Peter Majewski joined UniSA in January 2003 as Professorial Fellow at the Ian Wark Research Institute before he moved on to the professor position on Nanotechnology and Nanomanufacturing in the School of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering in January 2008 and the Head of School position in 2011. In 2013, Peter Majewski was appointed Head of School of Engineering. Since June 2016, he is Research Professor Advanced Materials in the Future Industries Institute.
He is mineralogist by training and has focused his research work mainly on nanomaterials synthesis and processing as well as nanomanufacturing. Born in Germany, he studied geology at University of Hannover, Germany, and received Diploma (4-year course) in 1985. He immediately started his PhD work on cation diffusion in silicates at the University of Hannover. In 1988, he received PhD in Mineralogy at the University of Hannover. In 1989, he joined the Max-Planck-Institute for Metals Research (MPI-MF), Department of Materials Synthesis and Microstructure Design (Powdermetallurgical Laboratory) as post doctoral fellow. His main research work was part of a long-term initiative of the Max-Planck-Institute along with other university institutes and the companies Hoechst AG, Siemens AG, and Vacuumschmelze on the development of high temperature superconducting cables and devices.
In 1992, he received the Heinz Maier Leibnitz award of the Department of Education and Science of the Federal Government of Germany for his fundamental studies on the phase relations and synthesis of novel ceramic superconductors. After several renewals, the program, which was supported by the German government, ended in 2001. At that time, Peter already became senior scientist as well as deputy department head of the Department Materials Synthesis and Microstructure Design. In addition to that, he already has switched is focus to the Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. In 1998, he set up an interdisciplinary cooperation between the MPI-MF and the Research Centre Juelich, and the German Centre for Air and Space Travel Stuttgart (DLR) on the synthesis and characterization of novel electrode and electrolyte materials for solid oxide fuel cells, which was funded by the German government. In 2000, he received the International Research Exchange Scheme Award of the Australian Research Council. In the frame of this award, he joined the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Wollongong as an International Professor Fellow, for several months during the years 2001 and 2002.
At UniSA, Peter is setting up interdisciplinary research projects in the area of material science covering fundamental and applied studies on various materials in water treatment, biomaterials, and materials for renewable energy systems. More recently, Peter's research focuses product stewardship scheme developments and circular economy aspects for emerging technologies and renewable energy technologies. He was involved in major funding initiatives by the South Australian and Federal Government as well as industry. Peter has published more than 230 papers on various topics in materials science and engineering and energy policy. His current h-index is 38.