AMC principal and former Royal Australian Navy officer Mal Wise welcomed the two new research facilities to AMC. Photo: AMC.
The University of Tasmania’s Australian Maritime College (AMC) will be the site for a new research and testing hub through partnerships with UK-based SubSea Craft and the Australian Standardised Shipyard Infrastructure Strategy (ASSIST) Maritime.
Located at Beauty Point near Georgetown north of Launceston, the AMC will host a new research, development, innovation and testing facility which will bring together SubSea Craft’s advanced maritime design expertise with AMC’s research and testing capabilities.
Meanwhile, a new Maritime Sustainment Infrastructure Engineering R&D Hub will tackle challenges in shipyard modernisation, digitalisation and operational efficiency. Operating as a national centre for applied research, training and technology development, it aims to accelerate improvements across Australia’s maritime infrastructure.
The new hub sites will include workshops, offices and collaborative spaces to support applied research, trials and product evaluation.
AMC principal Mal Wise welcomed the announcements which were made at the 2025 Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney.
“The partnership with SubSea Craft represents another significant step forward in AMC’s vision to create a national Defence, Maritime, Innovation and Design Precinct,” he said.
“It brings industry and academia together in a way that gives our students and staff exposure to the technologies defining the future of maritime operations.
“The partnership [with ASSISTY Maritime] marks a major step in aligning maritime research with industry delivery.”
SubSea Craft CEO Camilla Martin said the new facility would give the company the ideal environment to advance its technology and support its regional growth.
“This facility provides the ideal environment for our team to develop, test and refine emerging technologies that enhance operational capability in the most demanding environments,” she said.
“Our investment in Tasmania reflects our confidence in the region and our commitment to serving customers across Australia and the Indo-Pacific.”
ASSIST Maritime Chairman Simon Butler said the hub underscored the critical connection between research excellence and sovereign industrial capability.
“Across the industry, sustainment infrastructure has lagged advances in modern vessel design, contributing to higher costs, safety concerns, and reduced fleet availability,” he said.
“Working with AMC, we aim to close that gap – testing new systems and materials, advancing digital tools, and establishing standardised approaches that transform how Australia maintains maritime capability.”
Tasmanian Minister for Business, Industry and Resources Felix Ellis said the announcements highlighted the state’s advantages in specialist maritime research and development, as well as the strong reputation of the state’s maritime and defence industry.
“We are working together to move our state forward, and our supported vision of the University of Tasmania and the Australian Maritime College to establish a Defence and Maritime Innovation and Design Precinct is now well and truly a reality,” Mr Ellis said.
“Major national and international companies are seeking out the Tasmanian Defence Precinct, to utilise our specialist maritime facilities and work side by side with the best researchers to deliver new technologies and platforms.”
Operations at the new facilities are expected to commence in early 2026.
