Celebrating the 2025 FACET Symposium in Grenoble

The 2025 Franco-Australian Indo-Pacific Centre for Energy Transition (FACET) Symposium, held in Grenoble, France, marked a milestone in the growing partnership between Australia and France. 

Led by FACET Co-Directors Professor Joy Sumner and Sarah Cumming, FACET brings together research, industry and government to collaborate on sustainable and inclusive energy solutions for France, Australia and the Indo-Pacific region. 

FACET’s headquarters are located at within Swinburne Switch, our hub for innovation and energy transition. The recent symposium was hosted by FACET partner, Université Grenoble-Alpes, in Grenoble. Alongside FACET’s other key partner, CEA (the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), FACET continues to strengthen Australia-France collaboration through innovative projects that advance the clean energy transition and tackle climate change.

“The FACET Symposium highlighted the impact of collaboration between Australia and France. By bringing together experts from research, industry and government, we’re creating real opportunities to accelerate the global energy transition,” says Professor Joy Sumner, FACET Co-Director. 

Swinburne-FACET Climate 4.0 Hub 

At the Symposium, Swinburne announced the Swinburne-FACET Climate 4.0 Hub, a dynamic new initiative accelerating high-impact climate tech startups from Australia and France. Based at Swinburne, the Hub aims to accelerate innovation by supporting five to 10 startups each year through hands-on mentorship, access to industry, investors, advanced research and development capabilities, and pilot project opportunities.  

“We’re excited to launch the Swinburne-FACET Climate 4.0 Hub and foster climate innovation and collaboration between Australia, France and the Indo-Pacific,” says Dr Werner van der Merwe, Swinburne’s Vice President, Innovation and Enterprise. 

“Through our accelerated startup program, we’ll be providing targeted support and strong industry ties, which leverages the thriving innovation culture and capabilities offered by our inhouse Swinburne Innovation Studio, to foster real-world impact with climate tech startups from Australia and France.”

With a focus on clean energy, decarbonisation, critical minerals, and climate resilience, the Swinburne-FACET Climate 4.0 Hub serves as a vital link between research and industry, transforming breakthrough ideas into scalable, real-world solutions. The Hub will serve as a landing pad for French and Australian climate startups seeking to expand in new markets across France, Australia, and the Indo-Pacific, assisting them to establish local operations, pilot their technologies and build connections with local industry and investors.  

A key feature is the one-on-one mentorship startups receive from seasoned commercial experts with extensive experience in raising capital, piloting, and scaling technology within the Australian market. Additionally, the Hub offers exclusive access to FACET and Swinburne’s networks of corporate partners and venture capital investors to support the startups’ growth. This includes the opportunity to fast-track technology adoption discussions with leading energy companies.

By helping climate tech startups overcome key challenges, the Hub creates opportunities for sustainable growth and helps position Australia as a global leader in climate innovation.

FACET Symposium 2025

The symposium opened with an evening cocktail reception and welcome speeches at Grenoble’s historic Sainte-Cécile Convent, where Swinburne’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Pascale Quester, delivered a keynote address on how Australian universities, including Swinburne, are driving the energy transition with innovative initiatives shaping the future.

“The Swinburne-FACET Climate 4.0 Hub will bridge the gap between startups and industry for climate related innovation and technology," says Swinburne’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Pascale Quester.

"The hub will be an engine of technology innovation, commercialisation and collaboration across clean energy, decarbonisation, critical minerals, and climate resilience. With our distinctive blend of research excellence, skills development and commercial know-how, Swinburne is perfectly suited to facilitate FACET’s bold ambitions in these crucial areas."

The FACET Symposium 2025 brought together key figures from both the academic and industrial sectors of France and Australia to discuss the pressing challenges of the energy transition. Swinburne was represented by Vice-Chancellor Professor Pascale Quester, who is also Chair of the FACET Steering Committee, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research Professor Karen Hapgood, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Flagship Initiatives Professor Alan Duffy, Professor Joy Sumner, Co Director of FACET and also part of the School of Engineering, as well as by speakers and contributors to the FACET symposium.  

The Symposium featured keynote speeches, a focus on strengthening the industry-innovation link within Franco-Australian ecosystems, announcements of FACET-awarded projects, themed roundtables and networking opportunities. This year’s Symposium also aligned with FACET’s Energy Transition and Innovation Tour, the largest ever renewable energy delegation of Australian industry to France, fostering strong industry engagement. The event covered important topics such as critical minerals, e-fuels and (e-)biofuels, hydrogen, and smart grids.

The FACET partnership exemplifies the power of international collaboration in addressing global energy challenges. Together, France and Australia are paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.