In Summary

  • Swinburne and Indian Institute of Technology Madras have established a joint research centre to explore and create start-ups
  • Collaboration combines expertise in emerging science and technologies to expand research capacity and capability

Swinburne and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have established a joint research centre to explore and create joint start-ups through active engagement between the incubation eco-systems in the two institutions.

The collaboration combines their respective expertise in emerging science and technologies to expand their research capacity and capability.

The partnership was announced during a visit to India by a Swinburne delegation, led by Chancellor Graham Goldsmith.

"Swinburne was the first Australian university to establish a joint PhD program with IIT Madras in 2013. The new Joint Research Centre will assist in enhancing and scaling up our relationship, creating real-life social and economic impact and benefits for both the countries,” Mr Goldsmith says.

IIT-M Director Professor Bhaskar Ramamurthi says the visit by the Swinburne delegation has paved the way for taking the partnership to the next level.

“The Joint Research Centre with Swinburne is another step towards enhancing our collaboration and involving industry in transformative research that has impact across the world,” Professor Ramamurthi says.

Swinburne staff delegation visiting IIT-Madras Research Park

The Swinburne delegation also visited the IIT Madras Research Park and incubator and were impressed by successful start-ups demonstrated there.

The Joint Research Centre for creation of Enterprise Eco-Systems (C2E2) provides opportunities to share research facilities, enable collaboration among researchers for projects and papers, joint supervision of doctoral level research students and develop joint government and industry partnerships in India, Australia and internationally.

The focus areas are:

  • Advanced Manufacturing and Materials
  • Socio-economic uplift including ‘Smart Cities’
  • Human Centric Design Platform including Smart Farming
  • Medical Devices
  • AI and Decision Sciences including Internet of Things
  • Biotechnology
  • Mathematics

"Australia has emerged as a strategic partner in our university relations,” says Professor Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (International and Alumni Affairs), IIT Madras.

“Among the many Australian universities, Swinburne is our oldest and most active partner institution. This centre will further strengthen the relationship between our two institutions."

The two institutions will each contribute US$150,000 over a three year period to be used to support student stipends and student and staff mobility.