ACM CRC Partner Meeting 2026

ACM CRC Media Team • June 12, 2026


The ACM CRC Partner Meeting 2026 brings together partners, researchers, industry leaders and academia for two days of keynotes, collaborative sessions and strategic discussion in Sydney.


This year's program features:


  • Lisa Blair OAM - world record-holding solo sailor and climate activist, partnering with ACM CRC on sustainable composites with Steber International and UNSW Sydney
  • AI in Advanced Manufacturing - keynotes and hands-on breakout sessions exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming composites research and industry
  • Strategic and Research Program updates
  • RISE Fellowship Awards and the award for Best HDR Presentation


This is an opportunity for the ACM CRC network to connect, celebrate achievements and shape the future direction of Australia's composites manufacturing sector.


DATE: Wednesday 19 August and Thursday 20 August 2026

VENUE: Greenhouse Tech Hub. Level 3, 180 George Street Sydney

REGISTRATION: https://events.humanitix.com/acm-crc-partner-meeting-2026


KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Lisa Blair OAM

World Record-Holding Solo Sailor | Climate Activist | Author

  • Read Lisa Blair's Bio

    Lisa Blair, a trailblazing sailor and climate activist, made history with her remarkable achievements. She became the first woman to sail solo around Antarctica, overcoming a dramatic dismasting incident. Her yacht, Climate Action Now, embodied her commitment to a sustainable future.


    Lisa led the first all-female team in the iconic Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and set two world records by circumnavigating Australia solo and unassisted in just 58 days. In the Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race, she achieved another milestone as part of the first double-handed female team to finish.


    On 25 May 2022, Lisa shattered records again, becoming the fastest person to sail solo,non-stop, and unassisted around Antarctica, surpassing the previous record by 10 days. She collaborated with renowned scientific organizations, elevating her expedition to a UnitedNations Decade of Ocean Science initiative.


    Lisa set her 6th and 7th records in 2024, becoming the fastest person and first woman to sail from Sydney Australia to Auckland in New Zealand. She established a new record time of 8 days, 3 hours and 19 minutes taking more than 4 days of the previous record time. Lisa then set her latest record by becoming the first person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around New Zealand from Auckland to Auckland, Lisa crossed the start line at 0757 (NZST) Tuesday 7 May and finished at 7.30 am (NZST) on Friday 24 May, sailing over 2,672 nm and taking just under 17 days to complete the trip. 


    Lisa was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her services to sailing in January 2025. She has now sailed over 130,000 nm and holds an RYA Yacht Master offshore.


    Lisa is an Australian adventurer, author of ‘Facing Fear’, and speaker on resilience and mental agility. As a passionate Climate Activist, she crafts projects to advance sustainability, inspiring future generations to embrace Climate Action Now. Lisa is now turning her attention to becoming the first person to sail solo around the Arctic Circle.

Tong Xie

Associate Lecturer, UNSW Sydney | CEO & Founder, GreenDynamics

  • Read Tong Xie's Bio

    Tong Xie is an Associate Lecturer at UNSW Sydney's School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, where he leads the university's AI4Science initiative. His research sits at the intersection of machine learning, materials science and natural language processing, with a focus on large-scale scientific foundational models and AI-driven discovery. 


    He has directed several breakthrough projects at UNSW, including DARWIN - the world's first physical-science large language model - and MiST, the first reasoning-capable model purpose-built for chemical sciences. 


    Tong is also CEO and Founder of GreenDynamics, and is recognised among NCI Australia's Top 10 HPC-AI Talents.

RISE Fellowship - Nominations Open


The RISE Fellowship will once again spotlight remarkable women in STEM from within the CRC. This prestigious award champions leadership, innovation and impact. To nominate a candidate, please complete the nomination form. Nominations are welcome from across the CRC community and self-nominations are also encouraged.


Nominations close Friday 24 July 2026, 9am AEST.


ACM CRC HDR Student Prize 2026 - Now Open for Submissions


The ACM CRC HDR Student Prize returns, recognising outstanding academic and industry-focused research from our Higher Degree by Research (HDR) cohort. This annual prize celebrates excellence in research, innovation and engagement aligned with the goals of the CRC.


Now in its second year, the ACM CRC HDR Student Prize is a Shark Tank-style pitch competition open to all ACM CRC HDR candidates. Finalists pitch their research as a commercial proposition to industry partners, university leads and the ACM CRC Board, with the winner announced live at the event.


Submissions close Friday 24 July 2026 - full details here.
 

See the Partner Meeting highlights in 2025, 2024 and 2023.


Event Name: ACM CRC Partner Meeting 2026

Event date:   19 and 20 August 2026

Location:  Greenhouse Tech Hub

Level 3, 180 George Street Sydney


Register Now! >

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