Swinburne University’s first Founder in Residence will focus on aerospace R&D

Rachael Barritt from Dovetail Electric Aviation has been named Swinburne University’s first Founder in Residence, with a focus on “new ideas and ventures” related to aerospace and aviation.

According to a statement from Swinburne on Tuesday, Barritt (pictured) would work closely with the team at its Aerostructures Innovation Research Hub (AIR Hub), which is involved in research involving “intelligent manufacturing processes, advanced composite materials, advanced air operations, and sustainable fuels”.

Barritt is Dovetail’s Business Operations Manager.

“As a Founder In Residence at Swinburne, I am excited to be working at the forefront of aerospace technology. This program represents the future of innovation,” said Barritt.

“Working with leading experts from industry and academia, we will help translate cutting-edge research into sustainable, real-world solutions for the aviation industry.”

Dovetail was founded in 2021 and retrofits electric propulsion systems to existing, combustion aircraft. According to a statement on its website it is also the exclusive distributor of MagniX electric motors in “Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Mediterranean Europe”.

Its leadership team includes David Doral, a former CTO at Quickstep, and Aaron Shaw, Founder and CEO of Sydney Seaplanes and Alt Air, as co-founders, as well as former MagniX CEO Roei Ganzarski as a Director.

The company was awarded a $3 million Cooperative Research Centres Projects grant earlier this month.

Dr Werner van der Merwe, Swinburne’s Vice President, Innovation and Enterprise, said he was thrilled to welcome Dovetail and Barritt to the university.

“By connecting experienced entrepreneurs and leading researchers, we are accelerating the commercialisation of new technology to put Australia at the forefront of global innovation,” added van der Merwe.

Picture: credit Swinburne

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