New pilot facility fast-tracks membrane innovation 

Monash University and CSIRO have unveiled a joint membrane pilot facility to grow Australia’s ability to translate research into real-world industrial solutions. 

The faculty, housed in the Monash Centre for Membrane Innovation (MCMI) at the university’s Clayton campus in Victoria, bridges a critical gap between lab-scale breakthroughs and commercial deployment. 

Membranes are essential to many future-focused industries, enabling everything from clean hydrogen production and energy storage to low-waste chemical processing and efficient water purification. 

MCMI director professor Matthew Hill says the facility is already being used by academic and industry researchers to refine scalable membrane designs and validate them under real-world operating conditions. 

“This isn’t just a facility — it’s a national capability that will accelerate the development of next-generation membrane technologies in areas like water purification, green hydrogen and resource recovery,” he said. 

“By embedding research excellence into infrastructure that can test, validate and scale emerging membrane technologies, we’re creating a launchpad for sovereign innovation and international collaboration.” 

The facility is equipped with leading-edge instruments, including roll-to-roll membrane coating and casting systems, testing platforms for various membrane types and high-precision electrochemical analysis tools. The facility supports both short-term testing and long-term research and development (R&D) partnerships. 

CSIRO materials for energy, environment and health group leader Dr Zonli Xie says the facility represents a strategic expansion of Monash and CSIRO’s long-standing partnership in membrane science. 

“Together, Monash and CSIRO offer a complete innovation pipeline — from material design to membrane fabrication, optimisation and scale-up,” she said.  

“This facility gives Australian science and industry a shared foundation to rapidly co-develop solutions for the most pressing resource and environmental challenges. 

“The pilot facility is the latest chapter in a growing ecosystem that positions Australia as a global player in membrane innovation.” 

In a symposium to be held alongside the launch, key researchers will share insights into emerging trends and challenges in the membrane field.