BHP and Monash Announce Railway & Maintenance Technology Institutes
16 June 2000
Ref: 58/00
The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (BHP) and Monash University (Monash) today announced the formation of two world-class research and development facilities.
The BHP-Monash Maintenance Technology Institute and the BHP Institute of Railway Technology have been established to assist BHP and the broader industry to improve plant reliability, safety, and undertake railway research and technology development activities.
The institutes will be located at Monash's Caulfield and Clayton campuses and will be staffed primarily by former BHP Research employees, supplemented by university personnel.
BHP Managing Director and CEO Paul Anderson said the new facilities were designed to address the current and future needs of Australian industry at a time of great change.
"The partnership with Monash University and the formation of the two institutes represents a collaborative approach to R&D and recognises growth opportunities in Australia and overseas that go beyond those being pursued by BHP," Mr Anderson said.
"The new entities will combine the technical resources of BHP and Monash to provide a world-class facility servicing the railway, mining and heavy manufacturing industries."
"These commercial R&D activities will deliver value to BHP and the broader industries involved and represent a win-win outcome which will strengthen the relationship between industry and academia."
Both the BHP Institute of Railway Technology and the BHP-Monash Maintenance Technology Institute will be operated by the University's Department of Mechanical Engineering and will be based on technologies developed by BHP over the past two decades.
The new institutes will provide a portfolio of services to their respective industries including:
- Contract and pre-competitive R&D to companies, State authorities and industry participants
- Education services in the form of short and post-graduate courses and seminars
- Consultancy services across the industry - similar to those currently provided by the university.
Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department Prof Rhys Jones said prior to the formation of the institutes, industry had been supported by internal efforts, the CSIRO and interested universities.
"The positioning of the institutes within Monash has provided greater opportunities for the entire railway industry to utilise the institutes’ internationally renowned services as well as draw upon expertise from other related disciplines within the university," Prof Jones said.
"Similarly, capital-intensive industries which are reliant on maintenance systems and technologies to capture greater efficiencies from their investments will also benefit from the institutes at Monash."
BHP will support the establishment of the institutes by contracting R&D services for its major divisions (Minerals, Steel and Petroleum) through 2000/2001. The Company will also donate some of its current research assets to support ongoing activities.
This funding will be supplemented by other non-BHP research contracts, consultancy income and research and educational grants.
Monash will support the institutes through the provision of dedicated space and administrative support.
Contact
BHP
Michael Buzzard
Senior Media Relations Advisor BHP
Phone: +61 3 9609 3709
Mobile: +61 417 914 103
Mandy Frostick
Manager Media Relations BHP
Phone: +61 3 9609 4157
Mobile: +61 419 546 245
Monash University
David Bruce
Manager Media Liaison Monash University
Phone: +61 3 9905 2040
Mobile: +61 417 559 287
Prof. Rhys Jones
Head of Department
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Monash University
Phone: +61 3 9905 3809
