SAMI Bitumen Technologies’ is celebrating the opening of its new technical centre, which promises to provide a boost for the research and development of nationally significant innovations for the road construction and maintenance sector.
For SAMI Bitumen Technologies, the development of innovative bitumen additives and performance enhancers has long relied on a vast production and design network.
With key facilities and presence across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, SAMI’s network continues to grow, as does its impact on the industry.
Now the business is further strengthening its domestic ties, with a brand-new technical centre set to re-announce its status as one of the largest independent suppliers of bitumen and bitumen additives in Australia.
The decision to establish a new technical centre was made around October 2024, after SAMI identified that its old Camellia Plant lab in New South Wales was no longer sufficient for current and future needs.
Factors, such as a lack of space for new equipment and optimised workflows, meant different disciplines were often interfering during day-to-day operations. Hamidreza Sahebzamani, R&D and Technical Support Manager – SAMI Bitumen Technologies explains.
“The last facility was a very old building which was developed as was necessary at the time,” he says. “There came a point where it was no longer sufficient for us and for future development, it was also near our production plant as well.
“What we wanted was a more streamlined site, with better workflows, in an inclusive environment.”
The new technical centre is an independent, purpose-built facility serving as the main hub for SAMI’s research, development, and quality control activities.
Across about 700 square metres, the centre consists of two floors. The first contains multiple laboratory sections for asphalt, binder, emulsion, and cold mix testing. The second-floor houses boardrooms, meeting and training rooms for seminars and industry events, opening the door for collaboration with industry partners, academic institutions, and other global labs.
Importantly, the new facility separates research and development from production. Previously, both research and development, and quality control often overlapped or interfered with daily production activities. As Lijin Kuriachan, Quality Control and Process Manager – SAMI Bitumen Technologies explains.
“This facility is designed particularly around our flow of work. Disciplines are segregated into regions and specific locations and separate labs,” he says. “So, the binder lab has its own flow, asphalt has its own flow. And just like our previous facility, health and safety are enhanced in the work environment.”
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Another major improvement is accessibility, as Kuriachan adds.
“It’s a very inclusive environment and everything is designed to accommodate all types of people,” he says. “There’s accessibility for people living with disabilities, works have just finished on our lift, there’s also quiet rooms and spaces to accommodate various religious activities and people.”
Since opening, the centre has already launched a number of joint research and development projects with partners such as the University of New South Wales, helping to encourage the next generation of innovators and thought leaders, in the form of current PhD students.
Such projects and initiatives are supported by the new centre, with SAMI happy to open its doors, inviting industry to use these new facilities to develop their own projects, again supporting sector-wide outcomes for the industry’s benefit.
“Even if they’re not a customer, it doesn’t matter. We have very high-quality testing services available,” Sahebzamani says.
Existing customers are also set to benefit, with expectations that the new centre will help to provide customer support and troubleshooting more efficiently, as well as high-quality outcomes for developed additives.
“This collaborative environment, where we can share ideas, especially around challenges, is very helpful for customers. It’s also helpful internally, especially in a much more open environment,” Kuriachan says.
All such initiatives are supported by the wider COLAS network – SAMI’s parent company – which connects key additive innovators globally. The new facility’s resources, space, and technical expertise will allow for even more active engagement in international research projects, technology transfer, and knowledge sharing with these COLAS colleagues worldwide.
In fact, the centre has already been identified as a COLAS global hub.
“We’re able to contribute to those joint projects between other labs, such as our technical teams in COLAS labs across Paris, Canada and Thailand and more regions,” Kuriachan says.
This vision, to lead the industry and continually develop cutting-edge work, has been aided greatly by the opening of the centre, with Sahebzamani believing it will help to set an example for inclusivity and modern laboratory design.
“I’m confident that in a short period of time, the SAMI technical centre will be a leading resource for pavement innovation not only throughout the whole region, but maybe in the world,” he says.
“I’m really excited for the future, and am sure that into the future, the industry will see a lot of innovation that originates from here.”
For Kuriachan, it’s the prospect of uniting industry, as well as inspiring staff, that excites him the most.
“This is a flagship centre for SAMI. The openness and inclusivity are a good thing not only for our staff, but also the wider sector,” he says.
“Also, that potential for technical innovation and wider industry collaboration, which is something we desperately need as an industry. That’s the role we can play.”
This article was originally published in the February edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.
