Media Release IMCRC
The Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) has funded 23 PhD research internships, successfully fulfilling its partnership with Australia’s national all-sector, all-discipline PhD internship program, Australian Postgraduate Research Intern (APR.Intern).
The partnership, which commenced in 2019, was designed to help small to medium enterprises (SMEs) lift their advanced and digital manufacturing capabilities in the wake of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0).
With the support of a skilled PhD student over three to six months, SMEs sought to address specific business challenges using smart technologies such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, automation, robotics and additive manufacturing.
Of the 23 interns placed, nine have gone on to secure ongoing employment with their internship partner, eight in newly created roles and one in an existing position.
The 23rd IMCRC co-funded intern, Bui Quoc Huy (Tony) Nguyen, a student from Swinburne University, recently commenced his internship with Norden Body Works, a Melbourne-based converter of buses for wheelchair accessibility. Tony is supporting Norden with its research into the application of technology to optimise wheelchair passenger transport.
Norden Body Works General Manager Leo Driessen said that Tony, with his expertise in electronics and information technology, would help Norden accelerate its research and development (R&D) into an Internet of Things-enabled solution, which has the potential to deliver a commercially viable product to offer benefits to wheelchair accessible bus operators.
“In addition to delivering tangible benefits for our business and customers, this internship will help an Australian researcher get industry-literate and career ready. It’s a win-win situation,” he said.
APR.Intern National Program Manager Lisa Farrar said the partnership with IMCRC had received overwhelmingly positive feedback from industry and universities alike.
“The subsidy that IMCRC provided has undoubtedly strengthened industry-university collaboration within the sector. 90% of businesses that utilised the subsidy were start-ups or SMEs, providing them with much-needed support to engage in research collaborations and fasttrack innovative R&D,” she said.
“Upon completion of the internship, 87% of industry reported that project outcomes were directly implemented in the company, and 75% reported they were seeking co-funding to continue the research.”
IMCRC CEO and Managing Director David Chuter was proud to deliver on IMCRC’s commitment to supporting industry-university research collaboration and driving manufacturing innovation.
“By subsidising the cost of the internship, IMCRC and APR.Intern have enabled manufacturing SMEs to harness the expertise of Australia’s emerging research talent to solve very specific challenges within the R&D of their business,” he said
“It’s incredibly pleasing to see this program not only deliver ongoing employment for many of the students, but also create opportunities for the majority of businesses to continue or invest in new collaborative R&D projects.”
