Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic has officially opened the new ResTech facility, a partnership between the University of Newcastle and Ampcontrol.
The facility aims to expedite the development and commercialisation of innovative technology solutions for the energy, infrastructure, and resources industries.
ResTech, an accredited Research Service Provider, uses a living lab model to equip engineering students with real-world challenges, fostering community-mindedness, resilience, and job readiness.
The facility uses design thinking in a living lab environment to solve complex energy problems, including stand-alone power systems and battery electrical vehicles for mining operations, aiming to support all industries in regions and globally in decarbonising.
“Our University has worked with Ampcontrol over a number of years and ResTech is the result of our strong partnership. We are absolutely committed to our regions and are perfectly positioned to provide the industry partnership, workforce facilities, leading researchers, and technology expertise to help with the transition and innovation of industries across the Hunter,” University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky AO said.
“We are passionate about ensuring our students are work-ready, so the opportunity for our engineering students to gain experience at ResTech by working on challenging research projects for industry is invaluable. It means our graduates have the practical skills and industry connections to thrive in the workplace when they graduate,” Professor Zelinsky added.
Ampcontrol Managing Director and CEO Rod Henderson commented, “ResTech brings together two entities – Ampcontrol and the University of Newcastle – who are united in their goal to deliver energy solutions which will help make global net zero a reality. The engineering smarts and advanced manufacturing capability of Ampcontrol through ResTech will contribute great value to finding innovative solutions to decarbonise.”
ResTech has 24 research and development engineers on staff, including students. There were 16 industrial placement students and 16 final year projects with ResTech throughout 2023.
“Collaborating with the best will help us deliver innovation that can transform the world. The vital work coming out of ResTech is providing real-world solutions to support the energy transition – both here in the Hunter and beyond,” Henderson said.
