Robotics engineering company Shanghai Acrobotics has signed an agreement with the University of NSW to establish a joint R&D centre focused on the development of robotic operating systems.
Professor Claude Sammut from the School of Computer Science & Engineering will lead the project to create user-friendly interfaces and human-robot interactions.
Shanghai Acrobotics was founded by UNSW alumnus Wayne Liu.
The partnership was sealed at the UNSW’s research Torch Research Roadshow in China.
A delegation of 13 UNSW researchers from eight schools met with more than 200 enterprises, technology transfer platforms and investment institutions during the roadshows held in Yixing, Shanghai and Guangzhou last month.
The event aims to encourage global knowledge exchange and industry collaboration.
It involved companies from a wide range of research fields including health and biotechnology, environment, energy, materials and manufacturing, big data and analysis, imaging and AR/VR.
Protecting the environment
A second cooperation agreement was also signed between the UNSW Centre for Transformational Environmental Technologies (CTET) and China Coal Technology and Engineering Group (CCTEG).
That partnership will support collaborative research and talent exchange in the field of water treatment.
That project will be led by Scientia Professor David Waite from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, who is also Executive Director of CTET, UNSW's first overseas research centre. The facility is dedicated to driving research and commercial opportunities in environmental protection, especially water treatment, resource recovery and environmental management and sustainability for coal mines.
More than $75 million in research contracts
Professor Ian Jacobs, President and Vice-Chancellor of UNSW Sydney, said the partnerships will provide a further boost to driving innovation between UNSW and Australia’s largest trading partner, China.
The Torch Innovation Precinct at UNSW is an unprecedented partnership between UNSW-led research teams and Chinese businesses and industries with the capital and market access needed to translate Australian research into high-impact new products, processes and services.
UNSW has signed more than $75 million research contracts with 70 partners, with an additional $200 million worth of contracts under active discussion.
Flagship contracts include research and commercialisation in energy, environment, advanced materials, manufacturing and biotech.
