Deakin University’s Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH) connects teams with Smartsheet to deliver clean energy and recycling breakthroughs

In 2021, the Australian Government awarded Deakin University a grant for the establishment of the Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH) through the Trailblazer Universities Program. The program is designed to foster collaboration between industry and universities to accelerate innovation at speed and scale to build sovereign manufacturing capability. As a centre for innovation, Deakin’s REACH is creating Australia’s largest advanced ecosystem for recycling and clean energy.

REACH brings together more than 15 partners across industry, government, and education, with over 20 projects running in parallel—many with multiple research streams—and manages AUD50 million in Australian Government funding, with total investment reaching AUD380 million.

Disparate tools, siloed collaborators

When the program came together, the team started looking for a platform that could consolidate projects into one system. “Researchers across the university were using separate tools and methods. Everyone was doing what worked for them,” shares Matthew Constable, Director, REACH Industry Engagement. Having a consolidated platform would not only unite cross-divisional teams, but also simplify government reporting and give partners secure access to project data.

Over six months, REACH collaborated with the Smartsheet team to design a comprehensive, tailored solution. It all started with a discovery workshop to help clarify REACH’s needs, refine workflows, and address any concerns. 

“The Smartsheet team felt like an extension of our organisation. They were incredibly supportive—no request was too big.  They were committed to delivering the product we needed while guiding us on budget considerations, providing workarounds, and suggesting options,” shares Padraig Stapleton, Senior Governance Manager at REACH.

A unified platform

Today, Smartsheet is the heart of Deakin’s REACH, where every action, update, and plan comes together. It integrates with internal systems for budgeting, project planning, reporting, risk and issue management, and internal communications. The platform aggregates project data into thematic areas like Energy, Hydrogen, and Recycling and Circular Economy. It also combines portfolio-level reporting, key performance indicator (KPI) tracking, and return on investment (ROI) calculations are integrated into each project. The team uses Data Shuttle to streamline data aggregation and reporting and Control Center to establish blueprints for managing projects.

Control Center also enables Deakin’s REACH team to easily set up groups with different levels of access to the sheets. For example, partners can only access and edit dedicated data and projects. They can also leverage specific tools like Gantt charts. “Smartsheet’s ability to securely manage access rights has been instrumental for reassuring partners whose financial data and project details require strict confidentiality,” shares Stapleton. Meanwhile, the governing board receives automated notifications about any risks, issues, or decisions across the projects.

Complete transparency

The biggest benefit is 360-degree visibility for everyone involved, from senior leadership to partners and researchers. “Our comprehensive dashboards have enabled our governing board and senior leadership to understand the program’s progress at a glance, creating a single-point of truth,” shares Stapleton. “They also facilitate them to drill down into the details when needed, helping them make informed decisions.”

Before, researchers would have to work with Deakin’s finance team to retrieve budget information. Now, they can independently access their budgets, tasks, and project plans. The ability to easily adjust how the data is presented is another game-changer. 

“With simple spreadsheets, we would have to create a new file each time we wanted to present data differently. With Smartsheet, the data is all in one place, and we can display it as graphs, tables, or pie charts—whatever format we find familiar or easily digestible,” explains Jeremy Carlton, Program System Administrator at REACH.

With all the information in one place, REACH finds it easier to collaborate with cross-divisional teams. “Smartsheet has connected team members. Instead of juggling messages, emails, and conference calls, everyone works in one automated system,” explains Stapleton. Smartsheet also enables REACH to confidently and efficiently communicate its efforts with external stakeholders, enhancing their trust. “Industry partners often feel they’re investing money in research projects, without clear visibility into deliverables to ensure they meet their business needs. Smartsheet solves this by enabling complete transparency into every project and its outcomes,” explains Constable.

More visibility had also enhanced the efficiency of accurate government reporting. “The platform makes it easy to collect data and generate reports in a quick, reliable way. This has been instrumental when reporting to the government and during audits,” shares Carlton. The system automatically tracks partner payments based on milestones, releasing funds when goals are met and flags issues if they are missed.

REACH has established an ideal system for creating greener supply chains and advancing a sustainable circular economy.