We are pleased to share an experience from Dr Karthika Prasad, one of our iLAuNCH Trailblazer team project leads and it's great to see what can be kick-started through the iLAuNCH fast track initiative.

Dr Karthika Prasad recently had the opportunity to visit CHEMZEST Group of Companies in India, a company specialising in silicone materials for space applications and a supplier to ISRO.

The visit was part of our collaborative project to enhance Chemzest’s existing silicone product by incorporating capabilities developed at The Australian National University. The aim is to improve the performance of the material and expand its potential for use in demanding space environments.

What made the visit particularly valuable for Dr Karthika Prasad was the opportunity to understand how the material is manufactured at an industrial scale. Mr. Navaneethan, one of the directors of Chemzest, took her through the complete manufacturing process, explained the function of each stage, and provided access to their facilities for practical work.

For Karthika, "As a researcher, seeing the manufacturing process firsthand was extremely important. It allowed me to better understand where modifications could realistically be introduced, which stages of production could be adjusted, and how our research capabilities could be integrated without disrupting the existing manufacturing workflow."

The Chemzest team also brought valuable knowledge of commercial production, scalability, quality control, customer requirements, and the practical challenges involved in taking a material from the laboratory to the market. Combining their industry and commercialisation expertise with our research and material-development capabilities created a strong foundation for genuine translational research.

The visit was therefore much more than a technical meeting. It was an opportunity to connect laboratory research with industrial manufacturing and to explore how academic innovation can be developed into a practical and commercially relevant product.

Thanks to Mr. Navaneethan and the Chemzest team for their hospitality, openness, and support throughout the visit.