The ARC Research Hub for Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality (ZeroPC Hub) at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has announced a new collaborative research partnership with NovaShield Pty Ltd, marking another important milestone in translating Australia’s world-leading energy materials research into commercially deployable clean-energy technologies.
The new collaboration will focus on developing next-generation green thermoelectric technologies for energy-efficient and sustainable buildings, combining advanced thermoelectric materials with NovaShield’s innovative transparent thermal insulation coating technologies. The project forms part of the Hub’s mission to accelerate Australia’s transition towards carbon neutrality through industry-driven innovation and advanced manufacturing. The project is formally established as Green Thermoelectric Technologies for Energy-efficient and Sustainable Buildings within the ZeroPC Hub.
The collaboration will be jointly advanced by QUT researchers and NovaShield’s industry team, with Professor Zhi-Gang Chen leading the project from the ARC ZeroPC Hub, and Zhiping Zhou serving as the industry project lead from NovaShield. Lei Zhao, Director of NovaShield, will support the partnership in advancing industry engagement, technology translation and future commercialisation opportunities.
Buildings account for approximately 40% of global energy consumption, with heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems representing one of the largest contributors to electricity use and greenhouse gas emissions. By integrating passive infrared-blocking coatings with active thermoelectric cooling and energy harvesting technologies, the collaboration aims to develop intelligent building envelope solutions capable of substantially reducing cooling demand while improving indoor comfort and overall energy efficiency. The project specifically targets advanced thermoelectric materials, printable flexible devices, scalable manufacturing, smart-window integration and commercialisation pathways for sustainable buildings.
Professor Zhi-Gang Chen, Director of the ARC ZeroPC Hub, said the partnership demonstrates the Hub’s commitment to moving beyond fundamental discoveries towards real industrial implementation.
“Australia has outstanding research capability in advanced materials and clean energy. Our challenge now is translating these discoveries into technologies that create economic value, strengthen advanced manufacturing and contribute to Australia’s net-zero future.”
“The ARC ZeroPC Hub was established specifically to bridge this gap between research excellence and industrial impact. Working closely with innovative companies such as NovaShield enables us to co-develop technologies that address real industry challenges while creating new commercial opportunities.”
NovaShield brings complementary expertise in advanced transparent thermal insulation coatings and smart building materials. Through this collaboration, researchers and industry engineers will jointly develop hybrid technologies that combine passive solar management with active solid-state thermal management to create highly energy-efficient building solutions.
The collaboration also builds on the ZeroPC Hub’s growing ecosystem of industrial partnerships across renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, wearable electronics, green buildings, and waste-heat recovery. Since its establishment, the Hub has brought together leading Australian universities and industry partners to accelerate the commercialisation of zero-emission energy technologies.
Unlike conventional academic collaborations, the ZeroPC Hub adopts a co-development model where industry partners actively participate in defining research priorities, prototype development, manufacturing scale-up and commercial translation. This approach significantly shortens the pathway from laboratory discovery to market deployment while ensuring that research outcomes address genuine industrial needs.
Professor Chen said attracting innovative Australian companies into the Hub is central to its long-term vision.
“Innovation happens when researchers and industry work together from the beginning. We welcome companies that are interested in developing next-generation clean-energy technologies and transforming research breakthroughs into globally competitive products.”
The NovaShield collaboration will support prototype development, performance validation under realistic operating conditions, intellectual property generation and future commercialisation activities. Under the project agreement, QUT and NovaShield will jointly develop new intellectual property and collaborate on translating research outcomes into commercial technologies.
As Australia accelerates its transition towards a low-carbon economy, partnerships such as this demonstrate how university–industry collaboration can drive innovation, create new manufacturing opportunities and deliver technologies with global impact.