Boundless Issue_04

ISSUE_4 3 8 P G

HOW

entX

ON TEMU

FLYING SPACECRAFT OUT OF ADELAIDE

5 0

THE COMPANY

P G

TAKING

2 8

THE STARTUP

P G

P G

3 4

IS TURNING WASTE INTO LIFE-SAVING CANCER THERAPIES

THE COLLAB BRIDGING THE

ROBOT— HUMAN GAP

We acknowledge we are on Kaurna Miyurna land.

The Dreaming is still living.

From the past, in the present, into the future, forever.

Publisher

Department of the Premier and Cabinet Editor

Jenny Hassam, Lot Fourteen Creative Design

SAUCE. The Creative Agency Contributors

Michels Warren Photographer Matt Turner

Cover Photo entX Principal Scientist (nuclear), Dr Massey de los Reyes. Pictured at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide.

Photography Matt Turner.

LOTF0016

Boundless is published bi-annually by the Government of South Australia.

It is distributed via government partners and digitally via innvoationplaces.sa.gov.au.

No articles, illustrations, photographs and any other editorial matter or advertisement herein may be reproduced without written permission of copyright owner.

04

Will QuantX be SA's first unicorn?

10 16

20 28

Volatile times call for innovative measures and collaborative futures

CEO Spotlight The best decision I made in business

How BAE Systems is investing

24

in inclusive technology

From too hard basket to game changing partnership

How Saber Astronautics is flying spacecraft from its Mission Control in

34

Adelaide’s CBD

38

ON THE COVER How entX is turning waste into life-saving cancer therapies

Taking on Temu: How Clevertar is revolutionising e-commerce

44

How incorporating product design at an early stage could change your growth trajectory

50

The collab bridging the robot-human language gap

Find

Space In Adelaide to the Australian Space Agency SOUTH AUSTRALIA Home and over 100 space-related organisations, Australia is at the forefront of the -THE PRIME PLACE South nation’s space endeavours.

FOR SPACE South Australia is pushing the frontiers IN AUSTRALIA. of technology and growing an enduring sovereign space capability. With two launch sites, cutting-edge small satellite design facilities, mission control, and advanced ground stations, South Australia is paving the way for international investment and collaborations, cementing its reputation on the global stage.

Explore the possibilities now at SASIC.SA.GOV.AU

03

DI DIXON STATE INNOVATION PLACES LEAD

Welcome to Boundless_04!

Did you know, South Australia is leading the way

in innovation, with 22 dynamic innovation places, including innovation districts, business parks and

manufacturing precincts, accelerating growth and making significant global impact.

The Premier launched the nation leading

SA Innovation Places Leadership Framework in

late 2024, setting a strong policy position to support and grow sustainable economic outcomes from a range of locations.

To celebrate, we’ve expanded the remit of Boundless to tell the stories from across SA’s innovation places, shining a light on the talent and groundbreaking work happening across our state every day.

From quantum photonics to spacecraft Diane Dixon

Department of the Premier and Cabinet

manoeuvres, humanoid robots to medical isotopes, we’ve got cutting-edge innovations that will inspire.

Our front cover star is entX principal scientist

Dr Massey de los Reyes whose team is revolutionising the sourcing of medical isotopes for cancer

treatment on page 38. Representing Adelaide

BioMed City, the company’s innovations are driving life-saving and real-world impact.

Boundless_04 is more of the good; celebrating

bolder ideas, brighter collaborations, and the people making it happen.

I hope you enjoy the read and don’t forget to

reach out to collaborate with the experts covered in this edition.

To find out more about SA’s innovation places go to innovationplaces.sa.gov.au.

Professor Andre Luiten, Managing Director, QuantX Labs.

Q u ant X Labs

05

Lot Four te e n

Will QuantX be SA's FIRST UNICORN? From a flagship Cryoclock to sensors that can detect enemy submarines, this Lot Fourteen company is pushing the boundaries in its field.

Q u ant X Labs

P

rofessor Andre Luiten knows

that timing is everything – it’s what has driven his company QuantX Labs to become a world leader in precision timing and quantum sensing.

From a flagship Cryoclock that can deliver the world’s purest output signals for military radar, to sensors

that can detect enemy submarines, the Lot Fourteen company is pushing the boundaries in its field.

Its groundbreaking technology developed in

partnership with defence industry and researchers

at the University of Adelaide has seen QuantX Labs’

combined annual revenue and workforce grow 50 per cent year-on-year since it was founded in 2017, with

40 employees operating at Lot Fourteen’s SpaceLab. And 2025 is shaping up to be the launchpad for

test its optical atomic clock technology in space and launch its first ever capital raise to develop off-theshelf technologies for the commercial market.

Professor Andre Luiten, Managing Director, QuantX Labs.

another defining period for the company which will

07

Lot Four te e n

We will do $10.5 million in business this year but it’s my ambition for QuantX Labs to be a billion-dollar company developing new technologies for critical civilian infrastructure.

Professor Andre Luiten, QuantX Labs Managing Director and Co-founder

Supercharge growth Luiten, QuantX Labs managing director and

co-founder, says the company is seeking up to

$25 million to double the workforce by the end of

the year, expand production in Adelaide and support a sovereign supply chain capability in Australia.

“We will do $10.5 million in business this year but it’s my ambition for QuantX Labs to be a billiondollar company developing new technologies for critical civilian infrastructure,” he says.

“We will go from a company that’s working with

customers to deliver solutions to challenges they

have identified, to a company that will take our suite

of technologies and mature them to be products that are suitable for both civilian and defence needs.

Q u ant X Labs

“We will need to drop the cost of our products

A world without GPS

bring more manufacturing in-house instead

A growing focus of QuantX Labs’ capabilities is

significantly and the way we can do that is to of relying on long international supply chains – that will mean more people and a greater

production capacity so we can produce at scale.

“Embarking on this capital raise is an exciting

period for this business; it’s been quite unusual that we’ve managed to get where we are today without taking external capital.”

At the heart of the company’s innovation are

ultra-accurate clocks to synchronise complex computing tasks and enhance radar tracking of military threats, and sensors to detect

enemy submarines, find buried munitions or map minerals deep underground.

the development of its portable next-generation optical atomic clock technology, named Tempo.

More than a new way of measuring time and

locations with unparalleled precision, QuantX Labs’ network of these land-based optical

atomic clocks could mitigate the vulnerability

of GPS to jamming and spoofing attacks or loss of signal due to environmental conditions.

Last year, the company secured a landmark deal to sell its first TEMPO technology to the

Australian Department of Defence for testing and evaluating of timing in critical defence

hardware such as communication and navigation systems in a GPS degraded environment.

Initial testing of these first edition optical atomic clocks is showing significant performance improvement

Everyone is walking around with a GPS receiver in their phone and so many facets of our modern society are all dependent on the availability of it.

over the current microwave atomic clocks used in today’s Global Navigation Satellite System.

Optical clocks, which use light oscillating at higher

frequency than microwaves, offer greater accuracy and stability than microwave atomic clocks.

Luiten says the vulnerability of GPS signals is a growing concern globally with many recent incidents, for example, of civilian aircraft having GPS signals jammed.

“Everyone is walking around with a GPS receiver in

their phone and so many facets of our modern society are all dependent on the availability of it,” he says.

“Solving the problem should a GPS signal

Professor Andre Luiten, QuantX Labs Managing Director and Co-Founder

disappear is a focus of our company. It’s a

challenge that the military is acutely aware of

because they have people and assets in danger if GPS systems were to fail or be hijacked.

“The military sector understands the need to solve this issue of GPS denial, but actually it could be a

much broader problem for civilian society as well.”

09

Lot Four te e n

An eye on the sky The company’s centrepiece, Cryoclock

technology, has been developed for integration into Australia’s Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN), which detects threats approaching Australia from the north.

To the moon and beyond

At the heart of the clock is a 1400-carat man-made, cryogenically cooled sapphire crystal with a

frequency instability that is equivalent to losing or gaining only one second every 40 million years.

A sub-system of their Tempo clock

The signal purity can deliver increased

space-environment testing, and will be

enabling detection of the smallest targets.

technology has undergone rigorous

launched into orbit this year under the

Australian Space Agency’s Moon to Mars

program ahead of an expected full launch in 2026 in a major step towards Australian sovereign capability in space timing.

Future applications of the next-generation space timing could be the beating heart of a future timing network to provide

sovereign GPS and navigation timing solutions for Australia, or enhanced

autonomy and navigation in deep space.

The precise timing and security

advantages that optical atomic clocks can offer will also be of increasing

value in synchronising operations and data integrity of critical infrastructure such as data centres, Luiten says.

range and sensitivity of the JORN system

The company has a long relationship with the Institute of Photonics and Advanced Sensing

at the University of Adelaide, working together to develop a unique translation pathway to commercialise research outputs.

QuantX Labs is also home to RavensNest,

an invention incubator for interdisciplinary

research between academia, industry and DST Group at Lot Fourteen that will fast-

track transformative defence technologies from research to sovereign capabilities.

Professor Ariella Helfgott, Foresight Director, SA Futures Agency at The Studio: Frida Las Vegas, The Art Gallery of South Australia.

SA Futures Agency

11

Lot Four te e n

Volatile

s e ti m call for innovative measures and collaborative futures.

SA Futures Agency

A

n

increasingly fractured global

That is the stark assessment of the World

Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025,

which distils the views of more than 900 experts on the threats set to define the next decade.

Recent trade and tariff shocks have further thickened the fog, rupturing alliances that

have underpinned growth and innovation.

landscape – marked by

Professor Ariella Helfgott might not have a crystal

geopolitical rifts, environmental

futurist has helped organisations, governments and

stress, social

fragmentation and rapid

technological change, now threatens stability and progress.

ball, yet for more than 20 years the South Australian

communities navigate turbulence through strategic foresight.

Innovating through uncertainty Uncertain times present great opportunities

to innovate and can

foster new ecosystems fit for new futures and new ways of thinking,

Professor Helfgott says.

“The danger,”

Helfgott notes, “is Professor Ariella Helfgott, Foresight Director, SA Futures Agency.

that volatility scares

people into clinging to the familiar. Yet the

status quo is already dissolving; the safest bet is to prototype the future before it arrives.”

13

Lot Four te e n

A globally recognised practitioner of strategic

foresight and scenario planning, Professor Helfgott is global Director of Foresight and Strategic Learning in

the World Energy Council (WEC), Director of Foresight and Decision-Making for the One Basin CRC.

She has also recently established the SA Futures Agency based at Lot Fourteen, aimed at helping organisations embed strategic foresight into

strategy, and policy, and to create positive futures in her home state.

with a third of those companies having a dedicated unit, according to the World Economic Forum.

Shell, World Energy Council, the Organisation

for Economic Cooperation and Development

(OECD), the World Economic Forum, United Nations Development Program and global firms such as

Deloitte regularly release publicly available scenario

reports covering everything from climate and energy to technology, society, and geopolitics - whatever

matters for making better decisions in the present.

“Being based at Lot Fourteen we sit next to innovators

For example, the WEC’s report Rocks and Rivers

foresight into data rich visuals and immersive VR so

fragmented global status quo while continuing

like Convergen, who can help us turn participatory people can walk through the futures they design.

Lot Fourteen is a living lab where deep

tech startups, researchers, creatives and

government collide to prototype tomorrow.”

What is Strategic Foresight?

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation

helps countries and companies navigate a to work towards clean, reliable, affordable energy for everyone in the world.

While, closer to home, the One Basin CRC is using foresight to foster new innovation ecosystems across the Murray Darling Basin with regional innovation hubs to promote thriving, resilient,

prosperous communities in the face of changing climate, technological and workforce conditions.

and Development describes strategic

For Professor Helfgott, the work of strategic

approach of exploring plausible futures to

cultures and capabilities - not just for

foresight as a “structured and systematic

foresight is about building future focused

anticipate and better prepare for change.”

leaders and experts, but for everyone.

Over 90 per cent of major US and European

“My passion is making foresight accessible because

companies had foresight in their operations,

the future belongs to everyone,” she says.

SA Futures Agency

The future will be shaped not just by what happens to us but by what we do about it, what we can imagine, and how we collaborate.

Upskilling SA for success “Anything could happen over the next few years,” Helfgott stresses - geopolitical shocks, economic

swings, climate extremes. “Our collective capacity to navigate that uncertainty is now mission

critical and there is no ready-made playbook.”

“Navigating deep uncertainty means innovating our way through it together, iteratively, catching

Professor Ariella Helfgott, Foresight Director, SA Futures Agency

the learnings as we go - and everyone at

Lot Fourteen is part of that learning engine.”

Foresight, she adds, is action in the present.

“Scan early, surface weak signals, rehearse

bold scenarios, and let them stretch what we

think is possible - to inform both our aspirations and our strategies to achieve them.”

“It’s actually a change in culture: you’re changing

from paying a consultant to give you the right answer - because no one can give you the right answer

- and you need to engage with deep uncertainty, have difficult conversations, figure out what you want and navigate a future where everything is changing and you’re innovating as you go.”

She highlights that this is also why the practice

of foresight, and the communities and cultures it requires, is not something that can just be

outsourced to AI, though she does work closely

with AI to augment collective human intelligence.

Her invitation is simple: every South Australian has a

stake - and a role - in shaping the state’s next chapter.

Strategic foresight puts the pen in all of our hands.

15 Professor Ariella Helfgott, Foresight Director, SA Futures Agency.

Lot Four te e n

Strategic foresight hinges on four fundamental questions of any organisation:

1.

WHAT DO

WE THINK

IS PROBABLY GOING

TO HAPPEN?

2.

WHAT COULD

WHAT ARE

OR NOT WANT

OR PLAUSIBLY HAPPEN?

TO DO

ABOUT IT?

Creating a safe

Exploring scenarios

This is where

WE WANT

TO HAPPEN?

space for people

and mathematical

aspirational vision

models.

4.

WHAT DO

Drawing from data, trends

3.

to articulate an

of the future they want to live in.

POSSIBLY

that map out the plausible future

landscape decisionmakers are facing.

WE GOING

insights are translated

into action.

CEO Spotlight

t s e b e Th n o i s i c e d I made . s s e n i s in bu sh course in If you want a cra . , start a business decision-making aging cash t fluctuations, man Navigating marke l while hiring, ndout products al flow, building sta t a few areas ining talent are jus training and reta ins when it Os are getting ga founders and CE aking muscle. their decision-m comes to building s leaders to seven busines Boundless spoke to get innovation places from across SA’s ey’ve e best decision th the lowdown on th sinesses so far. made in their bu

17

I nnovation Places SA

nio nretao A cch And Co-founder Convergen

n we've ever The best decisio that llow the paths made was to fo g , instead of tryin are right for us we're not. to be something

fically ous, but it's terri This seems obvi m l the signals fro difficult given al rams, og pr t vernmen markets and go ends, lleagues and fri opinions from co and the ns on startups, the expectatio ng ange in everythi rapid pace of ch to culture. from technology es unique challeng Add to that the s of being and opportunitie Australia. based in South alised that we Eventually we re k about things needed to thin ples to come to from first princi sions. Ones we our own conclu d by, especially could truly stan t challenging. when things go

tening, ean we stop lis That doesn't m we balance the but rather that hers n learn from ot wisdom we ca hts, rd-earned insig with our own ha ses, es cc ed by our su which are shap res. rtantly, our failu and more impo

JL ulie awrie

CEO & Chee rleader-in-C hief Amplifyo In our early-s tage startup , we’ve built a strong net work of exper ts ahead of key activiti es and new m arket entry. As soft ware develo pment rolls along, it’ s meant tha t we can ride the mo mentum to release and launch, instea d of waiting to activate strategic an d channel p artners at a designated release date in the future .

The side ben efit is that w e’re also learning from the market ea rlier, connecting into potentia l in ve stor relationship s, and acces si n g broader intr oductions to others.

The approa ch is inspire d by thinkin g from the thre e-horizon m o d el , b ut we’re also m aintaining fle xibility as we’re a st artup that is quickly evolving to fin d market fit.

CEO Spotlight

lly KYee oh Dr M a t t h e w Te tlow

Founder and CEO Inovor Technologies One of the most defining inflection points in Inovor’s journe y was when we began to scale rapidly — and I knew the most critical decision wo uld be choosing the right people to grow with us.

We focused on hiring pe

ople who are curious, resilient, and col laborative. We looked for those who did n’t just want a job in space — they wante d to shape the future of Australia’s space industry.

Building a trusted, high-p

team has been central

erforming

to our growth and long-term sustaina bility. Attracting the right people starts wit h authenticity.

When you’re clear abou t your purpose and culture, the right pe ople find you — and together, we build world class technology that help im prove and protect our way of life her e on earth!

ounder CEO and F BlueDwarf

in business I’ve made n io is c e d t The best ith the righ to build w g n si o o h c was rategy st about st ju ’t n is is h g people. T surroundin ; it’s about n o ti a v o , n ute or in ho contrib ith those w any yourself w m the co p and move , te ra o b colla d that not n, I learne o y rl Ea . forward right fit, rship is the e n rt a p ry eve tough ss to make e n g in ill w from and the ing away ch as walk su s, n io is dec , can be r progress e d in h o h lf. those w e vision itse rtant as th o p im s a just is only as y’s integrity , A compan of its team e integrity th s a g n stro ompany. m is the c a te e th ose, because ned in purp am is alig te e d th n e Wh committe ction, and a in le b ta ic mag accoun at's where success, th d re n a sh to foundatio cting that te ro P s. n r happe andards fo ing high st ld o h s t n a th me suring a ith and en w ild u b e on who w l contributi ct, and rea e sp re . , st tru ing we do of everyth re o c e th are at

19

I nnovation Places SA

Devanham D’Sil

under CEO and Co-fo Deep Liquid

me cisions often co I find the best de arned through from lessons le . e made plenty failure — and I’v ewing, rossa Valley Br As founder of Ba t failed social media bu I saw the rise of raked it. So, while we to fully leverage m, this industry acclai in awards and success. ed commercial misstep impact mistake in t to repeat that Determined no stralian ered with the Au the AI era, I partn prior hine Learning, Institute for Mac ld’s first launch the wor to ChatGPT, to beer. ing-generated machine-learn

Schumann

Rafizadeh

Director One World LE

D

I decided to move our hitech businesses from the Un ited States fo design and r innovation to Australia and for man ufacturing to China after the last Glob al Financial Crisis.

This was the best decisio n I have ma business. W de in e have been a ble to innova research an te, d develop a t higher effic in South Aust iency ralia and m anufacture at higher pro ductivity wh ile building new hi-tech industries o f the future in Sports, Health and Digital C ommerce.

By migrating to Adelaide, we now live and work in the best p laces in the world, contr ibuting to bu ild ing our community , advancing our econom and enjoyin y g the best fa mily life!

n of ked the creatio That step spar eering company pion Deep Liquid, a alisation in food AI-driven person the We're building and beverage. at frastructure th flavour data in e how products ar could transform d. ye jo keted, and en developed, mar

K in g s le y H all

Chief Executive Officer Micro-X The best decision I make in business is to let great people do their jobs.

Never negotiate on the

quality yourself with great people ­— pe ople who are much better at what they do than you could be. Then create an environment which allows them to perform at their highest level. And you nev er lose a great person — eve r. of your team. Surround

Line Zero: Factory of the Future, Tonsley Innovation Centre.

Photo supplied by BAE Systems.

MyM o dul ar

H O W

Tonsley I nnovation D istrict

BAE Systems is investing in inclusive technology

21

MyM o dul ar

T

he power of South Australia’s

innovation places in realising

The micro factory technology was successfully

designed and tested with employees from disability provider, Bedford Group and Autism SA earlier this

economic prosperity for all is being

year, supporting BAE Systems’ ambitions to be

showcased in an Australian ‘first-

under-represented people in the defence sector.

the leading inclusive manufacturing provider for

of-its-kind’ defence partnership

The design and build of the six Hunter class frigates

at Tonsley Innovation District.

constitutes the largest surface ship project in

BAE Systems Australia, which will be a cornerstone tenant in Lot Fourteen’s Innovation Centre, has

at South Australia’s Osborne Naval Shipyard

Australia’s defence history, creating thousands of jobs and supporting scores of local suppliers.

partnered with Adelaide-based cable supplier,

MyModular is the only sovereign manufacturing

advance employment opportunities in South

electrical solutions to the construction industry,

MyModular, to trial a mobile micro factory to

Australia’s ship building industry, and beyond.

The MyModular Inclusive Micro Factory aims to deliver

company providing modular and prefabricated and they are located here in South Australia, and is a Partner on the Partnering4Success Program.

efficiencies through just-in-time cable preparation

MyModular CEO, Mark Fahey, said the micro factory

warfare frigates using an automated

passion for streamlining construction, and

be operated by people living with a disability.

furthermore creating more inclusive workplaces and

career opportunities to support people of all abilities.

Line Zero: Factory of the Future, Tonsley Innovation Centre. Photo supplied by BAE Systems.

manufacturing solution specifically designed to

project aligns with his personal and professional

The MyModular Inclusive Micro Factory.

for the program to build Hunter anti-submarine

23

(L-R) Mark Fahey, Managing Director and Bashir Derakhshanian, National Innovation Manager, MyModular.

Tonsley I nnovation D istrict

“When we look at the cable cutting in shipbuilding it’s a pretty clunky operation and working with

BAE Systems, we identified a real opportunity to innovate that process,” he says.

“With the micro factory, cables are put into a machine,

they are cut to the length as needed, operators RFID tag

them and they are ready to go for their intended purpose.

“There’s more than 700,000 metres of cable on each

Hunter class frigate and there’s about 30,000 different cable cuts per ship.

narrative” of what meaningful employment represents for people living with a disability.

“At the moment we’re using our micro factory

technology for cutting cables but there’s so many

potential applications; the software can be adopted for any type of manufacturing,” Fahey says.

“The technology is not only proven to be able to

be used by people with all abilities, but it can also

manage inventory, it has safety checks and quality checks to provide comfort to the end user.

“We have a significant resource pool of people living

“Now we want to take it from a great idea to

offer purposeful, sustainable jobs through our micro

BAE Systems on that process.”

with a disability (approximately 19.6%); we can now factory, while freeing up resources at the shipyard and building capacity.

“I have a nine-year-old son who happens to have

Down Syndrome which also opened my eyes to this opportunity and providing a career path and true

independence for people like him into adulthood.”

Flinders University researchers supervised integration of the micro factory technology to ensure it could be

used by people who are neurodivergent, or who have learning, cognitive, sensory or physical challenges.

Fahey says Flinders and Bedford were integral to the success of the project, adding that Bedford Group

were doing an amazing job in helping to “change the

a commercial outcome and we’re working with The micro factory has been trialled at Line Zero:

Factory of The Future – developed by BAE Systems Maritime Australia in partnership with Flinders

University, the Commonwealth Government and Government of South Australia.

Line Zero is a facility for industrial scale testing of new technologies and processes ahead of their use in the advanced manufacturing or shipbuilding industry.

A spokesman for BAE Systems Australia said the

Company is working with its trusted industry partners to increase the resilience, capability, and capacity of

the nation’s defence industry by partnering with small and medium enterprises like MyModular.

O uthire

W inning

your first enterprise customer

can be a champagne-popping milestone for any small business.

However, for founders who have traversed the wilds of jumping through all the hoops, while dotting Is and crossing Ts, it can be a gruelling process.

Whether you’re contemplating entering the

defence prime supply chain to preparing for

a competitive tender process, sometimes the customer acquisition process can be firmly

placed in the ‘too hard basket’, especially if you’re early stage or a resource-strapped startup.

Outhire co-founder, Matt Bauer, however, has a

different view after a chance encounter landed a

meeting with dynamic AnglicareSA executive general Their meeting discussed key pain points

when it came to recruitment for the social enterprise, but it didn’t end there.

(L-R) Outhire Co-Founders, Matt Bauer and Will Russell.

manager for social enterprise, Dominic Gagliardi.

25

Lot Four te e n

From too hard basket to game changing partnership How Outhire recruited a customer with a surprising outcome.

O uthire

The challenge

The solution

AnglicareSA employs over 2,000 staff and 300 volunteers

Based at Stone & Chalk’s Startup Hub for a

year through a multitude of social service programs.

providing job descriptions powered by AI.

to support more than 50,000 South Australians each

year, Outhire started out with a simple offering,

“The challenge for not-for-profits is finding the right

Through its strategic collaboration with

not be on LinkedIn or Seek. The People & Culture Team

opportunities to address customer pain points

people for roles like aged care or childcare, who may has a big focus on staff retention and growth within Anglicare,” says Gagliardi.

“In the post COVID environment, turnover was at an all-time high, and coupled with restrictions on visa

regulations, it became clear that a fresh approach was needed to attract and retain talent,” says Gagliardi.

“With bulk recruitment, an efficient process that moves quickly from screening to reference and medical checks was required,” says Gagliardi.

“Since candidates often apply to multiple organisations offering similar pay and benefits, speed — from application to first shift is the real challenge.”

AnglicareSA, the company uncovered additional and create even more impactful solutions.

Over the eighteen months of supporting AnglicareSA’s recruitment and retention, Outhire has completely

transformed its recruitment platform and is gearing up for growth both in Australia, Europe and the US. Outhire has added increased functionality and

features, all the time learning and gaining invaluable insights from AnglicareSA, building out their tech to directly solve the organisation’s needs in real time.

27

Lot Four te e n

Now Outhire’s platform can help similar large

organisations to showcase their unique culture

Key learning points

and attract top talent. Combining AI-powered

job description creation, dynamic social media

When it comes to enterprise-level companies working

job ads, and authentic employee storytelling,

with startups, Gagliardi says, “be persistent, ensure your procurement policy is flexible, get support

its AI Recruitment Assistant makes hiring smarter, faster, and more human.

Outhire now provides a service to customers facing similar challenges in the market.

from your CEO and Board and understand your role in supporting the communities you serve.”

“My advice for startups is to be flexible in who you approach in an organisation and don’t be put off by long delays, honest feedback or non-action.”

An iterative approach

Gagliardi encourages startups to, "stay open-

“Our journey with Outhire has been a rewarding

while focusing on building something simple

process of growth and collaboration over an extended period of time,” says Gagliardi.

minded about how you evolve your business, and impactful from the start."

Bauer says, “working with large organisations

“By offering valuable feedback to startups,

presents great opportunities, as we navigate

simultaneously enhancing their ability to

security, and waiver requirements to ensure

we drive their growth and innovation, while

key processes like procurement, ISO standards,

succeed in tenders. This partnership not only

long-term success and compliance.”

accelerates their success but strengthens

our position, creating a mutually beneficial

pathway to sustained competitive advantage.”

He suggests that startups, "launch a pilot,

be patient, and leverage networking to gain

exposure to other organisations by travelling, seeking introductions, and focus on creating

meaningful solutions rather than just features."

Alex McConville, Stone & Chalk startup success manager says this customer story is exactly

By supporting startups, we can create lasting social impact.

Dominic Gagliardi, AnglicareSA Executive General Manager for Social Enterprise

the type of working relationship that can be a win-win for startups and enterprises.

“The partnership highlights how agile startups can be, injecting innovation where its most needed. We look forward to seeing how Outhire continue to grow and scale.”

Outhire is a recent recipient of Seed-Start

funding receiving $90,000 from the Department of State Development which will support

its US market entry and achieve industry

compliance for data protection and privacy.

AnglicareSA continues to be a proud supporter of

Adelaide's thriving startup scene, “we’re excited to AnglicareSA's Children and Families services.

connect with innovative minds, drive meaningful change. We’re looking into exploring more

opportunities to work with companies at Lot Fourteen.”

“By supporting startups, we can create lasting social impact,” says Gagliardi.

Sab e r Astronautics

29

Lot Four u te en

How Saber Astronautics is flying spacecraft from its Mission Control in Adelaide’s

CBD

Sab e r Astronautics

S

treaking overhead

is a rapidly growing constellation of satellites whose planetary

orbit silently

influences our daily life.

Whether it’s helping

us navigate unfamiliar roads, helping us

decide if we should pack an umbrella or yielding more insights about

the natural world

around us – there’s a satellite for that.

And with more than 10,000 satellites operating and

nearly 80,000 new

satellites predicted

to be launched by 2032 – how do you safely

launch your spacecraft and keep it airborne?

Meet global space operations provider, Saber Astronautics, who are flying and monitoring

spacecraft from Lot Fourteen and supporting

mission development from concept to execution.

Founded in 2008, Saber established its Adelaide operations in 2020 and describes its mission as the democratisation of space.

Central to Saber’s capabilities is the operation of the Responsive Space Operations Centre (RSOC) within the Australian Space Discovery Centre at Lot Fourteen.

Opened in 2021, this mission control centre combines space domain awareness, command and control, and space weather into a single operational solution for private and public customers.

With the RSOC program, Australian companies can design and fly their missions from one place providing them access to the program’s advanced operational capabilities.

Saber’s RSOC supports satellites from CubeSats through to the world’s largest commercial low-orbit communication satellites.

Lot Four te e n

31

The number of objects in the sky is increasing rapidly, both space junk and active satellites. We need to monitor every object and predict their movements far into the future.

Dr Alexander Green, National Director, Saber Astronautics Australia.

Dr Alexander Green, National Director, Saber Astronautics Australia

Sab e r Astronautics

Satellites the size of tennis courts Measuring about the size of a tennis court, each of the five satellites, launched in September 2024, will deliver the first and only space-

based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones.

There’s a good chance you’ll see them

in the night sky as their 60sqm antennae when deployed shine brighter than most of the brightest stars in the solar system.

“These satellites will act as cell phone towers in space and transmit 4G and 5G to your phone without any upgrade to your hardware, that

is revolutionary,” Dr Alexander Green, National Director - Saber Astronautics Australia said.

“Effectively you’ll have cell phone

coverage around the world, even in

the middle of the ocean, once the full constellation is in operation.”

With an RSOC also located in Boulder, Colorado, and a satellite dish network of more than

200 in its network, Saber provides a global “follow-the-sun” service for satellites.

"We use our spacecraft operations centre for

two main purposes: supporting our customers as we plan and operate their space missions, and monitoring the entire catalogue of

space objects orbiting earth to protect our

customers assets, which is known as Space Traffic Management," Dr Green says.

Video-game-like interface Saber’s mission is the democratisation of space,

reducing barriers to flight and “making space as easy as driving a car.”

Key to that mission is their space operation software PIGI, or the Predictive Interactive

Ground-station Interface, which uses a videogame-like interface, that is easy to learn but powerful enough to provide operators with all the real-time data to run a mission.

It represents a fusion of the latest techniques in human factors, artificial intelligence and

dynamic 3D data visualisation, making it easy for spacecraft operators to monitor, fly and

rapidly diagnose faults in spacecraft systems.

“It drastically reduces the months long process of training an operator to command a spacecraft,

using similar principles as you would have when learning to play a video game,” Dr Green says.

“The software has drastically reduced barriers to entry for operating spacecraft; operators

can open up the browser and use the same

tool that is also used by the US Space Force.”

33 Dr Alexander Green, National Director, Saber Astronautics Australia.

Lot Four te e n

Designing missions and spacecraft In addition to its focus on Satellite

Operations and Space Traffic Management, Saber also supports its customers in

designing their missions and spacecraft using Saber’s Mission Forge program.

“This is about taking complex design ideas and testing them in a simulated space environment where users can create

constellations and mission paraments

and we can produce a report sent straight to the clients’ inbox,” Dr Green says.

Clients and government agencies can access Saber’s software development and spacecraft design facilities at their Adelaide HQ at Lot Fourteen.

“This year is a year for growth for Saber,

Taking the ‘night shift’ Saber has been a long-term partner of the

US Space Force with the Adelaide team providing

‘night shift’ space traffic management and mission

assurance services when their northern hemisphere counterparts in Boulder, Colorado are asleep.

With the rapid growth of the space industry

and space flight, Saber secured a $1.25 million grant from US Space Force in January 2025 to

develop tools to automate space operations and enhance risk-mitigation of objects in orbit.

Codenamed ‘Windu’, this ‘Digital Guardian’

will use automation and machine learning to

automate the processes of gathering evidence

of important events that can affect flight safety,

greatly increasing the output of individual human operators through the press of a button.

“The number of objects in the sky is increasing rapidly, both space junk and active satellites.

We need to monitor every object and predict their movements far into the future. We also

need to automatically detect and then report

bad actors, of which Saber is at the forefront with both Windu and existing tools,” Dr Green says.

we’ve been bootstrapped, and we’re looking to change that this year and grow the business,” Dr Green says.

“We need a lot more staff to service

a fast-growing sector and to build all

the cool things we have been dreaming about for years.

“Being based at Lot Fourteen is great as we have direct access to the Australian Space

Agency, the Bureau of Meteorology and the facilities are top notch and easy to get to.”

Dr Green acknowledged the work of

outgoing national director, and predecessor Andreas Antoniades, and well-known

and regarded face around Lot Fourteen, stating that, “he has been integral

in helping establish and grow Saber

Astronautics’ Australian operations.”

C Clever tar

Taking on Temu

How Clevertar is revolutionising e-commerce.

If Clevertar was an animal, it would be a dolphin.

This is the response Boundless gets when entering frivolous prompts into Clevertar’s AI powered

virtual assistant, Eva, prior to meeting with the startup’s human CEO, Marshall Cowan.

35

Lot Four te e n

intelligence, friendliness, and ability to

communicate effectively, dolphins beautifully

embody the essence of Clevertar’s innovative and conversational AI solutions.”

What an answer. I’m impressed with her corporate communications nous.

Clevertar, a new resident of the Stone & Chalk Startup Hub, has achieved significant milestones. Through a partnership with MATE telecom, its AI agents

are now available in over 160 Officeworks stores

nationwide. Additionally, Clevertar recently secured

a contract with the Australian Bureau of Statistics to support Australians via the 2026 Census website.

A spin-out of Flinders University, Clevertar is the brainchild of its chief technology officer Martin

Luerssen in 2012, who has a PhD in Evolutionary Computation and Machine Learning.

Ten years and some significant pivots later, the company has moved from healthcare avatars to e-commerce chatbots and AI agents.

Eva, Luerssen, Cowan and the growing team are onto something.

Experts predict the global e-commerce market will

surpass $6.86 trillion in 2025, and AI is expected to be worth $22.17 trillion to the global economy by 2030.

AI agents are the basis of Clevertar’s product

for e-commerce, Conversagent. Its agentic AI is designed to autonomously perform tasks,

make decisions, and interact with its environment to achieve specific goals.

Marshall Cowan, CEO, Clevertar.

The reason, Eva explains, is that “with their

Marshall Cowan, CEO Clevertar.

Clever tar

Gartner predicts that by 2028,

“Our technology helps customers make more

at least 15 per cent of day-to-

that buyers are four times more likely to purchase

day work decisions will be made autonomously through agentic AI, up from 0 per cent in 2024.

The intersection between these global economic shifts is where Conversagent is kicking goals.

Conversagent is an AI-powered shop assistant that boosts Shopify stores’ conversions, while reducing the need for support.

The proactive tool engages with customers with personalised, in-store-like experiences that

guide them to purchase while learning their preferences — all with smart, reliable AI.

informed purchase decisions,” says Cowan, explaining products when engaging with their agentic AI.

“We have an average of 15 per cent conversion rate for customers engaging with the agent, compared to the industry standard of approximately 3 to 5 per cent.”

One of Clevertar’s customers, Video Guys Australia,

has a conversion rate of 26% and an average order value increase of 150% for AI shop assistant users.

Early adoption of generative AI, Natural Language Understanding and Natural Language Processing

and early access to GPT-3 have helped Clevertar’s first mover advantage business strategy, winning large contracts as they’ve continued to expand.

37

Lot Four te e n

For every $92 sellers spend at topof-funnel marketing, i.e. driving web traffic, only $1 is spent on converting them.

Clevertar has recently pivoted its business model

after some research with client, Bupa, determined, it made little difference whether prompts were inputted via a text box or an animated avatar.

“Animated characters can impact engagement and stifle conversational flow.

Anchor visualization is an important

component helping users connect, but it doesn’t need to be a character.

Conversational flow is powered by large language

models (LLM), offering a superior customer experience.

Marshall Cowan, CEO, Clevertar

Clevertar is LLM-agnostic, integrating with

varying models while providing more surety around speed and responsiveness.

There’s plenty of opportunity here, with over 28 million e-commerce stores globally, with varying marketing budgets.

For every $92 sellers spend at top-of-funnel marketing, i.e. driving web traffic, only $1 is spent on converting them,” says Cowan.

“Major shopping events like Black Friday attract

customers, but sellers often forget to optimize as

customers land on their product pages. When I talk In 2021, they developed the Australian

Bureau of Statistics Census chatbot and

implemented agent AI for the Government of

about optimisation, I include customer engagement,

personalisation, and opportunities for retailers to build better customer experiences and brand loyalty.”

South Australia’s COVID Response Hotline.

Clevertar are a smart bunch and are at the

Shopify is a key target for the startup, with its

national organisations to e-retailers competing

recent acquisition of the highly sought after ‘Built for Shopify’

badge. The accreditation

is the highest level of recognition for apps and

reflects commitment to delivering an outstanding user experience, exceptional performance, and thoughtful design meeting customers' needs.

“Our tool is embeddable and can sit directly on e-commerce product pages,” says Cowan.

“It engages with customers, asks questions and

helps locate the right product fit for the customer.

Conversagent offers an exceptional

customer experience throughout the buyer journey, through awareness, consideration, purchase and post-purchase.”

forefront of providing cutting-edge tech to against the likes of Temu and Shein.

But Boundless needs to get a little deeper… what if Clevertar were to be a food?

Eva, her ever professional self, states, “it would be a vibrant fruit salad!

Full of diverse,

fresh, and colourful ingredients, it perfectly

represents the variety and creativity that Clevertar brings to the world of conversational AI. And she couldn’t be more right.

Welcome to Lot Fourteen, Clevertar!

”

e nt X

Dr Massey de los Reyes, Principal Scientist, entX at SAHMRI.

How entX is turning waste into life-saving cancer therapies

Ade laide B io M e d Cit y

ing d a rhe ent. a e e sp treatm r a ers er h c c n r a sea nc i e r h n earc alia s r t e s r Au h king t a u e o r S d-b n u gro

39

e nt X

S

outh Australian

researchers are spearheading ground-breaking research in

Lead-212 is a promising alpha-emitting

radioisotope for TAT, which aims to selectively destroy cancer cells while minimising

damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

cancer treatment by producing

Due to political tensions increasing the risk for

the critical ingredients needed

approach to extract the isotope from precursor

to deliver potentially lifesaving therapies.

Adelaide clean technology company entX Limited, through its nuclear medicine business IsoMedica, is developing technologies to feed the booming demand for medical isotopes amid ongoing

geopolitical disruption to global supply chains.

At the core of their research is production of radioactive isotope lead-212 for use in

targeted alpha therapy (TAT) of cancers such

as prostate and neuroendocrine tumours, and

the supply of ytterbium-176, a critical precursor for tumour-seeking isotope lutetium-177.

major supply of lead-212, entX is using a novel

thorium-228, from mineral and resource waste

streams to feed the growing lead-212 demand.

“By using a unique chemical process to

extract materials from waste streams in Australia, we can help meet the global

demand for cancer treatments,” entX principal scientist Dr Massey de los Reyes says.

Dr de los Reyes heads a team of seven scientists and engineers conducting IsoMedica’s lab research at the South Australian Health

and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI)

at innovation place: Adelaide BioMed City.

She says IsoMedica’s innovative

approach of sourcing thorium-228 from industrial waste materials, is helping revolutionise production of lead-212.

Unlike traditional methods that rely on

reactor-derived thorium, the company’s

process isolates the isotope more purely, offering a reliable solution to meet the

growing demand for cancer treatments.

41

Ade laide B io M e d Cit y

Why IsoMedica’s work is unique “This project is exciting mainly because of our unique approach to purifying thorium-228,” says Dr de los Reyes.

“Presently, the main source of thorium-228 is obtained via reactor irradiation, with

the US Department of Energy being a key Dr Massey de los Reyes, Principal Scientist, entX.

supplier. However, access is limited.

“Our process isolates thorium-228 from

naturally occurring radioactive materials

found in soil and rocks, providing non-reactorbased thorium-228 that only a handful of

specialised reactors can otherwise produce.”

e nt X

IsoMedica collaborates with partners such as Tellus

This project is exciting mainly because of our unique approach to purifying thorium-228.

Holdings, which operates Australia’s only licensed low-level radioactive waste repository in outback Western Australia, that supports isotope access.

Dr Massey de los Reyes, Principal Scientist, entX

As TAT clinical trials advance toward regulatory

approval and market entry over the coming years, demand for lead-212 and thorium-228 will soar,

meaning a safe and consistent supply is critical

for patient accessibility and future TAT adoption.

With most of the current global supply

of ytterbium-176 accessed from Russia,

securing an independent and reliable supply chain is critical for maintaining the stability of the larger lutetium-177 market.

The demand for lutetium-177, used to treat

neuroendocrine tumours and prostate cancers, is driven by a strong pipeline of approved and

pending radio-immunotherapy drugs including

over 100 clinical trials globally with supply chains struggling to meet demand, entX says.

minerals, such as monazite, euxenite and

xenotime, which are abundant in Australia.

“By refining our isotopic purification process and building strong relationships within the

global supply chain, IsoMedica is positioning itself to ensure a reliable and independent source of isotopes,” Dr de los Reyes says.

Dr Massey de los Reyes, Principal Scientist, entX.

Ytterbium-176 is found in several rare earth

43

Ade laide B io M e d Cit y

A personal battle with cancer For Dr de los Reyes there is a more personal motivation behind her company’s cuttingedge research and ensuring patients can have consistent, reliable and affordable

access to the very best cancer treatment.

“My mother had both breast and ovarian cancer; watching her go through that was incredibly difficult, but I’m grateful that she’s been in Dr Massey de los Reyes, Principal Scientist, entX.

remission for some time now,” she says.

“Everyone is touched by cancer in some

way, whether personally, through a family

member, or a friend. Giving people the chance to have their loved ones around longer is truly a powerful motivator for our team.”

entX research focuses purely on production of the isotopes. The company is not undertaking

Company growth In June 2024, entX was awarded a $1.9 million Economic Recovery Fund grant by the South

Australian Government to be matched by entX to build a medical isotope production facility.

The company has secured a warehouse north of Adelaide and is in the process of obtaining the necessary permits for the facility.

entX also received a $2.9 million grant by the Federal Government to advance its ‘Mines

to Medicines’ project, creating a sustainable sovereign supply chain for lead-212.

The company estimates the addressable market for lead-212 is projected to reach $300 million by

2030, driven by the expansion of clinical trials and expectations that supply constraints will ease.

Ytterbium-176 is estimated to represent

a $1 billion addressable market by 2032.

clinical radiopharmaceutical trials.

Dr de los Reyes says access to a thriving ecosystem has been crucial to their

development through MTPConnect's

Adelaide Intermediary Program (AIP).

"The commercialisation expertise and

industry connections we've made with

MTPConnect's AIP team will have a significant impact on a successful market entry.

“Their guidance has accelerated our ability to

develop a critical sovereign supply capability that

will support the burgeoning radiopharmaceuticals sector in the region and attract investment,

highlighting the importance of such collaborative networks in driving innovation forward."

Beyond cancer treatment, entX is also

collaborating with NASA to develop radiation heat units to protect electronics during

lunar exploration, helping to keep them

operational in the extreme cold of space.

Jim Hannon-Tan Designer and Victoria Aceiro, Industrial Designer, Jim Hannon-Tan.

Jim H annon-Tan

J

JT 45

Tonsley I nnovation D istrict

How incorporating product design

at an early stage

could change your growth trajectory.

Jim H annon-Tan

J

im Hannon-Tan’s

industrial design career spans nearly three decades and he has shaped the products of some of the largest brands.

Working with leading European design houses,

his diverse client list has included Louis Vuitton,

LG Electronics, Unilever, EPSON, Tefal and KLM Airlines.

From a whimsical crocodile-shaped nutcracker

designed for Italian homeware company Alessi to

award-winning lighting solutions for Schneider Electric, his creations blend innovation with craftmanship.

Educated in Adelaide and Melbourne and honing

his craft in Europe, it was the desire to swap the grey London skies with the blue skies of Australia that

compelled Hannon-Tan to return home to Adelaide.

Five years ago, he established his design studio

at Flinders University’s New Venture Institute in the Tonsley Innovation District at the centre of South Australia’s advanced manufacturing industry.

Design isn’t just about decoration; it’s the glue that holds a vision together.

Jim Hannon-Tan Designer, Jim Hannon-Tan

47

Tonsley I nnovation D istrict

Design as a gut feeling There he is applying his expertise to a field far removed from luxury furniture or consumer

electronics – medical technology – and quietly advocating for design to have a greater role in South Australia’s innovation sector.

Hannon-Tan is the design force behind

Alimetry, a New Zealand startup pioneering

non-invasive body surface gastric mapping to provide insights on gastric function.

It’s his experience with Alimetry which Hannon

-Tan believes is a case-study in the power and value of founders embracing design as a core

component in their innovation product journey.

At the heart of Alimetry’s innovation is the

Gastric Alimetry – a sleek, lightweight wearable sensor that attaches like a waistband

recording gut activity and providing faster, more comfortable diagnoses for patients.

“It was a new experience for me,” Hannon-Tan says of working with a medical device startup.

“Usually, an established company will come

to you with ideas around the brief; but as I had some equity in the project, I was empowered to really shape the solution.

“There’s a real case for design in the C-suite – not as an afterthought, but as a strategic driver that

can lift a company from good to game-changing.”

Since Hannon-Tan joined Alimetry’s two founders in 2019, the fast-growing medical startup has

expanded to 65 employees across four continents, secured an oversubscribed $28 million Series A-2 funding round, achieved four US Food and

Drug Administration clearances for the Gastric Alimetry device and completed more than

30 clinical studies to validate its technology.

Award-winning collaboration Hannon-Tan earned a Gold Award in the medical devices category of the Australian Good Design Awards for Gastric Alimetry highlighting the

advantage of integrating a design team within an organisation’s leadership structure.

Initially, Alimetry’s concept, though technically

sound, was bulky and impractical with the Printed Circuit Board resembling a “brick” when Hannon -Tan was called upon to help on the design.

Through a deeply collaborative process,

Hannon-Tan and his team worked with Alimetry’s engineers and business leaders to refine the device into a sleek, user-friendly solution.

His input extended to branding, digital design,

packaging, and even company culture, ensuring a cohesive vision across all touchpoints.

“I feel the success of my contribution to this

company stems from the value the founders placed on good design,” Hannon-Tan says.

“Successful outcomes hinge on close collaboration

and a deep understanding of both the users’ needs – in Alimetry’s case the patients and clinicians – and the product’s technical requirements.

“As for aesthetics, which is what most people assume design is, when the puzzle of human needs, technology and business strategy fit

together well, the result is a beautiful product.

“Design isn’t just about decoration; it’s the glue that holds a vision together and amplifies its

potential and if you want to compete on a global level, it certainly helps if the product is beautiful.”

As well as his work with Alimetry, Hannon-Tan’s team has also designed the hardware

for a remote foetal monitoring device for

Melbourne medical startup Kali Healthcare.

Jim H annon-Tan

Designing the future of our state The power of design to transform lives and

In 2018, the State Government enlisted Hannon-Tan

Hannon-Tan’s thinking particularly in the

on the value of design and its role in supporting

economies is something that has occupied context of South Australia’s shift from

traditional to advanced manufacturing.

and creative industries consultant Joe Hay to advise diversification of the former auto supply chain in South Australia.

“Global innovation hubs, from Silicon

In their report they said a design-led process

design-centric entities like IDEO,

technology of the state’s innovation programs into

Valley to London, have well-established, Fuseproject, and Layer Design,” he says.

“These organisations underscore the

would be key to translating the “raw science and

competitive, human-centred products able to be manufactured locally."

importance of design in technological and

Good product design they said, “improves products

the UK’s explicit four-year design strategy.”

product is being made, who is going to use it and

business innovation, further evidenced by

and brands by asking questions such as why a what makes it more attractive to the

consumer than competing products."

Seven years since that report, Hannon-Tan

says while he was inspired by the growth of SA’s innovation framework there remained a gap in how design is incorporated into the state’s strategic focus.

“Design in Australia doesn’t carry the same deep-rooted identity it does in a place like Italy,” he says.

“As a frontier nation, we lean pragmatic

— focused on inventing and solving problems. Italians, with millennia of

craftsmanship behind them, have honed making into an art form.

“But here’s the rub: to marry our innovative spirit with global markets, Australian

Jim Hannon-Tan Designer and Victoria Aceiro, Industrial Designer, Jim Hannon-Tan.

design needs to be world-class.”

M ITRE x AI M L

The collab bridging the robot — human language gap

(L-R) Jonathon Wotton Leader – Centre for Information Integrity & Defence MITRE Australia, and Dr Feras Dayoub, Head of Embodied AI and Robotic Vision Research Group, Australian Institute for Machine Learning.

Lot Four te e n

51

The sophistication and application of autonomous systems is accelerating at an exponential rate transforming how we move, work, and interact with the world and people around us.

M ITRE x AI M L

E

ven this article has been

brought to you with the help of a speech-to-transcription service

Human-machine collaboration Enhancing this human-machine collaboration is the focus of research at Lot Fourteen between MITRE, a

not-for-profit research and development organisation in the US, and the University of Adelaide’s Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML). AIML operates

at the cutting-edge of AI research and has developed several avenues to facilitate the transfer of that knowledge between Australia and the US.

that uses machine learning

The research builds on a partnership signed in

technology to transcribe spoken

focussed on building Australia’s AI capabilities

words into text in real-time.

And while it’s not pitch-perfect in accurately interpreting language, it does a more than

admirable job in documenting discussions and summarising key points.

As humans become more reliant on autonomous systems and artificial intelligence – whether

consciously or not – how do we make machines more reliable and their interactions more human-centric?

How do we ensure that an autonomous car

or plane will respond to our instructions and get us to our destination safely?

Or that an assistive robot for the elderly and

disabled can communicate with its clients in a more human-like way?

2022 by MITRE with the University of Adelaide for future security and prosperity.

“By developing and enhancing the ability of

autonomous systems, such as robots, drones, and self-driving cars, to interpret their environment using sensory data, we can help them interact

with the world in a more human-like way,” says Jonathon Wotton, Leader of Mitre Australia's

Centre for Information Integrity and Defence.

“This will help systems become more intuitive,

safe, and capable of working alongside humans, improving both the efficiency of their operations and the quality of their interactions with people.

“We’re not there in some ways and this research will hopefully help to solve that challenge.”

The 18-month research project will be conducted at AIML in Adelaide.

53

Lot Four te e n

The outcome of the research with MITRE is to get a robot to explain what it does, what it did or didn’t do, or what it is going to do and provide that information in a more natural way that the user understands.

Dr Feras Dayoub, Senior Lecturer, Australian Institute for Machine Learning

Embedded AI and robotics Leading the research is embedded AI and robotics

expert Dr Feras Dayoub. Dr Dayoub’s work is dedicated to advancing the reliable deployment of computer

vision and machine learning on mobile robots in realworld environments, allowing them to understand situations and interact with them appropriately.

“The outcome of the research with MITRE is to get a

robot to explain what it does, what it did or didn’t do,

or what it is going to do and provide that information in a more natural way that the user understands,” said Dr Dayoub, a senior lecturer at AIML.

“When a robot is deployed in real conditions

sometimes things don’t go as planned. There

will be lots of variations [and] sometimes a task might fail because of obstacles in the way of sensors, or the environment might change."

AIML will run the experiments on a robot, DART, or dual (L-R) Jonathon Wotton MITRE Australia, and Dr Feras Dayoub, Australian Institute for Machine Learning.

armed robot, (pictured), at its lab. The partnership between AIML and MITRE includes knowledge and data transfer and will allow AIML’s research to be

trialled on sophisticated autonomous systems in

MITRE’s extensive lab and research facilities in the US.

M ITRE x AI M L

State-of-the-art test facilities The MITRE MASE (Multidisciplinary Autonomous Systems Evaluation) Lab in Virginia, US, has

a Jeep fitted with sensors, analytic and data

recorders, and powerful computer processors to test and document new autonomous

technologies. The facilities have also been

designed to test for real-world challenges such

as sensor malfunctions or unexpected obstacles.

MITRE also has a state-of-the-art, indoor maritime test facility called the MITRE

BlueTech Lab in Massachusetts while the

MITRE National Range in Virginia is dedicated to testing uncrewed aircraft systems.

The AIMLMITRE partnership allows us to jointly transition technology solutions and prototypes, which can translate into safety improvements – ­ and ultimately save lives.

Jonathon Wotton, Leader, Centre for Information Integrity & Defence MITRE Australia

“We get the value of taking the software

and putting it into the hardware and doing some really cool stuff,” Wotton says.

By testing AIML’s framework in these labs,

“The AIML-MITRE partnership allows us to jointly

tune the system’s performance before it

which can translate into safety improvements-

MITRE can identify vulnerabilities and fineis deployed in the field, ensuring that the

autonomous system performs reliably, safely, and predictably under diverse conditions.

“The outcomes of the research will grow the AI capabilities for both organisations and their government partners,” Wotton says.

“Our research advances novel and cost-effective solutions to government challenges — from

transition technology solutions and prototypes, and ultimately save lives,” Wotton adds.

“If the research unveils potential vulnerabilities, they can be incorporated into MITRE's various publicly available, open-sourced frameworks, such as

MITRE ATT&CK® and MITRE ATLAS, which provide

tools and methodologies to help organisations, particularly governments, respond in a more

proactive and comprehensive way,” Wotton says.

national security and transportation safety to

“By partnering with organisations like AIML, we’re

discover. It’s part of our public interest mission.”

to Australia and grow a sort of sovereign

cyber defence,” he says. “We share what we

The company’s technology transfer program puts innovative solutions in the hands of

able to transfer some of our leading research capability whilst bringing the learnings MITRE has developed over 65 years,” Wotton says.

government and industry, as well as the global

“Our goal is to ensure AI-enabled systems are

knowledge-sharing commitment expedites

users around the globe. This collaboration is

security community and academia. This

impact in the public and private sectors.

secure, safe, trustworthy, and benefit end-

key to advancing and sharing AI’s promise.”

55

Lot Four te e n

Future applications for research ADVANCED AVIATION AND TRANSPORT: fully autonomous vehicles, intelligent

AI co-pilots, route planning and optimisation.

SPACE:

autonomous navigation

and exploration, robotic mining.

HEALTH:

surgical robotics, assistive robots

for elderly and disabled, medical triage,

logistics and delivery, precision medicine.

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING:

workforce empowerment, process optimisation, high precision automation, smart warehousing.

HARNESSING N AT I O N A L I N T E R E S T S T H R O U G H S PA C E

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS_

15-16 JULY 2O25 ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Join us at Australia’s foremost event for exploring the ideas, opportunities, challenges and technology shaping the future of the global space ecosystem.

Hosted by The Andy Thomas Space Foundation, the 18th Australian Space Forum (#18ASF) will catalyse new ideas, new approaches and new opportunities, as we explore the theme of ‘Harnessing National Interests Through Space’ and the utilisation of space-based and earthbound technologies to build and capitalise on the rapid growth trajectory currently underway in Australia’s national space industry.

3 RD A U S T R A L I A N S PA C E W E E K _ 1 4 - 1 8 J U LY 2 O 2 5 Celebrate Australia’s growing space ecosystem — host, join or attend an event as part of the 3rd Annual Australian Space Week!

AUSTRALIANSPACEFORUM.COM.AU/SPACE-WEEK

T H E 5 TH A N D Y T H O M A S S PA C E F O U N D AT I O N _ NETWORKING DINNER Monday 14 July 2025 • 6:30pm - 10:00pm Panorama Ballroom, Adelaide Convention Centre Network, share and celebrate the year in space!

AUSTRALIANSPACEFORUM.COM.AU/DINNER

S PA C E PA S S P O R T STUDENT ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM Providing an opportunity for students to explore new career pathways through direct engagement with leaders from across the Australian space industry.

AUSTRALIANSPACEFORUM.COM.AU/SPACE-PASSPORT

FOR FULL DETAILS, AND TO REGISTER VISIT:

W W W. A U S T R A L I A N S PA C E F O R U M . C O M . A U

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