The future is bright for next-generation advanced materials and manufacturing, thanks to a new Centre of Excellence between Deakin and IIT Madras.
Deakin University and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have set up India’s first bilateral Centre of Excellence in Advanced Materials and Manufacturing as a collaboration between Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) and IIT Madras’ Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering.
The Centre will focus on developing the next generation of wear-resistant and high temperature alloys; smart and functional materials such as nano-spun fibres and nano-composites for bio applications and; advanced manufacturing technologies, including novel forming techniques for ultra-high strength steels.
Funded by a seed grant from both Deakin and IIT Madras, the Centre will also direct a project to develop additive manufacturing for a new class of alloys, which was recently awarded a prestigious bilateral Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) grant.
Deakin’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Peter Hodgson said combining the expertise of Deakin and IIT Madras in advanced materials and additive manufacturing would position IIT Madras as the additive manufacturing research leader in India, and strengthen Deakin’s leadership in the field.
‘The IIT Madras-Deakin University Centre of Excellence in Advanced Materials and Manufacturing – the first of its kind – will create new milestones in the field of advanced materials,” he said.
[testimonial_text]The Centre aims to establish a world-class additive manufacturing facility at IIT Madras that complements Deakin’s cutting-edge facilities and will play a strategic role in creating the methodologies of the future.[/testimonial_text]
[testimonial_picture name=”Professor Peter Hodgson” details=”Deakin University Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)”]
[/testimonial_picture]Located at the IIT Madras Research Park in Chennai, India, the Centre builds on the long-term partnership between the two institutions that has focused on common research interests in materials science and engineering and the co-supervision of PhD students.
IIT Madras was established in 1959 by the Indian Government as an institute of national importance. It was ranked number one amongst engineering institutions in the India Rankings 2016 and 2017 and number two in the category of Overall Institutions in the 2017 Rankings.
IIT Madras Director Professor Bhaskar Ramamurthi said the Centre of Excellence was the culmination of a long, productive and growing relationship between IIT Madras and Deakin.
‘We started with faculty and student exchange, graduated to a joint PhD program, and now to a Centre of Excellence which leverages the combined expertise of the faculty of the two organisations and will create new materials and next-generation manufacturing techniques at the global cutting-edge,’ he said.
Expected outcomes of the Centre include increased industry interaction and technology translation; new infrastructure at IIT Madras; accelerated growth in student numbers with the introduction of a new Cotutelle program developed by Deakin’s Graduate Research Academy’s International Research Training office and; collaboration on bilateral funding opportunities and joint grant proposals, conference and workshops.
The Centre will also collaborate with industry and research and development organisations such as the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory and Defence Institute of Advanced Technology.
The Deakin-IIT Madras Centre of Excellence in Advanced Materials and Manufacturing was inaugurated by Victoria’s Minister for Trade and Innovation, the Hon. Philip Dalidakis in Chennai, India, on March 14, 2018.
Read more:
- www.manmonthly.com.au/news/vic-universitys-additive-manufacturing-centre-cements-ties-india/
- www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/iit-m-ties-up-with-australian-varsity-for-research-in-metallurgy/article23247630.ece
Main photograph: The Hon. Philip Dalidakis, Minister, Trade and Innovation, Victoria and Professor Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras
Published by Deakin Research on 23 March 2018
