WA cross-sector technology exchange for space sector

The future of Western Australia’s cross-sector technology exchange capabilities has taken a major leap forward with the announcement of the first cohort of small and medium-sized business innovators to take part in the Quantum Technology Exchange initiative, known as QuantumTX.

QuantumTX was created by Atomic Sky to strengthen capability and collaboration across Australia’s leading industries in technologies that bridge the mining, energy, agricultural and defence sectors and leverage competitive industry advantages into the $314 billion global space sector.

In particular, Australia’s world-leading capabilities in remote operations, AI, digital twins and simulation, digital communications and data sciences present a huge opportunity to expand, create new markets and build scale, particularly between our energy resources sector and the emerging global space industry.

To seize this opportunity, QuantumTX’s five-month program provides some of Australia’s leading technology innovators with industry mentoring, facilitated market engagement, profile raising, staff development and introductions to new sector networks.

The participating companies will visit facilities such as the European Space Agency deep space tracking station in New Norcia, Roy Hill mining remote systems automation centre, Fugro automation command and control, Woodside Energy’s robotics labs and Muresk Institute’s Smart Farm. They will also engage with a range of expert speakers from leading organisations, including the European Space Agency, NOVA Systems, ICRAR, BHP, Fleet Space Technologies, CISCO, METS Ignited and NERA (National Energy Resources Australia).

NERA CEO Miranda Taylor said, “Australia’s ambitions to lead the next decade and beyond of technology innovation to support the global space industry should be limitless. Our journey towards this future starts by leveraging our world-leader capabilities in remote operations, robotics, automation and artificial intelligence — all of which have been developed through our energy resources sector. By supporting programs like QuantumTX, we can position Australia as a future hub and exporter of the world-leading technology solutions for space, while reinvesting the cross-sector exchange of ideas and innovative into future prosperity for our industries here at home.”

The 10 program participants were selected via a competitive process by industry experts. Each SME business has potential global competitive advantage with existing innovative products that can solve common supply chain challenges across multiple industries, including the international space sector.

Filling new jobs created in these diversified areas will require additional workforce skills, so Atomic Sky also included South Metro TAFE and Offshore Simulation in the program as Affiliate Participants.

The SME companies selected to participate in QuantumTX are:

• Binar Small Satellite — cube satellite communications solutions in partnership with the European Space Agency.
• Chironix — robotic autonomy and artificial intelligence systems integrating human-centred robotics, wearable technology and machine learning.
• Sapien Cyber — leading cybersecurity platform security challenges in operational environments across multiple industrial sectors.
• Exodus Space Systems — kinetic solutions for tackling the challenge of reducing space debris through innovation and collaboration.
• Nexxis Technologies — advanced multi-limb robotic crawler and systems for any remote inspection and monitoring environment.
• Space Industries — automation and Lunar Resource Extraction Vehicles (LREV) for extracting water on the moon.
• Sentient Computing — immersive 3D visualisation and digital twin solutions for automation and remote operations facilities in all industries.
• Curtin University Space Science & Technology Centre — applying advanced machine learning to solve complex challenges with space applications.
• Subsea Engineering Associates — intelligent data and computation platform for distributed computing, machine learning and non-linear optimisation.
• Terra15 Technologies — real-time fibre-optic vibration, seismic and acoustic sensing, and monitoring for large-scale Industrial IoT and data acquisition.
   

Western Australian Science Minister Dave Kelly stated, “Western Australia is home to world-leading technologies and innovators in remote operations, robotics and artificial intelligence. The technology that is already utilised in Western Australia in mining, the offshore oil and gas industry, agriculture, environment and medicine now also has the potential to be utilised for remote mining operations on the moon.”

QuantumTX was founded by Atomic Sky and operates a collaborative model. The Curtin University Space Science & Technology Centre, Triangle Equity Partners, Fugro Remote Systems Technology and AgriStart provided industry funding. The initiative also received grant funding from the Western Australian Government and the Australian Government, including NERA and METS Ignited.

More information on Quantum Technology Exchange is available at www.QuantumTX.com.au.