Prefab Centre

The ARC Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing is the centrepiece for collaborative, eco-friendly, prefabricated housing research in Australia, striving to deliver breakthrough product and process innovations that will enable the Australian housing industry to compete on a global stage. The centre aims to unlock the potential growth of Australia’s prefabricated building industry by creating a co-operative training system between industry and universities leading to local employment growth and increased exports of prefabricated products and services. Administered by the University of Melbourne, and led by Prof Priyan Mendis and Assoc Prof Tuan Ngo from Department of Infrastructure Engineering, the Centre brings together a highly collaborative venture involving four universities and twelve industry partners. This initiative, which has attracted funding of $6M over four years, including significant investment from the Australian Research Council, is testament to the critical importance of this industry in Australia, and demonstrates the value that both industry and government place in collaborative, cross-disciplinary research.