Swinburne and IITH Launch SIMMECT Institute for Tech Innovation

Swinburne University of Technology and the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) have established the Swinburne-IITH Manufacturing, Materials, Energy and Communication Technologies (SIMMECT) Joint Research Institute to promote research and collaboration on significant technological innovations.

The university stated that manufacturing will be a key emphasis of the joint research institute, along with materials, energy transition, and next-generation communication technologies.

The project will investigate improvements in surface coatings, material innovation, additive manufacturing, and digital production technologies. Additional research domains will focus on decarbonization in heavy industry, essential minerals, electronic waste recycling, and new sectors like 6G and quantum sensors.

The collaboration involves shared PhD supervision, exchange programs for researchers and students, and funding for research across multiple institutions. Collaboration will also include workshops, conferences, and involvement in larger research projects.

Professor B.S. Murty, Director of IITH, highlighted the long-term impact of the initiative. “This partnership will establish a sustainable framework for long-term cooperation between IITH and Swinburne, enhancing visibility, innovation output, and real-world contributions to industry and society, while ensuring research outcomes have a meaningful impact on addressing global challenge,” Professor Murty explained.

He added, “IITH and Swinburne have been actively pursuing partnered PhD programs since 2017 and 38 scholars have already completed the program, which demonstrates the strong connection between both the Institutes.”