The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) and  Swinburne University of Technology (Swinburne), Australia are thrilled to announce the launch of  SIMMECT—the “Swinburne-IITH Manufacturing, Materials, Energy, and Communication  Technologies Joint Research Institute”. This landmark initiative strengthens the long-standing  research collaboration between IITH and Swinburne, fostering cutting-edge advancements with  significant industry and societal impact. 

SIMMECT will serve as an innovative platform to accelerate research and technological development  across three key thematic areas: 

• Materials and Manufacturing – Advancing Surface Coatings, Material Development, Additive  manufacturing, and Digital Manufacturing technologies. 

• Energy Transition – Addressing Decarbonisation in Heavy industry, Critical Minerals  processing, and E-waste recycling. 

• Next-Generation Communication and Quantum Technologies – Pioneering research in 6G,  Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensors, and Quantum Theory. 

Building on the success of a Partnered PhD Program (established in 2017) and ongoing joint research,  SIMMECT will initially operate through three key pillars - Partnered PhD program, Joint PhD  Supervision, Researcher and Research student exchange 

By fostering seamless knowledge-sharing, talent development, and collaborative innovation,  SIMMECT will act as a catalyst for securing joint research funding, organizing workshops and  symposia, and engaging in multi-partner initiatives. 

Prof. B S Murty, Director of IITH, echoed this sentiment: “This partnership will establish a sustainable framework for long-term cooperation between IITH  and Swinburne, enhancing visibility, innovation output, and real-world contributions to industry and  society, while ensuring research outcomes have a meaningful impact on addressing global  challenges. Prof. Murty mentioned that IITH and Swinburne have been actively pursuing Joint  Doctoral Program (JDP) since 2017 and 39 scholars have already completed JDP and 32 students  are currently on roll under this program, which demonstrates the strong connection between both the  Institutes.” 

The launch of SIMMECT is a direct outcome of the collaborative efforts led by Prof. Christopher  Berndt, Swinburne University of Technology & Distinguished Professor of IITH and Associate Prof.  Andrew Ang, Swinburne University of Technology. Their leadership has played a pivotal role in  advancing shared research priorities between IITH and Swinburne.