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Flinders University and CentraleSupélec have announced the first of many innovation workshops to discuss everything from artificial technology to the Industry 4.0 revolution.
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Adelaide-based Flinders University and CentraleSupélec, a major French Graduate School of Engineering, co-chaired a workshop titled ‘First Australo-French Meetings on Innovation for Industry of the Future’.
The workshop saw researchers from Flinders’ College of Science and Engineering, Australian Industrial Transformation Institute and New Venture Institute lead an Australian delegation with University of Queensland, University of Adelaide and University of Technology Sydney, in collaboration with the French institutions ENSTA-PT and Polytechnique, led by CentraleSupélec.
Together they tackled the crucial topic of industry for the future and its relationship to innovation with leading French defence-related firms such as Naval Group, Dassault Systèmes and Thales, plus start-ups, incubators and accelerators.
Director of Flinders University’s Australian Industrial Transformation Institute Professor John Spoehr said, "The Industry 4.0 revolution is underway and innovation is the main driver for the renewal of industry in the 21st century, particularly manufacturing and production. Data and artificial intelligence are re-inventing design and production chains and this requires a rethink about related competencies and jobs."
Marc Zolver, vice-president for international affairs at CentraleSupélec, says the workshop is the genesis of a research, industry and community ‘open innovation’ framework, where ideas and innovations will be exchanged in a swift and agile process benefiting for both big and small organisations.
"Discussions focused on research aspects of innovation in and for industry and the skills and competencies needed, taking into account Australian and French cultures," said CentraleSupélec professor of design engineering Bernard Yannou.
The initiative was a successful in receiving funding from the Australian-French Association for Research and Innovation (AFRAN) and the French embassy in Australia.
AFRAN aims to actively promote the development of cooperation between France and Australia in the areas of research and innovation.
The association’s goals are to provide Australian and French researchers, R&D managers, industry players, innovators and policy makers with frameworks to enable collaboration, co-operation, innovation and transformative thinking beyond the capability of individuals.
AFRAN provides tools to initiate and grow bilateral research collaboration and bilateral innovation with global impact. It organises networking events and conferences. It also co-ordinates a network of experts and acts as a think tank for innovation to support research and technology communities as well as industry.
