WA Premier Colin Barnett has officially opened the new Curtin Resources and Chemistry Precinct.
The $116 million precinct is the culmination of partnerships between Curtin, BHP Billiton, the Western Australian Government, and the Federal Government, which Precinct Director Mark Woffenden hopes will be a sign of future collaboration.
‘Our vision for the Curtin Resources and Chemistry Precinct is it will become an internationally recognised centre for collaborative research in chemistry, with a particular focus on the minerals and energy sectors,’ he said.
Curtin Vice-Chancellor Jeanette Hacket said one of the precinct’s main objectives was to combine academia, industry, and government in one central science community.
‘Through its role as a hub of collaborative research and education, the precinct is the perfect foundation for high-impact and industry-relevant research, producing world-class graduates for the resources and chemistry sectors,’ she said.
With 100 laboratories and more than 200 staff, the precinct is ideally suited to teaching and research in several areas, including hydrometallurgy, water quality testing and treatment, nanotechnology, corrosion research, forensic science and biotechnology.
Federal Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson officially launched the Curtin Institute of Minerals and Energy, which along with Curtin’s Department of Chemistry and the State Government’s ChemCentre, forms part of the 15,000sqm precinct.
Listen to the Federal Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson’s speech at the launch of the Curtin Minerals and Energy Institute.
