Dr Matt Boreland, Technical Director at ANFF-NSW, has successfully secured $690,000 in funding to revitalise critical lab infrastructure. The funding comes from two major sources — $300K from UNSW’s Ageing Research Equipment Repair and Replacement Scheme (via the Office of the PVCRI) and $390K from the ANFF National Contingency Fund. This investment will enable the replacement of the ageing HHV sputtering tool, which has experienced a significant increase in age-related failures over the past 1–2 years. The upgrade will directly benefit both UNSW researchers and key industry partners, ensuring continued excellence in materials fabrication and innovation.
Author: Andrew See
ANFF Shines Spotlight on Lab Sustainability at IVC-23
Ute Schubert, Process Engineer at ANFF-NSW, took the stage as an invited speaker at the 23rd International Vacuum Congress (15–19 September 2025), delivering a compelling and well-received presentation titled “Lab Sustainability: Making an Impact Through Small Changes in Lab Operations.” Her talk drew a strong audience and sparked meaningful discussion on how incremental shifts in lab practices can drive significant environmental impact.
SQA alumna Holly Stemp wins the 2025 Malcolm Chaikin Prize for Research Excellence in Engineering at UNSW.
Sydney Quantum Academy alumna Holly Stemp wins the 2025 Malcolm Chaikin Prize for Research Excellence in Engineering at UNSW
Syenta secures $8.8M pre-series A funding
Semiconductor startup Syenta has raised $8.8 million in pre-series A funding to accelerate its work addressing memory bandwidth challenges in artificial intelligence hardware.
The investment will support Syenta in developing chip technologies to improve the speed and efficiency of data movement, a key focus as AI models continue to grow rapidly in scale.
This places Syenta among several high-growth Australian startups attracting strong investor backing this year.
Further reading: LinkedIn post.
Image credit: https://www.startupdaily.net/topic/funding/electronics-3d-ai-chips-generates-8-8-million-pre-series-a/
Micro-Nano Fabrication Education
RPF / ANFF-NSW@USYD is proud to collaborate with Associate Professor Steve Shu (new Academic Director at RPF) in delivering the innovative Unit of Study, ELEC5405: Building Microchips – From Theory to Practice, in Semester 1, 2025. This initiative exemplifies the intersection of academic excellence and community engagement, offering students a transformative learning experience that blends theoretical foundations with hands-on practice in the RPF Cleanroom.
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