Two new ARC initiatives are pursuing high-tech uses of water. 

The federal government recently launched the Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Hub for Nutrients in a Circular Economy (NiCE), which is set to transform the wastewater industry with a city-scale circular economy of nutrients. 

NiCE is commercialising nutrient recovery processing technologies by demonstrating uses of the liquid fertiliser produced from industrial and sewerage wastewater.

The ARC awarded $2 million in 2021 to the University of Technology Sydney to establish NiCE, under the Industrial Transformation Research Program.

Secondly, the government has launched the ARC Training Centre for the Global Hydrogen Economy (GlobH2E) in Sydney.

Led by the University of NSW, the ARC Training Centre is aiming to support Australia’s transformation into a world-leader in hydrogen through industry collaboration and developing new research-based engineering and business skills.

“This Training Centre will be a focal point for collaboration between universities and industry partners and will equip a future workforce of industry-focused engineers,” said Assistant Minister for Education, Senator Anthony Chisholm.