New QLD research centre set to fight pathogens and improve air quality
Australian research will soon pave the way for the national and international adoption of indoor air quality standards, with indoor air pollution and its associated health impacts costing the Australian economy more than $12 billion annually.
Assistant Minister for Education, Anthony Chisholm, will today officially launch the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Training Centre for Advanced Building Systems against Airborne Infection Transmission (THRIVE).
Under the direction of internationally renowned Australian researcher and Distinguished Professor, Lidia Morawska along with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), THRIVE will aim to advance knowledge and infrastructure in order to roll out clean indoor air environments that enhance wellbeing and promote productivity.
“The COVID-19 pandemic brought the issue of air quality standards to the attention of many, now this new centre is at the forefront of bridging the gap between research and real-world technology that will deliver clean indoor air, improving lives here in Australia and across the globe.” Assistant Minister Chisholm said.
“THRIVE will design and engineer building systems that facilitate high-quality indoor environments and effectively control airborne pathogens and pollutants, all while improving the energy efficiency of modern office and living spaces.”
“THRIVE is a prime example of how Australian Government-funded research, through the ARC, is delivering real life benefits to Australian’s, and others around the world, by backing some of our greatest minds to come up with real world solutions” said Assistant Minister Chisholm.
The ARC’s Industrial Transformation Training Centres play an integral role in fostering close partnerships between university-based researchers and industry through the delivery of innovative Higher Degree by Research and postdoctoral training.
THRIVE is one of six centres funded in 2022 as part of a $29.2 million government investment in the Industrial Transformation Training Centres.
You can find out more information about the ARC’s Industrial Transformation Training Centres here, and more information about THRIVE here.