UniSA researchers big winners with new federal government funding

The University of South Australia (UniSA) has announced that its Future Industries Institute (FII) will play a major role in both the Additive Manufacturing CRC (AMCRC) and the SMART CRC, collectively awarded more than $500 million in funding from industry, research organisations and government last Thursday.

FII Industry Professor Colin Hall is one of the key researchers in the newly established AMCRC, which involves 73 industry partners, 14 research organisations and five government departments sharing in $57.5 million in government funding and $213 million in partner contributions.

He said that additive manufacturing — commonly known as 3D printing — is revolutionising the way that many industries work.

“Once limited to plastic prototype parts, 3D printing today includes metal, ceramic and composite materials that are on the cusp of full-scale adoption across Australia’s manufacturing sector,” he said. “Additive manufacturing offers significant advantages, boosting productivity, reducing waste and accelerating product development.”

Over the next seven years, the AMCRC will tackle some significant challenges hampering the advancement of 3D printing, so that processes can be optimised, new materials developed and the workforce upskilled.

“From a South Australian perspective, this CRC means that UniSA can engage with some of our long-term industry partners — including SMR Automotive, Starke-AMG, EntX and Laserbond — to take our industry research and workforce development to a higher level,” Hall said.

FII Professor Allison Cowin, an international leader in wound healing and regenerative medicine, will be a key researcher in the $238 million Solutions for Manufacturing Advanced Regenerative Therapies (SMART) CRC.

The SMART CRC involves 63 partners spanning government, industry, medical providers, universities and research institutes, all focused on helping Australian biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies bring a 10-year pipeline of regenerative therapy projects to market.

A $65 million commitment from the federal government will be boosted by an additional $173 million in partner contributions.

“The SMART CRC will accelerate the Australian regenerative therapy industry,” Cowin said. “It will catalyse, drive and coordinate a national effort, guiding industry growth in the cell and gene therapy sectors.

“Regenerative therapies aim to cure, rather than treat, diseases. They replace, engineer and regenerate human cells, tissues and organs that will restore normal function in patients with diseases such as cancer, diabetes, wounds and blood disorders.”

The SMART CRC is expected to create 1500 skilled jobs and generate $4.5 billion worth of business over the next decade, setting Australia up as a global leader in technologies that can cure disease rather than treating symptoms.

Along with the Additive Manufacturing CRC, it will build sovereign manufacturing capability, anchoring companies and their technology to Australia, instead of relying on foreign supply chains.

Professor Peter Murphy, UniSA Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research and Enterprise, said that once UniSA and The University of Adelaide merge in 2026 to become Adelaide University, the new institution can expect to share in more than $26 million worth of projects through the AMCRC and SMART CRC.

“This is a fantastic outcome for the Australian manufacturing sector and will lead to exciting times ahead, not only for our researchers but for the nation as a whole,” he said.

Image: Future Industries Institute researchers Professor Colin Hall and Professor Allison Cowin.