Swinburne-led hub to help drive digital manufacturing locally

It is predicted that Australian manufacturing productivity and resilience could rise by as much as 30%, thanks to the Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Research Hub in Future Digital Manufacturing (Digital Manufacturing Hub), launched at Swinburne University of Technology on 13 March 2025.

The Swinburne-led hub is designed to deliver cutting-edge technology to digitally represent, predict and improve production, and support advanced manufacturing priorities through new artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT)-powered digital manufacturing technology, such as digital twins.

Supported by $5 million in funding through the Australian Research Council (ARC) through its Industrial Transformation Research Program, the hub was launched at Swinburne by Senator for Victoria Raff Ciccone.

Swinburne’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research Professor Karen Hapgood, says she is delighted that the university is leading the way for digital manufacturing nationwide.

“Through this hub-driven digital transformation, Swinburne and our partners are poised to accelerate the productivity, resilience and competitiveness of the Australian manufacturing sector, delivering lasting benefits to Australia for decades to come," she said. “The collaboration is an exciting example of how Swinburne continues to bring people and technology together, with real-world impact.”

The Digital Manufacturing Hub aims to strengthen Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capabilities by driving digital transformation in local industries, making manufacturing more competitive and resilient, while fostering innovation and collaboration across the sector.

Professor Alison Ross from the Australia Research Council says the Hub represents a pivotal advancement for Australia’s digital manufacturing industry.

“By harnessing the power of AI and IoT technologies, this hub is set to enhance the efficiency and resilience of our production processes,” she said. “This hub will also play a crucial role in training the next generation of research professionals, ensuring Australia’s leadership in global manufacturing.”

The Digital Manufacturing Hub is dedicated to mentoring and training Australia’s next generation of research professionals, fostering collaborations between universities and industry to drive innovation.

Swinburne will work with Macquarie University, RMIT, University of Queensland, University of Sydney, University of Carolina (USA) and University of Newcastle (UK) to create training opportunities for PhD students and early career research fellows.

The Hub will be led by Director Professor Dimitrios Georgakopoulos, who is a leader in digital capability and manufacturing futures. He will be guided by 18 chief investigators, 11 principal investigators, and two Hub operational support staff who will co-create with industry partners including Balluff, Baosteel, Butterfly, City of Logan, CABLEX, Corex Plastics Australia, EzyChef, Innolabs, Memko, Sutton Tools and Sysbox.

Image credit: iStock.com/gorodenkoff

Originally published here.