TRaCE celebrates with showcase and launch of new facilities for lab to market development

The University of Newcastle has officially opened two new facilities designed to help turn research into real-world clean energy and recycling solutions. The launch of the Modern Manufacturing Workshop and Advanced Prototyping Facility, both located at the Callaghan Campus, was held yesterday during the Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE) Showcase event, which also marked the halfway point of the four-year program.

The TRaCE initiative, co-led by the University of Newcastle and UNSW and funded through the Department of Education’s Trailblazer Universities Program, is aimed at moving clean energy and circular economy technologies from lab-scale development to commercial markets.

Federal Member for Newcastle, Ms Sharon Claydon MP, opened the event on behalf of the Minister for Education, Jason Clare MP. “TRaCE is all about taking the incredible research and ideas developed in our labs and turning them into real-world solutions – creating jobs, cutting emissions, and driving a more sustainable economy,” Claydon said.

The opening brought together more than 150 people, including government officials, university leaders, researchers, and companies already involved in projects with TRaCE. These collaborations span hydrogen innovation, alternative fuels, and new ways to handle and reuse construction materials.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Newcastle, Professor Alex Zelinsky AO, said the new facilities are designed to help connect researchers, students, and industry partners in practical settings. “These new facilities are more than bricks and mortar—they are powerful engines of innovation that bring industry, students, researchers, and entrepreneurs together to solve our most pressing sustainability challenges.”

The TRaCE team presented a series of current projects as part of the event, including:

• AMMONIAC, working with Laureate Professor Behdad Moghtaderi and the University’s Centre for Innovative Energy Technologies, is developing a chemical-looping method to produce green ammonia that could simplify and reduce the cost of current processes.
• Superyard, a social enterprise working with Dr Josephine Vaughan, is creating tools that help businesses track and manage reusable construction materials. The aim is to reduce waste while redistributing surplus stock to charities.
• DeCarice, co-founded by Goran Bozic and Professor Shawn Kook at UNSW, is retrofitting diesel engines to run mostly on green hydrogen. Their dual-fuel system allows heavy vehicles such as mining trucks to operate with far lower emissions without replacing existing machinery.
• Siltrax, a company led by Dr Zhengrong Shi and Dr Jim Zhu, is replacing the metal plates in hydrogen fuel cells with silicon-based alternatives, offering a lighter, more durable and lower-cost solution for industrial and mobility applications.

Professor Emmanuel Mastio, Executive Director of TRaCE, said the program is setting up a long-term model that embeds commercialisation into university operations. “The launch of the Advanced Prototyping Facility and the Modern Manufacturing Workshop marks a significant milestone in our mission to deliver cutting-edge technologies and support a thriving green economy,” he said.

He added: “Over the next two years, we’ll focus on embedding TRaCE’s programs and partnerships within the core infrastructure of both universities—ensuring long-term impact and sustainability. This is the legacy we’re working to build: a lasting shift in how Australian universities deliver research commercialisation.”

The TRaCE initiative is due to run until 2027 and continues to support startups, scale-ups, and research teams working in clean energy, recycling, and circular design. The newly opened spaces at the Callaghan Campus are now available for industry partners and researchers to co-develop and test emerging technologies.

To read more about the work of the Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE) go to their website here.