A Milestone Year for the Exciton Connect Program

The year 2023 has seen the Exciton Connect program grow from strength to strength. Exciton Connect was set up as our industry engagement, collaboration and entrepreneurship program and led by the Science and Industry Liaison Manager. In 2023, building upon the expertise of our Industry Advisory Committee and guided by a comprehensive review of our research projects and their commercial prospects from consultancy CapFeather, we focused on fortifying the most successful aspects of our Connect program and nurturing industry relationships to position them for post-Centre success.

This strategic approach led to many noteworthy outcomes, including:

• The formation of a spin-out company Green Shield Solutions;
• An exceptional 16x leverage achieved on funds given out in our first Connect Entrepreneurship project, which has secured over $1.19M in external grants and industry cash;
• More patents filed than in any other year for Exciton Science;
• The provision of industry internships and coursework for our students;
• The establishment of over a dozen new industry connections;
• Clear progress towards formalised, funded relationships with several existing partners.

Large Returns on Investment for Exciton Connect Entrepreneurship funding

Our flagship grassroots funding initiative, the Connect Entrepreneurship program, demonstrated remarkable success in 2023. The first funded project, Green Shield, led by Dr. Kalim Kashif and Prof. Udo Bach at Monash University, developed a sustainable electromagnetic shielding coating material platform technology. Using the $75,000 Entrepreneurship funding, the team focused their research to maximise value proposition, and subsequently spun out the company GreenShield Solutions from Monash University in February 2023, focusing on antistatic and EMI shielding solutions for Defence partners. As part of this project, new partnerships have been created with Silentium Defence, the Department of Defence, and Prof. Arthur Lowery. Critically, the project has leveraged Exciton Connect’s $75,000 funding by a factor of 16 to secure over $1.19 million dollars in collaborative grants. This includes $883,849 through a prestigious National Intelligence and Security Discovery Research Grant (NISDRG) in July 2023 and $292,863 through an Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) Seed Grant in December 2023 to develop applications in partnership with Silentium Defence, and $20,000 bonus from the CSIRO ON Accelerate program.

We have funded our second Connect Entrepreneurship project, led by Assoc. Prof. Girish Lakhwani at the University of Sydney, who has received $75,000 in Connect Entrepreneurship funding. This project focuses on developing novel Faraday rotator materials for optical isolators and switches in laser and telecommunication equipment. This project has the potential to impact a multi-billion-dollar market and the Connect funding has already been leveraged to secure a PERIscope commercialisation grant from the University of Sydney and to support ongoing discussions with industry optics manufacturing leader Toptica. The ultimate aim is to secure industry commitment to apply for collaborative translational grants in 2024 to develop this technology into a commercial product.

Strengthening strategic Industry Partnerships in preparation for the Centre wind-down

The Centre's strategic Exciton Connect industry partnerships deepened significantly in 2023 as we work towards external grant funding to continue them after the Centre finishes.

To consolidate our ongoing relationship with ClearVue PV, a Connect Industry Postdoc funding tranche was awarded to Prof. Paul Mulvaney to hire a Research Associate who is now working on engineering nanoparticle/polymer composites and conducting advanced spectroscopic and photovoltaic characterizations for power window applications. Following the success of this role we will work to secure additional grants and investments throughout 2024 to ensure the continuation and expansion of this project after the Centre concludes.

Furthermore, our relationship with the DuluxGroup has evolved, leading to a joint funding commitment for a Masters by Industrial Research student who will collaborate with DuluxGroup under the guidance of Assoc. Prof. Wallace Wong. Additionally, Prof. Jacek Jasieniak’s relationship with Woodside Energy has been enhanced through Connect funding, supporting an Industry Postdoc position.

Securing the Centre’s Legacy

Seeding future innovation and networks through the Better Futures Innovation Challenge

Industry Relevant Placements, Training, and Skills for our ECRs

This year saw significant strides in industry-relevant placements and training for our ECRs. Irina Zharinova completed an internship with Laminex P/L, partially funded by the Exciton Connect program and we are working with APR.Intern to plan more internships for 2024.

Several teams from Exciton Science completed CSIRO On programs, building and learning critical entrepreneurial and engagement skills. The Avail Solar team from the University of Melbourne took part in the CSIRO ON Prime program to explore commercial opportunities for our CZTS solar technology, engaging with over 35 industry experts, including the prominent Chinese solar manufacturer, LONGi. This program significantly informed their research direction and resulted in a $4,000 performance bonus from CSIRO.

The Monash University GreenShield team's participation in the CSIRO ON Accelerate program was instrumental in the spin-out of Green Shield Solutions and securing a $20,000 bonus from CSIRO. Furthermore, ten researchers from Exciton Science were granted access to the Surface Coatings Association of Australia’s Advanced Coatings Coursework modules, enhancing their expertise in this domain.

From left to right, the Avail Solar Team of Joshua Ezackial, Nicholas Kirkwood, Eliza Rokhsat and Yixiong Ji. Not pictured: Anglea Keyte

Industry and Stakeholder Events and Visits

In September 2023, we hosted the Industry, Innovation and Impact seminar, designed to showcase the best translational research work by Exciton Science and foster ongoing relationships between our researchers and the industry. The seminar featured thematic sessions focusing on Solar and Renewables, Sustainability, Agri-Tech, and Med-Tech to maximize engagement. Esteemed industry speakers included Dr. Kyra Schwarz from Deloitte, Michael Brear from MEI (Melbourne Energy Institute), Dr. Scott Watkins from KISCO, Dr. John Li from Radetec, and Dr. Alex Soeriyadi from LLEAF.

The event attracted a diverse audience of industry representatives, university technology transfer officers, and a large cohort of our researchers.

Additionally, a delegation from Exciton Science, including COO Kate McGeoch and Director Paul Mulvaney, visited Melbourne Safety Glass to discuss the application of Exciton Science technologies in power windows. The DuluxGroup R&D team also visited and toured the University of Melbourne's advanced spectroscopy and materials characterization facilities. Raygen, a solar energy and energy storage company, also visited the University of Melbourne node to discuss potential for collaborative research projects.

Looking to the Future