New ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre opening early 2021

Funding for an Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) in Optimisation Technologies, Integrated Methodologies and Applications (OPTIMA) has been announced

Congratulations to Professor Kate Smith-Miles who has led a strong team of university and industry partners to success with the announcement of receipt of funding for a new ITTC likely to commence operation in early 2021. Congratulations also extends to Melbourne Centre for Data Science Co-Director's, Professor Howard Bondell and Associate Professor Michael Kirley, who are both on the team as Chief Investigators.

OPTIMA aims to connect industry partners, who have yet to fully benefit from optimisation technology, with world-leading interdisciplinary researchers and talented students. The Centre will train a new generation of industry practitioners and over 120 young researchers, building a highly skilled workforce looking to transform the advanced manufacturing, energy resources, and critical infrastructure sectors.

OPTIMA is a partnership between the University of Melbourne, Monash University, three international institutions, and 11 industry partners. It brings together 18 Chief Investigators, spanning the key academic disciplines contributing to the field of optimisation (mathematics, statistics, computer science, engineering, economics) with 13 Partner Investigators. The total funding received from the Australian Research Council and OPTIMA partners, valued at over $8 million, will support the establishment and running of the Centre for five years, likely to commence operation in early 2021.

Please see the Minister's announcement on the ARC website.