Minister opens AIIM building, praises collaborative partnerships

Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Senator Kim Carr today said the University of Wollongong was leading the way in developing collaborative partnerships between researchers and industry.

Senator Carr, who was visiting UOW’s Innovation Campus to open the Australian Institute for Innovative Materials (AIIM), said UOW was “leading the way in developing the sort of collaborative partnerships that we’d like to see across the Australian university sector”.

The AIIM Building, which houses UOW’s flagship research centres, the Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials and the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, is the second building to open on the Innovation Campus, with two more under construction.

Senator Carr described the output of the two research institutes as “world-class, providing real opportunities for both the transformation of traditional industries and opportunities for the development of new industries”.

“This (AIIM) building has a very serious concentration of expertise and resources in an area of research that will help define the 21st century,” he said.

“They (the two research institutes) are developing high-skilled, high-wage jobs for the future that will keep Wollongong as a manufacturing hub well into the future,” Senator Carr said. “We can’t afford to stop thinking of the future – The University of Wollongong is doing that, and these institutes of future manufacturing are doing that.”

[See the following website for a full copy of Senator Carr’s address -- http://minister.innovation.gov.au/Carr/Pages/AUSTRALIANINSTITUTEFORINNOVATIVEMATERIALS.aspx

Vice-Chancellor Professor Gerard Sutton welcomed Senator Carr, Australian Research Council Chief Executive Officer Professor Margaret Sheil and around 200 guests to the opening.

“This is a special day in the history of the University and the city of Wollongong,” Professor Sutton said. “The research (being conducted at AIIM) will form the basis for new high-tech manufacturing industries in the health and energy areas.”

Professor Sutton described the facility as “the best in its area (of research) in Australia”.

Professor Sheil was previously Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at UOW, a role that included responsibility for the design and development of the AIIM building.

She said because of her personal involvement, she was particularly pleased to attend the opening to see “two outstanding research groups brought together in such a wonderful working environment”.

“There is a huge spread of activities covering a lot of disciples, all working together in a truly collaborative and innovation environment. It certainly bodes well for the future.”

Professor Sheil praised the two AIIM institutes for developing national and international collaborations which allowed their researchers to work with top people from around the world.

Last reviewed: 10 March, 2009