The new Research Hub will convene experts from across the sector to help develop solutions to Australia's fire risk.
Australia's fire risk is increasing, and a new research hub at UNSW Sydney will develop innovative ways to reduce the damage caused by devastating bushfires.
The cutting-edge ARC Research Hub for Fire Resilience Infrastructure, Assets and Safety Advancements (FRIASA) launched yesterday. It will focus on turning lab-based knowledge into commercially viable products, like the fire-retardant paint developed by UNSW researchers.
Led by Hub Director Professor Guan Yeoh, a fire safety expert from the School of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering at UNSW Engineering, the FRIASA Research Hub will help position UNSW at the centre of technological innovation and industry.
"We want to take these technologies from the lab and into the real world," Prof. Yeoh said. "The aim of the Hub is to allow the impact of these findings to be felt by everyone, helping make a tangible difference to the millions of Australians who live in fire-prone areas."
Australian bushfires have a devastating impact on life, property and infrastructure. During the Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20, around 2500 houses were destroyed in NSW alone, causing billions of dollars in damage to farm properties, infrastructure and land .
Professor Ute Roessner, Chief Executive Officer of the ARC said: "What stands out about this Research Hub is its mission, not just to develop fire-safe materials or existing techniques, but to reimagine fire resilience from the ground up, from smart infrastructure to system-level preparedness.
"But what matters even more is the collaborative nature and culture being fostered where research is done, not in isolation, but hand in hand with the people and organisations who will implement and apply the outcomes.
"This is exactly the kind of ecosystem we need to address the challenges of today and tomorrow."
Assistant Minister for Immigration and Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite MP, officially opened the Hub.
"I want to congratulate and thank the team led by Professor Yeoh for the important work that you're performing here," Mr Thistlethwaite said. "You're not just advancing scientific research, you're safeguarding the future of our nation.
"It gives us great pleasure, as a government committed to tackling some of the world's most challenging issues related to climate change, that this funding will go to assisting with practical problem solving, with practical solutions, ensuring that we build a more resilient infrastructure and household for Australians into the future."
A hub for practical solutions
FRIASA will be headquartered at UNSW, and work in collaboration with five other Australian universities, 14 industry partners and 15 peak bodies. The Hub will address the urgent need for improved systems of fire prevention, safety and management.
The Hub will have four key research focuses:
- Research and training
- Education and outreach
- Industry collaboration
- Technology transfer and commercialisation
Prof. Yeoh said the Hub's projects will span multiple industry sectors, including mining, urban living, commercial infrastructure, energy and renewables.
"Each research project will be designed to suit specific industry needs," Prof. Yeoh said. "They'll ask us for a solution, and it will be our job to solve it."
The Hub will focus on infrastructure resilience, protection in high-risk environments and advanced manufacturing capabilities. It will also support the use of recyclable and sustainable products.
"I feel very excited to share all our projects," Prof. Yeoh said. "We like working with industry partners, and we want them to know that while translating knowledge into products is a lot of hard work, the results can be very rewarding."
The aim of the Hub is to allow the impact of these findings to be felt by everyone, helping make a tangible difference to the millions of Australians who live in fire-prone areas.
Supporting next-generation technologies
Professor Dane McCamey, UNSW Pro Vice-Chancellor Research, said the Hub embodied a new era of resilience that would help build a more secure, sustainable and fire-resistant Australia.
"The Australian Government and the ARC have made, via this Hub, a commitment to supporting pioneering research that strengthens our fire resilience," Prof. McCamey said. "This is not only about protecting lives, though that remains our highest priority.
"It's also about safeguarding our economy, empowering our industries and ensuring sustainable developments for future generations."
The Hub's focus will be on translating existing technologies into practical systems that can be used to improve fire resilience.
One project the Hub will explore is how to effectively use liquid nitrogen in batteries for energy storage. As a non-flammable element, liquid nitrogen could potentially be a much safer option than conventional lithium-ion batteries for providing electricity.
"Nitrogen is entirely safe, and a very sustainable and clean energy," Prof. Yeoh said. "We want to fine-tune formulations like these and then see how far we can push those findings.
"Our job is to find ways we can scale up this knowledge into industry products, advancing these to the point they can be deployed."
Prof. Yeoh said that once nitrogen is placed in steel containers, it can be safely stored in fire-prone areas.
"By cooling the nitrogen into a liquid, we can create a battery which can be stored in solar farms and used for electricity after the sun goes down," Prof. Yeoh said. "This will shift the demand for energy after the sun goes down and enable a 24/7 renewable energy flow."
While nitrogen batteries are a readily available technology now, Prof. Yeoh said the Hub's focus is to make them a better option for end-users.
"Our job now is to make it more compact and to translate these technologies into powerful, useful systems."
