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UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology |
Links with Industry and the Private Sector
Links with Australian industry and the private sector are maintained through:- Consulting to industry
- Industry sponsored research and development work
- Involvement in the development of new technology
- Conduct of conferences, continuing education courses, workshops and seminars designed to inform industry about the latest developments in membrane technology
- Out-placement of Centre researchers
A regular newsletter on the Centres involvement in the European Membrane project AMEDEUS is circulated to over 150 people in the Australian water industry. Seminars and presentations are conducted on a more ad hoc basis, however, with the growing interest in issues such as desalination and water recycling, Centre staff have conducted one industry briefing per month on average. In addition, the Centre has extensive collaboration with industry via projects funded by the Cooperative Research Centres for Polymer and Greenhouse Gases Technologies.
New Technology
The Centre's research programs have led to a number of significant technology developments. These are protected and offered to Australian industry through Unisearch Limited, the commercial arm of the University of New South Wales.The following major outcomes highlight the success of the Research and Development program:
- Development of a membrane based process for the production of soda ash.
- Development of an automatic membrane based on-line sampling system developed through a project with BHP, and now being commercialised by a third party.
- Development of a completely new Field Effect Membrane process which opens an entirely different approach to membrane based separation processes. There has been a strong commercial interest in this radically new membrane.
- Development of a Hybrid Electro-disinfection system for water. This will be commercialized by the WA Water Corporation.
- Development of a novel isoporous material and a novel feed channel spacer, both being concidered for patent protection.
Industry Support for R&D
The Centre has been involved in a number of research and development projects with industry.Industry support for research and development projects in the Centre include direct contract research as well as projects in which industrial support is matched by grants from the Department of Industry and Technology (DIST), the Horticulture Research and Development Corporation and The Australian Research Council Industrial and Collaborative grant schemes.
In addition the Centre has been involved with the CRC Waste Management and Pollution Control (CRCWPC).