Western Sydney University to lead two ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centres

Researchers at Western Sydney University have been collectively awarded $10 million grant funding through the highly competitive Australian Research Council’s Industrial Transformation Training Centre’s program to lead two Industrial Transformation Training Centres.

Western Sydney University’s Professor Oula Ghannoum from the School of Science and the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment will lead, as Training Centre Director, the ARC Training Centre for Smart and Sustainable Horticulture. The Centre was awarded $5 million from the ARC and attracted $777,402 in partner contributions and $4,863,991 in-kind contribution from partners and other eligible organisations combined. The Centre will train the next generation of professionals to drive the expansion, profitability, and sustainability of Australia’s protected horticulture to mitigate the impacts of food insecurity and climate change.

Professor Oula Ghannoum, School of Science and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment

Professor Ghannoum’s team will engage with industry and university partners across the globe to address the Inevitable expansion of the protected cropping sector in the face of changing and more erratic climatic conditions and an increasing global population. Her team includes Distinguished Professor Brajesh Singh; Professor Benjamin Smith; Professor Markus Riegler; Dr Robert Sharwood and Dr Eleonora Egidi from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; Distinguished Professor David Tissue; Professor Mark Tjoelker from the School of Science and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; Professor Graciela Metternicht and Professor Zhong-Hua Chen From the School of Science; Associate Professor Dilupa Nakandala from the School of Business; and Associate Professor Yi Guo from the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics.

Western Sydney University’s Distinguished Professor Vivian Tam from the School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment will lead the Industrial Transformation Training Centre in digital platforms for Net-Zero Building Ecosystem Lifecycle (NOBEL). The Centre was awarded $5 million from the ARC and attracted $2,445,000 from partner organisations and $5,476,000 in-kind contribution from partners and other eligible organisations combined. The centre aims to train the next generation of transdisciplinary leaders within the building construction sector. It will deliver the training and end-user research capability necessary to address the need to transform the sector into a net carbon-zero ecosystem.

Professor Vivian Tam, School of Engineering Design and Built Environment

Distinguished Professor Tam’s team will engage with industry and university partners across the globe to address the pressing need for buildings that are eco-efficient and net-zero entities contributing to environmental sustainability. Her team includes Western Sydney University’s Associate Professor Pejman Sharafi from the School of Engineering and Built Environment, Centre for Infrastructure Engineering and Urban Transformation Research Centre; Dr Maria Rashidi from the Centre for Infrastructure Engineering and Urban Transformation Research Centre; Professor Bijan Samali and Dr Cheng Jiang from the Centre for Infrastructure Engineering; Professor Srinath Perera and Dr Cheng Jiang from the School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment and Centre for Smart Modern Construction and Associate Professor Sepani Senaratne from the School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Enterprise & International) Professor Deborah Sweeney welcomed the funding.

“To be named as the lead institution for two out of six newly created Industrial Transformation Training Centres is as huge achievement. It reflects Western’s world-leading commitment to sustainable development, research excellence, and focus on developing our next generation of industry and research leaders ready to tackle some of our world’s greatest challenges,” said Professor Sweeney.

The Industrial Transformation Training Centres are funded under the ARC’s Industrial Transformation Research Program to support and foster industry-university research collaboration in areas capable of driving innovation in Australian industries and develop industry-focused researchers.