The CRC for Welded Structures (CRC-WS) is a partnership between the Federal Government of Australia, Industry and Research organisations focussed on the Life Cycle Engineering of Welded Structures. The Centre has 16 Core Participant organisations from industry and academic (see below) and enjoys the support of over 60 other organisations within its research, education and technology transfer programs.

The Vision of the Centre is the provision of "innovative, timely and valuable solutions in the life cycle engineering of welded structures".

The Centre has a turnover of approximately $9m per annum with the majority of funds being invested in research programs in the following industry sectors: pipeline, joining equipment and consumables, power generation and petrochemical plant, mining and minerals processing, building and construction and OH&S.

Additional funds are invested in technology transfer, education (particularly of research students and Welding Engineers) and the commercialisation of R&D outcomes.

In the last two years, the Centre has significantly extended its activities; for example, the CRC-WS has:

a) Commenced a $2m two-year research program sponsored in part by the Australian Pipeline industry;

b) Commenced a $3m three-year program sponsored in part by ten Power Stations from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory;

c) Achieved accreditation for its world-first distance education course for Welding Engineers and licensing of the course in Europe.

The Centre is a joint venture involving Agility, ANSTO, APIA, BlueScope Steel, CIGWELD, CSIRO, Connell Wagner, DSTO, OneSteel, University of Adelaide, University of Sydney, University of Western Australia, University of Wollongong, Woodside Energy and WTIA, established and supported under the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centres Program

Dr Colin Chipperfield is the Chief Executive Officer of the CRC-WS and can be contacted at the Centre on telephone (02) 4252 8889, facsimile (02) 4226 9841, or email at either colin_chipperfield@uow.edu.au or mary_baker@uow.edu.au.