Future Plans
The Alliance was an initiative of the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Resource Processing (The Centre for Sustainable Resource Processing or CSRP).
Funding for the first 3 years (the final 3 years of the CSRP) was granted by the CSRP out of the Geopolymer Program budget.
Initially the Alliance acted as a referral centre and focus for enquiries and collaboration into geopolymer research and development in Australasia. It attempted to foster the uptake of geopolymer technology and the use of mining, refining and power industry by-products in this and allied technologies.
Alliance members have moved to form a Foundation which has extended to world-wide membership with the following objectives.
OBJECTIVES OF THE FOUNDATION
(1) to provide a focal point for technical and commercial enquiries, scientific discussion, promotional activities and training
(2) to establish a network of participants in the field of geopolymers
(3) to act as a technology broker bringing together;-
- waste generators and product manufacturers
- researchers and industry
- manufacturers and infrastructure designers and owners
- inventors and commercializers.
(4) to act as a facilitator between;-
- waste generators, manufacturers, regulator authorities, consulting engineers, architects, construction companies and structure owners
(5) to help with co-operative research planning and funding across a range of research and industry providers, or as stand alone proposals.
(6) to lead in the formation of Codes of Practice, Standards, State-of-the-art publications and training courses
(7) to provide and facilitate training through workshops, conferences, tertiary curricula and industry training courses
During the Alliance phase all geopolymer researchers, feedstock suppliers, and manufacturers throughout Australasia were canvassed for opinion, input and support.
We believe that wide benefits are gained where a pool of shared knowledge is generated that can be exploited individually by companies to develop specific products or used to supplement their own intellectual capital and market knowledge. The aim being to establish this common pool of knowledge so that engineering credibility and material acceptance can be rapidly achieved. From this acceptance will flow a growth in the total market for applications of geopolymer technology, so benefiting all individual participants.
