Professor Allison Kealy was appointed Director of the Institute in 2024. I spoke with her recently to discuss her vision for the Institute as well as her own career.
1
You joined Swinburne just over a year ago to lead the Innovative Planet Research. What is your ambition for the Institute and its focus?
The Institute is positioned to focus on addressing some of the world’s greatest challenges, using the UN sustainable development goals as its basis. These challenges can’t be addressed by one single domain, so we focus on how to collaborate across all domains, breaking down silos and building collaboration in order to solve these world challenges together. For instance, we look at how we can deliver energy efficiencies for transport systems or how we can design more efficient and sustainable cities of the future.
Another example is our founding partnership of the Victorian Disaster Research Alliance, a group created to bring together researchers from across Victoria to facilitate research and innovation as well as developing practical solutions for the area of disaster recovery. This will enable disaster agencies to access practical solutions to assist in the disaster management and recovery stages.
2
Your own discipline is Geospatial Science. Why the specific attraction and what is the current focus of your research?
I grew up in Trinidad and did a land surveying degree. I really enjoyed maths and had an opportunity to travel to the UK to do a PhD in Geodesy. From there I moved into other areas in Geospatial Science such as satellite positioning, navigation, GPS and Geodesy.
My current research focus is on the integration of quantum and classical sensors which can be used for navigation when traditional technologies like GPS doesn’t work, such as underwater, in tunnels or for intentional/unintentional jamming. By combining quantum and classical sensors we can develop the most resilient solutions for navigation. Building on my work in quantum technologies and resilient technologies, I now serve as a Board Member for Quantum Australia and Consulting Surveyors Victoria, and I’m leading a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) bid for Resilient Positioning, Navigation and Timing. Each of these roles champions the outstanding research and innovation happening at Swinburne University — and helps bring national focus to the capabilities we’re developing.
3
You are also Theme Leader for Precision Measurement at the ARC Centre for Excellence in Optical Microcombs for Breakthrough Science. Can you elaborate?
This theme focuses on translating research into real-world impact — particularly in making our society more resilient when GPS fails. Many everyday systems we rely on, from credit card transactions to energy distribution, depend on the precise information provided by GPS. If GPS becomes unavailable, these services can grind to a halt. The effects would be widespread, disrupting freight, logistics, banking, payments, and more — with serious consequences for how our society operates. The ARC Centre is addressing this vulnerability by developing alternative technologies and backup systems that can maintain critical services when GPS is compromised.
4
You have not only worked in higher education but also in government. How did you find the differences and the experience?
I don’t see a huge divide between the higher education and government sectors — but having worked on both sides, I now have a much clearer view of how they can work together to drive innovation and impact.
During my time in government, particularly as Executive Director of the Surveying and Spatial Department at Land Use Victoria, I saw first-hand how innovation can emerge from within government just as much as from academia. Both sectors bring different strengths: government understands systems, implementation and public value, while academia brings deep expertise, experimentation and long-term thinking.
Now that I’ve returned to higher education, I approach research differently. We think early about how our ideas can be developed in partnership with government and industry, not just handed over at the end. We ask: Who needs this? How will it be used? What change could it enable?
As academics, it’s easy to become absorbed in the novelty of an idea — but we also need to understand its path to adoption. Thanks to my time in government, I’ve learned that the best research doesn’t just generate knowledge; it creates relevance. And relevance begins with listening, collaboration, and shared purpose.
5
Finally, stakeholder engagement is critical. What is key to building strong partnerships in academic and research settings?
At the core, it’s all about building trusted relationships. I’ve found the most effective way to build lasting partnerships is to shift the mindset from “what can they do for me?” to “what can I do for them?” Partnerships aren't just transactional or tied to a specific project — they’re long-term relationships. I still stay connected with people I collaborated with early in my career. Even when there’s no obvious reason to stay connected, they remain a valued and enduring part of my professional community. This matters. People appreciate being engaged without the expectation that every conversation leads to an ask. Sometimes, the most meaningful interactions are those where the only agenda is connection.
