Twenty years of ResTech: Celebrating collaboration between Ampcontrol and University of Newcastle
On 31 October, ResTech, a joint venture between Ampcontrol and the University of Newcastle, opened their doors to students, industry and the media for an Industry Open Day in celebration of their 20th anniversary.
The Honourable Ed Husic MP, Federal Minister for Industry and Science will be keynote speaker at the Hunter Nexus Gala Dinner in honour of ResTech on Thursday 31 October 2024. This is following the Hon. Ed Husic MP officially opening the ResTech Living Labs facility on 21 September 2023.
Established in 2004, the ResTech facilities are located at the industrial-focused Callaghan Campus, NSW. The collaborative Living Lab aims to accelerate the development and commercialisation of cutting-edge technologies and solutions in the energy, infrastructure and resource sectors.
Founded by Ampcontrol co-founder Peter Cockbain, ResTech brought together the skills, competencies, knowledge, and diversity of an industry leader with the intellectual vitality and expertise of a university to provide enhanced research and development capabilities in power and systems engineering, power, and industrial electronics, as well as technology. The venture assisted the University School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in maintaining excellence in its core disciplines through support for undergraduate programs, post-graduate funded projects, and a professorial academic chair in power engineering.
ResTech employs over 30 people, including 24 dedicated research and development team members with power systems, electronics, design, and hardware disciplines. A key component of ResTech is the opportunity to provide Final Year Project opportunities to undergraduate engineers—allowing them to gain experience while working on challenging research projects with industry. In November 2023, ResTech was inducted into the Work Integrated Learning Hall of Fame at the 2023 University of Newcastle Employability Awards for their contribution to Final Year Project opportunities.
The Industry Open Day is an opportunity to showcase some of the latest innovations developed by ResTech. The products being showcased include:
- Gilghi, an award-winning off-grid water purifying system for remote and Indigenous communities
- EnviroBot, a computer vision-based precision herbicide applicator robot
- GPS Cable Tracker for large surface mines
- Intrinsically Safe LED Machine lighting solution for hazardous environments
- Iron Ore mining electrification enablers
Quote attributed to the University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alex Zelinsky
“Our university has a really important role to play in the community through our partnerships with industry, and we’re proud to have been partnering with Ampcontrol for more than 20 years.
“Ensuring our graduates have the skills and attributes that make them highly employable is an important part of the university experience. We want them to be critical thinkers who can analyse situations and find solutions to the workforce problems of the future.
“Restech is shaped by industry and allows our students to gain experience working with industry leaders on challenging research projects that are directly relevant to their degrees. It is this kind of experience that can really help to set our students apart when they graduate and we are so passionate about giving them that opportunity.”
Quote attributed to Ampcontrol Managing Director & CEO, Rod Henderson
“Forming joint ventures and collaborations in innovation can't occur in isolation—it takes a network of thought-leaders and world-changers to offer expertise and resources that can revolutionise the industry. Ampcontrol and the University of Newcastle are united to deliver energy solutions that will help make global net zero a reality.”
“At Ampcontrol, we recognise that working with the best will help us deliver innovations that can transform the world. We're dedicated to leading the global energy revolution but understand that this ambitious goal can't be achieved alone. We aim to bring about disruptive innovations that reshape energy consumption and usage through collaboration, ingenuity, and advanced manufacturing capabilities.”
"Collaborating with the best will help us deliver innovation that can transform the world. The vital work
coming out of ResTech is providing real-world solutions to support the energy transition—both here in the Hunter and beyond."
Quote attributed to ResTech General Manager, Chris Bird
“ResTech is driven to innovate through collaboration, seeking intense, solid research and development opportunities that will allow us to advance industry across different sectors.”
“From stand-alone power systems designed to replace traditional 'poles and wires' grid connections,
to a world-first battery electric vehicle innovation supporting the electrification of mining operations,
ResTech utilises design thinking to create new products and solutions that keep people safer, make operations more efficient, and help drive decarbonisation”
“We believe that long-term customer relationships create increasing value; by allowing deeper insight into their challenges and direction, we can ensure we’re solving the most important problems – or bringing other people to the table when our own capabilities aren’t the best match.”
Related news
- 2025 King’s Birthday Honours celebrates distinguished Australians
- Secret koala population uncovered on city fringe
- Astronomers gain unprecedented insight into the formation of a planet 850 lightyears away
- Newcastle engineer shines under Australian Academy of Science spotlight
- First researchers announced for accelerator program tackling sepsis
Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.