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Premier's science funds for ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ projects

Friday, 23 February 2007

A world-class wind tunnel and a laboratory for the production and analysis of visual digital media - both at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide - have won funding from the .

A project led by Professor Gus Nathan has been awarded $800,000 under the Fund to build a large-scale wind tunnel that will support SA's defence, aerospace, wind turbine (power-generating) and wind engineering sectors. The wind tunnel - to be used for technology development and commercial testing - will have capabilities not found elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere.

"This will provide local industry and researchers with a competitive edge," said Professor Nathan, from the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s . "This facility will support local bids for major contracts in defence and naval projects, micro wind turbines and building design." Industry partners are consulting engineering firm and .

A project led by ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide's Dr Anton van den Hengel, from the , has been awarded $750,000 for a Visual Technologies Laboratory which will boost technology and workforce development in digital content-based industries.

"The laboratory will provide the infrastructure, focus and leadership in research needed to establish South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ as the focal point of ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n visual technologies industries," said Dr van den Hengel, who is the Director of the . "The work of this laboratory will have valuable application for a variety of industries including defence, film and television, computer games, video surveillance, mobile content and ICT." Industry and research partners are the , and .

ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor and President Professor James McWha said: "Congratulations to these two research teams. Both these projects will bring significant benefits for local and national industry and for the State economy - further examples of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide working alongside government and industry for the benefit of the wider community."

In announcing the fund allocations, Minister for Science and Information Economy said: "The government welcomes the opportunity to support projects that stimulate business investment in local R&D and aim to deliver strategic benefits for all South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ns."

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