Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) Europe and the Eurecat technology centre celebrated the fifth anniversary of their partnership to increase technological innovation in small, medium-sized and large companies in Catalonia and Victoria (Australia). Half a decade of collaboration has resulted in around 15 R&D and innovation projects in fields including metals, water management, chemistry, nutrition, quantum technologies and artificial intelligence.
The event brought together RMIT representatives, led by the university’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Alec Cameron, Vice President Engagement Michelle King, and CEO RMIT Europe, Marta Fernández; Eurecat representatives, led by Eurecat President, Daniel Altimiras, and the technology centre’s CEO, Xavier López; ACCIÓ CEO, Joan Romero; as well as companies with a presence in Australia and Catalonia interested in strengthening ties between the two regions.
The relationship between Eurecat and RMIT “demonstrates that systematic collaboration between the technology centre and the university is key to enhancing the impact of applied research and technology on businesses and society”, said Xavier López.
“Establishing stable collaborations with the different agents of national and international ecosystems is one of the main pillars of Eurecat’s model, which is characterised by an integrated, multidisciplinary approach focused on improving business competitiveness and social wellbeing, a formula that was recognised with the 2025 National Award for Knowledge Transfer and Innovation”, added Daniel Altimiras.
Joint research unit for metal digital manufacturing
The collaboration between RMIT and Eurecat has led to the creation of a Joint Research Unit (JRU) for Digital Metal Manufacturing, in which “the complementary capabilities of the two organisations have made it possible to provide comprehensive coverage across the entire value chain, from the production of high-quality metal powder, the raw material used in metal 3D printing; through improvements in 3D printing production technology, to the measurement and quality assurance of manufactured parts using new, fast and effective inspection methods”, explained Eurecat’s Scientific Director, Daniel Casellas.
In this field, Eurecat and RMIT have developed and patented a technology for monitoring and quality control of metal parts manufactured using additive manufacturing. The technology detects the level of porosity in a part without the need to cut it or use expensive and specialised equipment and also makes it possible to determine whether the porosity compromises its structural integrity.
Professor Cameron, Vice Chancellor and President of RMIT said: “Across the past five years, RMIT and Eurecat have built a strong and productive relationship that demonstrates the value of combining strengths, sharing expertise and working across borders”.
“From research collaborations to the development of new intellectual property, including our jointly patented additive manufacturing technology, our partnership has created new opportunities for innovation and industry engagement. We are proud of what we have built together and ambitious about the opportunities ahead, including through Australia’s association with Horizon Europe, to further strengthen connections between the innovation ecosystems of Europe and Australia”.
From 2027, Australia will become associated with Horizon Europe, enabling its companies and research organisations to participate in and lead European projects, contributing to and gain direct access to funding under conditions comparable to those of associated countries and EU Member States.
