In summary

  • Swinburne welcomes the Victorian Government’s focus on advanced air mobility (AAM) and its enormous potential to drive local jobs and reduce emissions
  • Supported by $12 million in funding from the Victorian Government’s Higher Education State Investment Fund, the AIR Hub is driving innovation in aerostructures
  • By bringing together industry and research, the AIR Hub is developing the next generation of aerostructures in Australia

Swinburne University of Technology welcomes the Victorian Government’s focus on advanced air mobility (AAM) and its enormous potential to drive local jobs and reduce emissions.

AAM has the potential to increase Victoria’s gross state product by $2.8 billion over the next 20 years and create 1,300 jobs annually, while having a number of positive environmental and social impacts on communities across the state.

The Aerostructures Innovation Research Hub (AIR Hub) at Swinburne University of Technology is one of the largest and most active aerospace research collaborations in Australia, committed to advancing this important sector and realising the benefits for the community and industry in Victoria.

Supported by $12 million in funding from the Victorian Government’s Higher Education State Investment Fund, the AIR Hub is driving innovation in aerostructures, including in civil, cargo, defence and aeromedical airliners, urban electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air vehicles, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and advanced composite materials for the space and satellite industries.

By bringing together industry and research, the AIR Hub is developing the next generation of aerostructures in Australia, with access to advanced facilities like the Swinburne-CSIRO National Industry 4.0 Testlab in Clayton, Swinburne’s Factory of the Future and advanced manufacturing technology like the Markforged FX20 3D printer.

The AIR Hub is partnering widely across the research, industry and government to turbocharge growth in the sector, including with Ieading US research institute National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University, ANSTO, and aerospace leaders such as Boeing, Quickstep, Shoal and many others.

The AIR Hub is working on a number of innovative industry-engaged projects helping Australia companies lead the way in driving the future of clean, green aviation. These include:

  • The Small Hydrogen Aircraft Development & Evolution (SHADE) program – creating a hydrogen/electric powered uncrewed air system as a base for innovative advanced air mobility projects.
  • Hydrogen to the Skies (H22S) program - working with Australian partners to help spearhead the commercial development of clean, zero emissions uncrewed air systems, projected to be a critical turning point for advanced air mobility in regional Australia.
  • Supporting the creation of a zero-emissions aviation technology through our first Founder In Residence program with Rachael Barritt from Dovetail Electric Aviation.
  • The AIR Pass program - providing up to $150,000 prototype support for Australian startups and SMEs to address the critical gap in prototype funding in Australia and fast-track aerospace innovations.
  • Creating lightweight composite material aerostructures using state-of-the-art materials and advanced manufacturing techniques that can have an impact across space and aerospace

Director of the AIR Hub, Dr Adriano Di Pietro, says: “We are supporting the Australian aerospace industry with critical and relevant expertise for advanced development, from product idea to production and qualification.

“Our projects are all applied and focused on demonstration, qualification or prototyping. We welcome industry collaboration and are focused on seeing Australian smarts on mission to realise AAM and the future of aerospace here in Australia.”

Related articles

  • Generated image of a futuristic helicopter with revolving blades on either side, flying over a city/lake
    • Aviation

    How AI can fast track the developments our aviation sector desperately needs

    With the help of artificial intelligence, new aircraft designs that meet modern demands could be a reality as soon as 2025 and help alleviate concerns like safety.
    Thursday 18 January 2024
    • Technology
    • Aviation

    Swinburne’s AIR Hub achieves hydrogen flight

    Swinburne University of Technology’s Aerostructures Innovation Research Hub (AIR Hub) has successfully completed the first flight of an Australian-developed hydrogen fuel cell electric powered VTOL drone. 

    Tuesday 24 October 2023
  • Man standing by prototype.
    • Aviation

    AIR Pass accelerating success for aerospace innovation

    Swinburne University’s AIR Pass program has accelerated Dovetail’s development and progressed its goal of accelerating decarbonisation in the aviation sector.

    Wednesday 16 August 2023
  • Inside the AIR HUB, showing the workspace
    • Technology
    • Business

    AIR Hub opens final AIR Pass funding to drive Australia’s aerospace ecosystem

    Swinburne University of Technology’s Aerostructures Innovation Research Hub (AIR Hub) is thrilled to announce the opening of its final round of the AIR Pass program. Designed to fuel the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups in the Australian aerospace ecosystem, this initiative will provide eligible projects with up to $50,000 in funding to support their development.

    Wednesday 14 June 2023
  • People working in the AIR Hub on the quad-copter
    • University
    • Aviation

    New AIR Hub partnership driving innovation and industry engagement

    Swinburne’s Aerostructures Innovation Research (AIR) Hub has partnered with the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute’s (ASMI’s) APR.Intern program to increase uptake in aerospace PhD internship projects by mid 2024. 

    Thursday 27 April 2023