UNSW Sydney was last week awarded more than $2.3 million in grants from the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) for two projects led by researchers from UNSW Science and from UNSW Medicine & Health. The LIEF scheme allows researchers to participate in cooperative initiatives so that expensive infrastructure, equipment and research facilities can be shared between higher education institutions and with industry. Professor Scientia Alexander Hamilton of UNSW Science has been awarded more than $1.3 million to lead a project to create facilities for the cultivation and characterization of materials used in electronic, magnetic and optical devices, while the Associate Professor Kate Poole of UNSW Medicine & Health has led a successful bid for more than $1 million, which will see researchers develop infrastructure using Australian-made bioprinting machines to create miniature organ replicas and tissues as well as access to a new microscope to study the cells within these 3D structures.
New research hub aims to transform the wastewater industry
The ARC Nutrients in a Circular Economy (NiCE) Research Center, which aims to transform the wastewater industry “with a city-wide circular nutrient economy,” was officially launched last week. Led by the University of Technology Sydney, NiCE is commercializing nutrient recovery treatment technologies by demonstrating the uses of liquid fertilizer produced from industrial wastewater and sewage. ARC has awarded $2,062,428 in 2021 to the University of Technology Sydney – which is working with seven partner universities and more than 20 industry partners – to establish the center as part of the Industrial Transformation Research Program.
ResMed opens new manufacturing center in Singapore
Last week, ResMed celebrated the grand opening of its new Advanced Manufacturing Center in Tuas, Singapore. The 270,000 square foot (25,000 square meter) facility more than doubles the company’s footprint in Singapore and “serves as ResMed’s key manufacturing hub in Asia Pacific.” The facility will employ nearly 1,000 jobs and will include smart dashboards to integrate real-time data to monitor production line performance. “Singapore’s strategic location and support for business investment, coupled with ResMed’s digital health devices and offerings, provides the perfect opportunity to expand our manufacturing capabilities while supporting local jobs and economic growth. region’s economy,” said ResMed CEO Mick Farrell.
Bluglass Announces Achievable Reliability Demonstration of New Laser Diodes
Semiconductor developer BluGlass has announced that it has demonstrated the achievable reliability of its gallium nitride (GaN) laser diodes, successfully demonstrating more than 500 hours of continuous operation with stable optical power and voltage in reliability tests. According to the company, its lasers maintained good performance and light output when tested at 20 – 25 degrees Celsius – demonstrating light output with less than 20% degradation – which it said was a key business standard for laser diodes. Reliability feasibility is a critical step required for beta production and product launches. Applications, including medical and scientific applications, require less than 1,000 hours of reliability.
Image credit: Bluglass
