Swinburne University of Technology harnesses cross-disciplinary detect and protect focused research to develop and innovate processes, materials and technology which support and enhance Australia’s national security defence interests. 

Swinburne's state-of-the-art facilities and world-leading researchers have capabilities in:

  • astrophysics, aerospace, aviation, engineering and digital technologies
  • materials science and manufacturing technologies
  • cybersecurity and information protection
  • understanding and solving complex societal challenges


Swinburne works closely with government and industry on strategic, cutting-edge projects with tangible outcomes.

The Australian Government's strategy

A strong, sustainable, local shipbuilding industry is required to support and modernise Australia’s naval defences. The Australian Government’s Project Galileo addresses this coordinated long-term, whole-of-nation, whole-of-industry, whole of-government need with a focus on developing naval maintenance centres in Sydney, Perth, Darwin and Cairns.

This strategy will create shipyards that enable Australia to build, repair and upgrade surface ships and submarines – regenerating and boosting our long-term, sustainable naval capabilities in ways that are collaborative, innovative and cost-effective.

Swinburne's mission and research expertise

In an increasingly complex and dynamic defence landscape, Swinburne takes a layered, holistic 'Detect and Protect' approach to maintaining and strengthening Australia’s national security. Swinburne’s expertise in the field of continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment includes:

Surface ships

  • Uncrewed vehicles
  • Ships' boats
  • Water plant systems
  • Preservations and coverings
  • Chargers, inverters and converters
  • Hull structure – general
  • Advanced test and evaluation ranges
  • Gear systems
  • Propulsion engines and motors
  • Power generator systems
  • Maritime pumps, compressors, valves, tanks and pipes
  • Transformers
  • Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and chilled water systems

Conventional submarines

  • Hull structure – general
  • Propulsion engines and motors
  • Power generator systems

Current continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment projects

Overview

The ARC Training Centre on Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials (SEAM) helps solve critical surface engineering problems faced by industry, while training talented industry-ready graduates for the future.

SEAM has developed coating technology and materials for use in defence, including hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces, multi-layer thermal barriers systems, high-temperature resistant coatings, and functional coatings for carbon fibre composites.

Key areas

Surface ships

  • Uncrewed vehicles
  • Ships' boats
  • Hull structure – general
  • Gear systems

Conventional submarines

  • Hull structure – general
Overview

Swinburne’s Manufacturing Futures Research Platform specialises in advanced manufacturing technologies. Key projects in this platform include:

  • maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade (MRO-U) of defence-grade components, which incorporates microstructural and mechanical testing and validating the repair process
  • non-destructive evaluation (ultrasonics)
  • additive and subtractive manufacturing of metallic components for naval, aerospace and army applications, including the testing of ferrous and non-ferrous parts and physical property evaluation.
Key areas

Surface ships

  • Hull structure – general

Conventional submarines

  • Power generator systems
Overview

Swinburne’s Mechanical Characterisation Group employs state-of-the-art facilities to evaluate the mechanical performance of various materials and structures subjected to different loadings, including quasi-static and dynamic tension, compression and bending.

The group is able to:

  • conduct dynamic mechanical tests on materials at various strain rates (up to 8000 /s) and temperatures (from -50oC to 500oC)
  • design and fabricate lightweight cellular materials and metamaterials with desired mechanical performance
  • carry out impact tests and computer simulations of structures, such as ballistic tests, to evaluate their resistance to impact loading.
Key areas

Surface ships

  • Hull structure – general

Conventional submarines

  • Hull structure – general
Overview

Swinburne specialises in intelligent green vehicular technology investigating all aspects of vehicles, including autonomous control, propulsion, power conversion, supervisory controlled systems, and the use of more efficient high-temperature superconductor energy systems.

Power generated from intelligent green technology could reduce both noise emissions and vibrations, and provide sustainable energy solutions to ships at sea as well as during docking. The supply of onshore power to vessels could be generated from renewable sources such as wind or solar.

Key areas

Surface ships

  • Uncrewed vehicles
  • Chargers, inverters and converters
  • Propulsion engines and motors
  • Power generator systems
  • Transformers

Conventional submarines

  • Propulsion engines and motors
  • Power generator systems
Overview

Swinburne’s Industry 4.0 Testlab provides a fully digitalised environment to create sophisticated virtual models that replicate real-world conditions, allowing greater control and more rapid design of engineering components and manufacturing processes and materials. 

The lab can produce composite components combining carbon or glass fibres into different structures at unprecedented production rates and flexibility of design.

This speed and flexibility is applied to developing parts and surface treatments that can be used in defence, from radiation shielding to corrosion-resistant, reduced-weight hulls and other marine materials.

Key areas

Surface ships

  • Ships' boats
  • Preservations and coverings
  • Hull structure – general
  • Advanced test and evaluation ranges

Conventional submarines

  • Hull structure – general
Overview

The Intelligent Robotics Lab researches novel robot applications in agriculture, medicine and manufacturing. The lab excels in industry collaborations and rapid prototyping of novel concepts.

Recent projects include:

  • robot systems for automatic repair of car headlight housings using 3D scanning and 3D printing
  • automation of shower base manufacturing
  • robotic 3D printing of biofouling-resistant large-scale parts for naval vessels
  • teleoperated and autonomous medical procedures. such as ultrasound examinations.
Key areas

Surface ships

  • Gear systems
  • Propulsion engines and motors
Overview

Swinburne researchers use multiple techniques to study fluid dynamics dominated by oscillations and vibrations with equipment including:

  • high-speed and specialist underwater cameras
  • underwater acoustic instruments
  • a wave channel and wave pond, which can model some 3D wave effects
  • Swinburne’s supercomputing facilities.


The work examines:

  • bubble acoustics (how bubbles in liquid affect sound)
  • the extraction of energy from waves for ocean drones or remote sensing ocean waves
  • inertia waves (for example the stability of spacecraft containing liquids).


Swinburne has led projects for the Defence, Science and Technology Group (DSTG) – mostly in underwater acoustics and submarine hydrodynamics.

Key areas

Surface ships

  • Uncrewed vehicles
  • Ships' boats
  • Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and chilled water systems
  • Hull structure – general
  • Propulsion engines and motors
  • Maritime pumps, compressors, valves, tanks and pipes

Conventional submarines

  • Hull structure – general
  • Propulsion engines and motors
Overview

Our researchers specialise in the creation of multi-functional engineered and composite materials with a particular interest in smart, engineered, digitised materials that interact with smart technology and has the ability to sense, actuate, store and harvest energy.

Composite materials that integrate ‘multifunctionality’ and ‘sustainability’ by the effective use of polymers, carbon fibers and nanomaterials have applications in building ships and other marine structures, the development of underwater drones, and providing antifouling protection to hulls.

Key areas

Surface ships

  • Uncrewed vehicles
  • Preservations and coverings
  • Hull structure – general

Conventional submarines

  • Hull structure – general
Overview

Swinburne has worked in partnership with defence departments and associated major and SME industry partners for over 20 years on projects including marine corrosion, sensors, coatings, materials, and microbial corrosion of hulls, piping, tanks and onshore infrastructure.


Current research involves:

  • the investigation of the effects of micro- and macro-organisms on marine corrosion
  • sensors for detection of corrosion and methods of corrosion mitigation
  • potential corrosion-resistant materials and surfaces
  • methods for lightweighting key systems on board marine vessels.


This research provides key information and insights on the way defence can improve maintenance procedures and reduce the significant costs associated with corrosion, while at the same time helping to optimise the availability of critical platforms.

Key areas

Surface ships

  • Ships' boats
  • Water plant systems
  • Preservations and coverings
  • Hull structure – general
  • Maritime pumps, compressors, valves, tanks and pipes

Conventional submarines

  • Hull structure – general
Overview

Swinburne researchers leverage quantum computing (QC), machine learning (ML) and high-performance computing (HPC) – utilising supercomputing facilities to study and design innovative chemicals and materials.

The work encompasses computer modelling and simulation of steel and metal corrosion mechanisms and corrosion inhibition strategies. This research contributes to enhancing metal equipment and systems against corrosion with applications in shipbuilding and sustainment.

Key areas

Surface ships

  • Hull structure – general

Conventional submarines

  • Hull structure – general
  • Power generator systems
Overview

The Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) joint research facility with Swinburne – the ANFF–VIC Biointerface Engineering Hub – specialises in exploring surface modifications, including the use of thin films, polymer grafting, biomolecule immobilisation, and bioactive coatings in polymers, ceramics and metals.

With a focus on materials engineering and chemistry, the team explores the hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of surface coatings with potential for application in marine environments.

Key areas

Surface ships

  • Preservations and coverings
Overview

Swinburne’s School of Engineering has expertise in energy engineering thermodynamics, aerodynamics, chemical engineering, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

Papers have included research into bubble formation, coolant flow and heat transfer, and the impact of airflow on disease transmission.

Key areas

Surface ships

  • Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and chilled water systems

Discover our expertise in other defence strategic priorities 

Work with us

Would you like to know more about Swinburne’s world-class defence-related research or discuss a potential partnership? Email defence@swinburne.edu.au to speak to our team today.

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