The University of Queensland has formalised a new strategic agreement with Powerlink Queensland to support the development of the next generation of energy leaders.
The agreement builds on more than two decades of collaboration, with a renewed focus on energy research, innovation, workforce development, and engineering education.
UQ Professor of Electrical Engineering Tapan Saha said the new partnership model would allow both organisations to respond more effectively to the challenges and opportunities facing the energy sector.
“Powerlink and UQ have worked side by side for over 20 years,” Professor Saha said.
“This new strategic agreement allows us to move faster, think bigger, and have greater impact together.
Executive General Manager Field and Asset Management Emma Rogers said the strengthened partnership reflects Powerlink’s commitment to innovation and collaboration.
“We know that delivering an affordable, reliable energy future requires deep collaboration between industry and research institutions,” Emma said.
“Our continuing partnership with UQ ensures we can stay at the forefront of energy innovation, while also helping develop the workforce and solutions needed to meet Queensland’s future energy demands.”
The agreement enables a coordinated approach to joint federal funding applications, including ARC and ARENA initiatives, and supports grid innovation through collaborative proposals such as the recent Grid Enhancement Technologies Program.
Powerlink continues to contribute to UQ’s research ecosystem through co-supervised PhD projects, industry placements, and by supporting key initiatives such as the Australasian Transformer Innovation Centre, based at UQ.
Powerlink are also playing a role in the IEEE PES AUPEC 2025 conference hosted by UQ this week, through thought leadership and direct engagement with researchers and students.
The partnership also extends to shared commitments around equity and workforce diversity, with Powerlink supporting UQ’s Women in Engineering initiative as part of a broader effort to build a skilled, inclusive, and future-ready energy workforce.
