$23 million, four-year overhaul of ANFF-Q completed

A major $23 million upgrade to the Queensland node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility network was celebrated on Tuesday.

ANFF-Q has state-of-the-art facilities, staff and equipment specialised in microfluidics, organic electronics and opto-electronics, biomaterials, novel semiconductor materials, and related testing.

According to a statement from the Queensland government – which contributed $4.59 million to the node from its $25 million Research Infrastructure Co-investment Fund (RICF) – the new facility includes a cleanroom area expanded from 10,000 to 19,000 square metres, and the only 3D nano-printer of its kind in the country.

ANFF-Q Director Professor Justin Cooper-White said the node was a critical enabler of research “integral to Queensland’s advanced manufacturing sector” and was open-access to researchers and companies.

“Examples include the Queensland biotechnology start-up Vaxxas developing a needle-free way of delivering vaccines and researchers using snake venom to assist in wound treatment, demonstrating this infrastructure’s importance to our economy, and to helping improve the lives of millions of people worldwide,” Cooper-White said.

The two sites of the node operate at University of Queensland and Griffith University.

“The opening of the new cleanroom represents the conclusion of a four-year project to upgrade the facility to ensure it remains at the forefront of scientific exploration, boosting our competitive advantage in advanced manufacturing,” said state science minister Meaghan Scanlon.

The Queensland Government describes its RICF as complementary to the federal National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) program, which is the main source of funding for ANFF.