“We’re trying to create a full circle experience within the university. While we’re developing manufacturing, we also want to create opportunities for students. So, we’re collaborating with the schools, faculties, and institutes, where we’ve got many specialists that can help with research or product development problems.”
Curnow added that they encourage their tenants and program participants to collaborate as much as possible with each other. The new ManuFutures building is designed and set up to provide opportunities to do so – from the lunchroom and the areas where they can co-mingle and enjoy their lunch or coffee break, to meeting rooms and collaborative workspaces where they can work together and create learning opportunities for each other.
One of ManuFutures’ targets for the year is to establish firm linkages with more established businesses like Hanwha Group to become part of its ecosystem.
“Let’s say, for Hanwha, we want to do some work in supply chain development. If we can raise their capabilities through our training and activities, then it improves the whole supply chain for that parent while developing regional manufacturing at the same time. Thus, we’re developing an industry-ready workforce, improving the supply chain for smaller start-ups, and helping the tall- tree businesses deliver what they want to do,” he said.
Education in engineering and manufacturing
Deakin University’s ManuFutures is helping to develop the skills and knowledge of the next generation of engineers and manufacturing professionals by providing access to training programs, research opportunities, industry collaborations, and industry events. Deakin University’s research and development capabilities have played a key role in contributing to the success of ManuFutures and the businesses it supports.
The relationship between ManuFutures and the students at Deakin University is a symbiotic one.
“To have start-ups or entrepreneurs, you need an innovation pipeline and a lot of our innovation pipeline to date has come out of the university,” Curnow said.
“We are looking everywhere for brilliant minds and brilliant ideas, but we’ve got a readymade swimming pool full of them in our backyard at Deakin.
“We’d like to say we’re Australia’s unique, advanced manufacturing innovation accelerator. And the uniqueness comes from that connection with the university. It’s a closed-circuit activity where we can rely on each other to support businesses in growth.”
ManuFutures also provides work- integrated learning opportunities for PhD candidates, research assistants, and higher degree by research (HDR) students by connecting them with businesses, which in turn generates employment opportunities in their fields of interest.
This also completes the circle of ManuFutures’ key objective of research to commercialisation, according to Curnow.
“Research has many avenues of impact. While a lot of research occurs to educate people through papers, there’s also research that needs to be converted to commercial reality and has societal impact. Getting the research out of the university and into the commercial world is the piece of the equation that we’re working on.
“We are not landlords. We provide space as a commercial landlord, but we are much more than a landlord. The businesses we house must work with the university – a two-way interaction that will complete that circle for our students.”
Discussing education in manufacturing in general, Curnow said that generating student interest in manufacturing and STEM careers is an important issue that the industry must come together to resolve.
“We need to teach the emerging workforce of the future that manufacturing is not in overalls and trudging around in boots with grease. Manufacturing is intelligent, challenging, and rewarding work.
“When I see some students today, the work they do in additive manufacturing, 3D printing is their hobby because they are so passionate about it. That’s a great capability that we need to tap into as an industry.
We also need to be well in touch with major industry sectors and employers in any given region and have a good understanding of their skills requirements, so that we can tune our education to suit that direction and focus on those needs. Because if you’re not preparing the students for the workforce, it’s all for nothing,” Curnow said.