Fugro’s partnership with the University of Western Australia (UWA) will continue for at least a further 5 years.

The Fugro Chair in Geotechnics, created in 2014 and first held by Professor Mark Randolph, is currently held by Professor Fraser Bransby. The Chair enables both Fugro and UWA to collaborate on research projects to extend knowledge and develop innovative solutions, with a particular focus on the energy sector.

The collaboration between Fugro and UWA is extensive and deep-rooted. For example, their jointly funded research is well underway on suction bucket foundations for offshore wind turbines under storm-loading conditions. Furthermore, Fugro’s experts often deliver lectures to students on UWA’s geotechnical courses and Fugro has used UWA facilities for geotechnical research and on a commercial basis.

UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Amit Chakma said: 
“Collaborations with industry have never been more important. The Chair links our university with Fugro for mutual benefit, as Fugro employs a large number of our graduates and postgraduates; we want our students to build careers and Fugro wants the high-quality training and education that we provide.” Professor Bransby added: “Our relationship with Fugro has generated many new research ideas and has enabled us to link student projects with industry. It has also enhanced our ability to make a direct impact on engineering practice.”

David Williams, Fugro’s Manager of Marine Geoconsulting in Asia-Pacific, said: 
“We see immense value in continuing our long-standing partnership with UWA. It enables us to exchange ideas with some of the best academic minds in the industry and to collaborate on academic papers that enhance the understanding of offshore geotechnics for a win-win arrangement.”

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Fugro