People
Our biggest resource are our people: a team of highly skilled, accomplished and diversified professionals with creative minds. Our senior team members typically gained experience in several countries, including: Australia, USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Denmark, working in Research, Product Development and Manufacture in diverse organizational environments:
- Large corporate: Johnson&Johnson, Cochlear, Smith&Nephew, Xerox, Nova Chemicals, Sherritt Gordon
- Start-ups: Nanosonics, Polartechnics, Exitech, NanoBioGene, Wilkore
- SME: Exitech, Wilkore
- Government: Defense Science and Technology Organisation
- Non-for-profit research organisations, public research and services: Fraunhofer Institute, IMEC, CSIRO, IP Australia, CNRS France, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory UK
Rick Barber, PhD.
RACI, Project Manager. Trained as a chemist in Canada, during his studies Rick worked in a range of companies such as Xerox, Nova Chemicals and Sherritt Gordon. In 2000 he moved to Australia and joined the CSIRO as a researcher investigating self-assembled microstructures in synthetic opals and related materials. His PhD research in the CRC for MicroTechnology at Swinburne University of Technology was on the development of techniques and models for the fabrication of microstructures using synchrotron x-ray lithography (LIGA) and excimer micromachining with the application of nano materials in microsorption pumps. At MiniFAB Rick works on the development and application of industrial microtechnology for a wide range of clients, working at the Proof-of-Concept level through to commercial implementation. He works with university researchers to develop new microengineered structures through to industrial clients for product development.
Jason Hayes, PhD, Operations Manager., Jason is formally trained as anapplied physicist at Hull University, UK. Upon completing his PhD, he started his industrial career at Exitech Ltd in the UK where his primary responsibility was customization of laser micromachining systems, working closely with clients to create integrated research and production systems. In 1999 he moved to Australia, where he continued his work in microtechnology at the Industrial Research Institute Swinburne, within Swinburne University of Technology. He was instrumental in growing the microtechnology team from 3 people and 1 research tool to over 30 people and a dedicated clean room R+D facility with a full suite of development and low volume production tools. In 2003, an offer to become employee No. 1 at MiniFAB was irresistible. Here, as well as being directly involved in technology development, he has been instrumental in building the operational infrastructure of MiniFAB and establishing an ISO13485:2003-certified quality system.
