Researching innovative
energy solutions
throughout Australia
The vision of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science is to deliver innovative solutions to address the global energy problem and position Australian industry at the forefront of solar energy enabling technologies. The Centre’s expertise in advanced materials and manufacturing, excitonic processes and devices, and its focus in three key research themes will drive this transition.
Exciton Science is a collaboration between five of Australia’s top universities. The Centre is administered by The University of Melbourne (UoM), with collaborating universities at RMIT, Monash University (Monash), UNSW Sydney and the University of Sydney (USyd). The Centre also has three Australian industry partners, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), and the Defence Science and Technology Group (DST) as well as a number of international partner universities including Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology – Chinese Academy of Sciences (CIGIT) (China), University of California, Berkeley (USA), Universität Bayreuth (Germany), and Shandong University (China).
Exciton Science’s capacity for impactful research is unrestrained, and to accompany that the Centre has set in place a number of initiatives, programs and strategic directions to build the capacity of the next generation of Australia’s industry and workforce in solar and excitonic materials. The Centre also has a dedicated focus on educating and enlightening young Australians about opportunities in science and discovery.
The Centre’s core research seeks to understand how photons interact with advanced molecular materials in order to improve the way light energy is harnessed and used. With greater understanding, Exciton Science is creating new materials for solar energy conversion and high efficiency, next-generation, light-emitting devices. Further spin-off benefits of the research include high-performance chemical sensors and novel security devices. The Centre’s cutting-edge science and the critical mass of expertise and resources will enable Australia to be a significant player in these technologies.
The Centre is well-positioned to contribute to Australia’s transition to a sustainable energy future. It is focused on developing underpinning fundamental scientific expertise, global networks and high-quality graduates in energy and advanced manufacturing to enable a successful transition to occur.