The ARC Research Hub for Resilient and Intelligent Infrastructure Systems (RIIS) has opened at UNSW Sydney, which will enhance urban, energy and resource infrastructure nationwide.

Led by NSW Scientia Professor Nasser Khalili (pictured second left), the Hub will integrate advances in sensor technology, connectivity, data analytics, machine learning, robotics, smart materials, and reliable models to address Australia’s critical infrastructure needs. While based at UNSW, the facility will utilise the expertise of the likes of University of Melbourne, Queensland University of Technology, Western Sydney University, and 13 industry partners.

“This investment enables strong and practical collaboration between top researchers and industry partners focused on deploying innovative and integrated technologies to improve urban infrastructure, transport, water, resource, and energy management,”says Australian Research Council (ARC) Deputy CEO Richard Johnson.

“This will benefit Australia by finding clever ways to make our infrastructure more resilient.

“The research hub also builds Australia’s research capability, linking highly experienced researchers from across a number of universities and providing opportunities for new and emerging researchers to work with them on innovative solutions with industry partners.”

$4.9 million will be poured into the facility by the ARC, as well as $20 million from UNSW, other universities and industry partners. UNSW Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research and Enterprise Nicholas Fisk (pictured second right) says the facility is a physical representation of the move by universities to become more collaborative.

“The Hub really is an exemplar of this high-tech transformative approach to translate research with industry to commercial outcomes, which through its success will go on to benefit this nation and beyond,” he says.

The commercialisation of technologies is anticipated to create entirely new manufacturing industries while improving infrastructure and manufacturing productivity, with 80,000 new jobs expected to be created by 2030. The Hub will assist in the planning, designing, construction, operation and decommissioning of sustainable infrastructure systems.

“Our aspiration is to make a step change in the way infrastructure is designed, constructed, monitored, managed, and maintained,” Khalili continues.

“As we all know, significant advances have been made in digital technologies in recent years, to the extent that they now touch every facet of our lives.

“They have the potential to revolutionise infrastructure and engineering in ways that we could not have imagined even a few years ago,” Prof. Khalili said.

A total of 16 work packages have been developed in the Hub since it began in July 2022. This launch signifies the major progress being made on its research and development program.

Image: Abbas Rajabifard, Nasser Khalili, Nicholas Fisk and Steve Foster.

Architecture & Design Team

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