The University of Wollongong will produce world-class research and teaching in infrastructure development with the opening of its new $62 million SMART Infrastructure Facility.
This state-of-the-art facility consists of 30 specialist research and teaching laboratories that focus on a wide range of infrastructure services such as electricity, energy, water, gas, transport and rail.
It will ensure that large scale infrastructure investments in Australia and public policy development are based on evidenced-based research.
The laboratories will include a simulation centre which can generate scalable models of various infrastructure services and how they interact.
This will be of great benefit to more than 5000 students who are expected to take classes at the facility each week.
Wollongong University is a leading educational institution and is already home to two other technology facilities, the Innovative Materials Centre and the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre.
SMART stands for Simulation, Modelling, Analysis, Research and Teaching – and this shows the different ways infrastructure will be researched at the facility.
Around 340 people were employed during the construction phase of SMART and has generated ongoing employment opportunities for the local community.
Since 2008, the Australian Government has committed over $4.5 billion from the Education Infrastructure Fund to provide funding for projects that create or develop significant infrastructure in higher education, research and vocational education and training institutions.
These investments will transform the learning environment for thousands of students and create new research facilities that will benefit local communities, the manufacturing sector and the Australian economy in general.
For more information on the Education Investment Fund go to:
http://www.deewr.gov.au/HigherEducation/Programs/EIF