REACH seeks green investment interest

DEAKIN University’s Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH) is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from businesses looking to invest in research-led innovation projects to accelerate Australia’s clean, green manufacturing future.

Based at the university’s Waurn Ponds campus, REACH is Australia’s largest recycling and clean energy advanced manufacturing ecosystem.

Supported by a $50 million grant from the federal government’s Trailblazer Universities Program, industry and university contributions take the hub’s total program value to $380 million.

Deakin is calling for expressions of interest from businesses ready to work with the university on research-led innovation projects valued between $2 million and $50 million.

Trailblazer co-contribution funding is available for eligible projects aligning with REACH’s key focus areas of energy storage, hydrogen and carbon fibre, and recycling.

REACH is partnering with industry to accelerate cutting-edge technologies, including scaling up of manufacturing supply chain technologies.

Hub executive director Amy Hunter said the REACH ecosystem was an exciting opportunity for Deakin to work with innovation-driven partners to accelerate clean energy and recycling technologies that will boost Australia’s sovereign advanced manufacturing capabilities.

“By combining the brightest minds from industry and world-class researchers we have the power to push the limits of technology innovation and put Australia at the forefront globally of the transition from a throughput economy to a circular economy.

“We’re looking for partners who have compelling ideas for novel solutions, who want to pilot new technologies or processes, or who want to scale-up and commercialise projects to capture new markets”

Tom Hussey, co-founder and chief executive officer at Xefco, an Australian company specialising in creating innovative textile and coating technologies, is one of Deakin’s founding REACH partners.

“The Trailblazer program and REACH gives much needed support to young deep-tech businesses such as Xefco through the “valley of death” that is substantially overlooked by other government programs,” he said

“This support is helping us and others to bridge the gap from early-stage research to successful commercialisation of our technology.”

Expressions of interest to join Deakin’s REACH clean, green manufacturing ecosystem close at 5pm on May 3. For more information or to register, head to deakin.edu.au/reach