About ACART

What is ACART?

ACART is a collaborative venture between the Ford Motor Company of Australia and the University of Melbourne. It is funded in part by the Victorian State Government, through its Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) program.

ACART began in early 2006, and is presently in a major construction phase. Once operational, ACART will provide the local automotive and transport industries with state-of-the-art infrastructure and highly skilled personnel for advanced automotive research and testing.

ACART is located at two nodes: the Ford Australia Proving Ground at Lara, near Geelong and the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Melbourne. ACART will establish a new emissions facility and environmental laboratory testing facility at Ford and an engine dynamometer and emissions facility at the University. Together these facilities will ensure that automotive manufacturers and suppliers can continue to develop world-class products with increasingly sophisticated technology.

Working with ACART

Open access to any organisation is central to ACART's long-term business plan. ACART will undertake a range of activities that span from shorter-term, deadline driven work to longer-term research. This mix of activities will be a good fit for ACART's broad capabilities in research, testing and certification.

We are presently developing fee-for-service test plans and collaborative research projects with local and international industry and research organisations. Collaborative research projects can be funded directly or we can use our extensive experience in leveraging funds through various governmental funding routes.

An 'Access Agreement' covers all aspects of third party use of ACART facilities, including fees and confidentiality. As an open access facility, maintenance of third party confidentiality is central to ACART, and is ensured by:

• comprehensive non-disclosure agreements between ACART members and external parties,
• secure laboratory and office space with access only by approved persons,
• all commercially sensitive equipment and information stored in secure test cells and offices with access only by approved persons.

Download the ACART brochure [pdf]