The Sir Lawrence Wackett Centre for Aerospace Design Technologies at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, was established in 1991 as a university centre to conducted research, continuing education and training and commercial activities. The Centre operates as a facilitator and a one-point of contact for clients from industry, government and other research organisations. The Centre reports to an advisory board consisting of university, industry and state government representatives and it is renewed every 5 years based on meeting performance targets.

The Centre is also an approved design organisation, accredited by the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

The seminar will give a brief overview of the Centre, how it operates and what impact it has made over the passed 15 years in aerospace research at RMIT University. The seminar will also highlight a number of ongoing research projects, most of which are in collaboration with industry. The seminar will conclude by presenting opportunities for collaboration, particularly through student internships and exchange.

KEYWORDS: aerospace design, computer-aided engineering, design optimization, flight performance, modeling and simulation.