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The Aerostructures Innovation Research Hub (AIR Hub) at  (Victoria, Australia) and the National Institute for Aerospace Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University (WSU, Kansas, U.S.), have signed a wide-ranging partnership agreement to boost local and international capabilities. The partnership will initially focus on digitization of aerospace composite design and production, developing advanced manufacturing technologies and testing methods and creating specialized simulation capabilities.

AIR Hub director Dr. Adriano Di Pietro says the agreement will enable greater global innovation and industry advances. “Working together at the cutting edge of digitalization, intelligent manufacturing processes and advanced composite materials, this partnership will help us create innovative solutions to pressing real-world challenges,” Dr. Pietro believes.

NIAR senior research scientist Dr. Waruna Seneviratne leads a team of experienced engineers and student technicians in NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS), which is focused on developing emerging technologies in advanced manufacturing and machine learning for wider industry use.

“The partnership with AIR Hub will allow both organizations to take advantage of each other’s strengths to increase the value of both university research organizations to industry,” Dr. Seneviratne adds.

The partnership encompasses both the technical capabilities and human capital required to power the aviation and aerospace industry into the future. This includes the exchange of research staff to promote closer collaboration and sharing of experiences, as well as facilitating collaborative arrangements between Australian and U.S. industry partners in aerostructures and composite materials testing and research. The collaboration will also enable technological advances to assist AIR Hub and NIAR to develop a comprehensive model-based engineering concept.