Thermo Fisher Scientific joins Swinburne’s Factory of the Future
In Summary
- Thermo Fisher and Swinburne collaborate to set up an Advanced Material Preparation Centre
- Corrosion and fouling along with coating development research is set to benefit
Swinburne is collaborating with Thermo Fisher Scientific to set up an Advanced Material Preparation Centre at Swinburne’s Factory of the Future.
This will be the first centre of its kind. The site will present materials researchers from across Australia an opportunity to use the equipment and consumables, as well as receive technical and application support from specialists.
The equipment will include Buehler’s state of art precision cutters, grinders, polishers and mounts.
Mr Amit Agarwal of Thermo Fisher Scientific sees this collaboration as a way to strengthen Thermo Fisher’s academic ties while developing its business regarding materials research.
Mr Agarwal says Thermo Fisher Scientific is very open to a range of ideas, and aim to work with Swinburne closely while engaging with PHD students in the future.
“We are scratching the surface,” Mr Agarwal says of the initial collaboration.
Swinburne’s Dr Andrew Ang, Professor Geoff Brooks, Professor Bronwyn Fox and Professor Christopher Berndt are the supervising researchers for the collaboration.
Pro Vice-Chancellor of Future Manufacturing, Professor Geoff Brooks, believes the collaboration fits with Swinburne’s strategy for future innovation.
Universities should be making a better contribution towards innovation, Professor Brooks says.
“Let’s not be afraid of disruption if we’re going to have real innovation.”
Research set to benefit from the collaboration includes coating development expertise, thanks to access to a wide range of thick film coating facilities and process/coating characterisation equipment.
Corrosion and fouling expertise, particularly in the area of defence related corrosion research, will also benefit from the new collaboration.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of $17 billion and approximately 50,000 employees in 50 countries. Its mission is to enable their customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. They help customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity.