• Posted on 9 Nov 2023
  • 3-minute read

Since its inception, Marintec has actively engaged with industry partners to expedite the integration of digital solutions

In May 2022, Navantia Australia and the University of Technology Rapido Institute joined forces to establish a collaborative institute dedicated to digital technologies for the maritime sector. On Wednesday, November 8, at the Indo Pacific 2023 International Maritime Exposition, these two organizations officially unveiled the Marintec brand and shared insights on the significant milestones achieved in the past year. 

Since its inception, Maritime Institute of Technology - Marintechas made substantial strides in the development of digital technologies tailored to the maritime industry. The institute has actively engaged with industry partners to expedite the integration of digital solutions, encompassing artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and automation. Furthermore, they have been in close dialogue with key stakeholders in the maritime sector to identify and address the challenges confronting the industry. 

Marintec's collaborative research and development (R&D) initiatives are primarily geared toward delivering advanced technologies that hold significant benefits for the Royal Australian Navy and the broader maritime industry. Navantia Australia's financial commitment will be channelled into various areas of joint research and development, with a strong focus on advanced software engineering, digital user experience (UX) expertise, game design, and artificial intelligence (AI).  

Marintec is also actively progressing toward the establishment of a collaborative doctoral degree and mobility agreement with universities in Spain and Australia, enabling students to commence their PhD programs. The research outcomes from this academic endeavour are expected to directly support and enhance the institute's research and development activities. Additionally, Marintec is in the early stages of exploring the creation of micro-credentials related to ship control systems, in partnership with UTS Enterprise and the teaching and learning teams from the Faculty of Engineering and IT. 

Currently, efforts are underway to complete the setup of a purpose-built facility that will serve as the home for Marintec. This facility is strategically located in the heart of Sydney's Tech Central, situated on UTS's campus. Its proximity to the UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT, the Robotics Institute, and the Rapido R&D team and prototyping facility will promote close collaboration between industry and academia. This strategic positioning will allow Marintec to leverage the expertise and resources available within the precinct, fostering innovation within the marine technology sector. The facility is slated to commence operations in January 2024 and will accommodate a team of 20 researchers. 

Marintec has already taken concrete steps by offering the first round of internships and graduate employment opportunities to UTS students in collaboration with Navantia Australia. This initiative reflects Marintec's commitment to nurturing talent within the Australian Defence Industry labour market, providing tangible benefits to both students and the defence industry. 

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Descriptive transcript

Today, we're here to launch Marintech, a joint institute between Navantia Australia and the University of Technology Sydney.

It's taking a world-class maritime company, working with a world-class university of technology to deliver real-world outcomes, not only for industry, but for Australia as a whole, particularly in the space of sovereign capability and delivery of the workforce of the future.

I'm really excited to be here today for the launch of Marintech, the Maritime Institute of Technology.

At Navantia Australia, we'd like to help support the growth of a truly Australian naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry, to have a focus on digital technologies for the maritime industry, have research translation to commercially relevant work, and also support workforce development.

The collaboration between UTS and Navantia Australia is great because we can work together, where we can get their expertise on the Navy side, we can get the researchers from our side, and we can collaborate and make really interesting projects that do solve a general need.

The scope of Marintech is indeed limitless in terms of what we could actually do together. We will have R&D projects that could help us either train, for example, the graduates and PhD students that could be part of the Institute, but also move digital technologies forward in the maritime industry.

Working with Navantia Australia through Marintech is amazing. We work on a lot of different projects with real-life Navy use cases. I've been involved in a couple of projects with Navantia Australia, one of them being ship routing.

This platform accounts for things like weather risks, geopolitical risks, safety risks.

It's a very collaborative approach, all about co-creation for us. So I think that's how we believe that our solutions will succeed.

So in the Gamification training project, I worked on the system architecture to enable the remote training using the project. The project allows for remote training of cadets, recruits and trainees in Navy processes.

With training specifically, you really want to feel like maybe you have that sense of danger. Give the trainees a real-world experience of what it might be like.

This would empower recruiters or even possible recruits as to what a career in the Navy might be like.

All of this really goes to the maritime industry push for the best world-class digital technology.

To deliver real-world outcomes, not only to benefit industry, but also for Australia as a whole.

The core research focus of Marintec remains centred on the development of cutting-edge marine technologies. The research conducted within this facility is poised to bolster the capabilities of the Australian Defence Industry and contribute significantly to the nation's sovereign defence capabilities. The launch of Marintec represents a momentous commitment from Navantia Australia and UTS to drive innovation within the maritime industry through digital means. This institute will persist in its collaborations with industry partners and stakeholders to pioneer cutting-edge digital technologies that have the potential to revolutionize the maritime sector. 

 

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