Strategy
The generic themes behind the multi-physics process modelling and exploitation are nonlinearity, fundamental and/or implicit physico-chemical coupling, and multidisciplinarity. As such it offers an extremely challenging but intrinsically highly rewarding avenue of applications that is already starting in a number of areas.
Fundamental physics and chemistry are now being manipulated in an engineering context to design processes/ products for functionality and various other attributes in a futuristic environment. Specifically, some of the application and research areas targeted, by the very nature of the process requirements, demand a critical reassessment of the role of engineering (mechanical in particular) in this somewhat uncharted territory in terms of retraining, education and acquiring the critical skills necessary.
This group is dedicated to use previous expertise, refocusing where necessary, to build a critical mass with a vision to achieve a national/international standing in areas related to understanding, delineation, modelling, design/optimization and exploitation of biophysical processes, nanotechnology and novel materials processing for functionality and specific end use. Specifically, nano-machines, biological transport and exchange process delineation, modelling and exploitation and intelligent (smart) manufacturing techniques for mission critical materials for aerospace, electronic and other high value applications.