Business partnerships
Curtin is working towards world class capability in R&D by developing external strategic alliances that enhance its research capacity for the benefit of both Curtin and its partners.
Curtin's strategic alliances promise:
- Enhanced research capability from which Curtin and its partners can benefit;
- Increased access to resources, learning and knowledge;
- More competitive offerings to students and external clients.
Curtin maintains supportive relationships with a wide range of business, government and industry partners at regional, national and international levels.
The University's focus on cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional research alliances is borne out by its high level of involvement with numerous partners in the federally funded Cooperative Research Centre's scheme — or CRCs as they are known.
Grants from government, industry and other sources of research funding brought Curtin's total research income in 2007 to almost $57 million.
One of Curtin's most significant recent collaborative ventures was the establishment of the $10.5 million Centre for Materials and Sensing in Mining in partnership with the Rio Tinto.
Other major R&D partnerships that support Curtin's pursuit of better research outcomes include:
- Alcoa World Alumina — strategic alliance supporting the Alcoa Chair in Stronger Communities.
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer Control — partnership with the Cancer Foundation.
- Centre for Developmental Health — supported by the TVW Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and the Health Department of WA.
- CSIRO — strategic alliance with a particular focus on the resources and energy sector.
- Centre of Excellence for Radio Astronomy and Engineering — joint initiative of Curtin University of Technology and The University of Western Australia which will help establish WA as a major science and engineering hub for the development and deployment of the Square Kilometre Array.
- Woodside Energy Limited and Metasource Ltd — partners in the world-renowned Joint Woodside-Curtin Hydrocarbon Research Facility.
- Water Corporation — strategic alliance supporting the Curtin Water Quality Research Centre.
- Western Australian Major Research Facilities — Curtin is a key partner in the Western Australian Energy Research Alliance, the Western Australian Marine Science Institute and the Centre for Food and Genomic Medicine, the only three facilities funded by the Western Australian government.
- Universities — collaborative research ventures with other WA universities and partner institutions in the Australian Technology Network.
