Areas of research focus

Today’s local and global challenges present engineering and IT schools with unique opportunities.

Our purpose is to benefit society through the creation and application of knowledge in engineering, digital and data with our students and the global community we serve.

Our commitment is to focus on areas that have the greatest potential for interdisciplinary, genuine partnerships with others and that will contribute most meaningfully to the benefit of society.

Our areas of focus

AI, data science and robotics

Artificial intelligence, big data and robotics are disrupting the world, and no one will remain untouched. There is no clear leader for AI and data science amongst Australian education institutions, positioning the Faculty of Engineering and IT to set the standard and lead the way around this ever-growing category of specialisation. We will collaborate across the multidisciplinary breadth and depth of the University of Melbourne, and develop new and renewed external partnerships, to enable the Melbourne Connect precinct to emerge quickly from 2021 as a major academic and entrepreneurial centre of excellence for the digital future.

Smart and sustainable development

At the heart of the major challenges facing society globally is the more efficient and sustainable use of resources. Through our research and curriculum, the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology will be in a position to influence policy and lead the generation of new technology and solutions to global resource challenges encompassing both the generation and utilisation of energy, water distribution, food production, transport and smart infrastructure. We will build a new campus for advanced technologies and design at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne to facilitate this expanded leadership role, with operations to commence in 2024.

Health technologies

Expertly designed technologies can have significant impact on global health and wellbeing. Through development of solutions integrating medical devices such as robotic prosthetics and bionics, novel brain-machine interfaces, application of advanced materials including nano-technology, specialised analytics to integrate complex health-related data for diagnosis and prediction, and the design of systems that creatively leverage digital media to support clinical decision making and patient well-being, we will work side-by-side with health professionals and patients to deliver healthier communities. We will transform our Parkville campus facilities and grow our partnerships with the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD), the Graeme Clark Institute, and the Centre for Digital Transformation of Health to create new biomedical innovation opportunities together.

Defence technologies

Capitalising on the success we’ve had in developing advanced defence technologies, we can establish links across engineering, IT and other disciplines from the broader University of Melbourne scientific community, to develop a nationally leading practice in defence, security and cybersecurity solutions. Our new infrastructure at Fishermans Bend, Melbourne Connect, and the Parkville campus will be a key enabler of our continued growth and success as a national leader in defence technologies up to and well beyond 2025.