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An agreement as part of The University of Western Australia’s campaign to engage with industry is bringing practical startup expertise to UWA’s School of Computer Science and Software Engineering.

Representatives from UWA and Fleet Engineering officially formed a partnership today, making advances in computer science research and technologies more accessible to industry.

The partnership will be jointly led by UWA’s Head of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Professor Mark Reynolds and Fleet Engineering’s Andrew Walker. Fleet Engineering staff will work alongside students and researchers in developing commercially viable software technologies.

Professor Greg Ivey, the Faculty’s Deputy Dean of Research, said the partnership with a computer science start-up established by UWA graduates was great news for the University.

“This partnership will bring teaching and learning to a new level whilst furthering collaboration to benefit students, researchers and staff”, said Professor Ivey.

Founder of Fleet Engineering, Andrew Walker, who graduated from UWA as a Mechanical Engineer, said close links to universities are essential for any successful startup.

“One of the secrets of the success of Silicon Valley is the great relationship between Stanford University and emerging tech companies in the area. This relationship might surprise a few people, demonstrating that UWA is working towards delivering similar outcomes here in Perth”, said Dr Walker.

The School is excited to continue to collaborate with industry on innovative projects, said Professor Reynolds.

“There is a strong entrepreneurial spirit at UWA, with many willing and eager collaborators working together in innovative ways. With encouragement from Fleet Engineering’s experienced team of engineers, our students have the opportunity to connect their learning with real business problems and hopefully develop technologies to address unmet market needs”, said Professor Reynolds.

“All of the Fleet Engineering team are UWA engineering graduates so being able to translate academic success into the commercial world is a fantastic opportunity”, said Dr Walker.

The estimated value of the agreement is approximately $30,000 per year, covering access to shared facilities and teaching.

Media references

Mary Schultz (UWA Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics) (+61 8) 6488 1868