation Centre, Carbon Nexus will provide a platform for innovative carbon fibre and materials research. Carbon fibre is certainly a material of the future, with its high strength to weight ratio making it increasingly popular for use in the automotive and aerospace manufacturing sectors as an alternative to steel and aluminium,” Premier Napthine said.
“This is the only facility in the world that features a carbon fibre production line and research centre in the same building. It will lead the way in transforming Victoria and Australia’s manufacturing and fibre sectors.”
Established by the Victorian Centre for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (VCAMM), Deakin University and the CSIRO, and supported by the Victorian and Federal Governments, the Carbon Nexus research facility will play a key role in establishing Australia as a research leader in carbon fibre development, attracting major transportation, mining and other industrial companies to the region.
“Carbon Nexus will position Geelong as an attractive location for investment for international firms involved in carbon fibre and advanced manufacturing. This is already apparent through the presence of Carbon Revolution, the world’s first manufacturer of carbon fibre composite wheels, located next to Carbon Nexus,” Dr Napthine said.
“Earlier this year, a $5 million grant was allocated to Carbon Revolution through the Geelong Region Innovation and Investment Fund to establish a $23.8 million wheel manufacturing plant in Geelong and create more than 150 new jobs. With this new Carbon Nexus facility, Geelong and Victoria are well placed to gain further benefits from the growing global market for carbon fibre products.”
The Victorian Coalition Government committed $10 million to the $103 million Australian Future Fibres Research Facility through its Science Agenda Strategic Project fund.
