Boundless Magazine: Issue_01

FOUNDER STORY

THE NEW TECH SOLVING A REAL SOCIAL PROBLEM

HOMEGROWN STARTUPS CONQUERING THE USA WINNING

UNLOCKING AUKUS

GLOBAL COMPANIES TAKING ON SA

Publisher Department of the Premier and Cabinet

Editor

Jenny Hassam, Lot Fourteen

Art Direction

Fern Buranasak, Lot Fourteen

Contributors

Laura O’Neil, Lot Fourteen

Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre

Michels Warren

Australian Institute for Machine Learning

Photographers

SAMA Photography

Frankie The Creative

Graphics And Print

Black Sheep Advertising

Cover photo

Roann Junio-Hartmann, founder of Cobber, stands in the Startup Hub run by Stone & Chalk at Lot Fourteen, on Frome Road, Adelaide. Photography SAMA Photography.

Boundless is published bi-annually by the Government of South Australia. It is distributed via government partners and digitally via lotfourteen.com.au. No articles, illustrations, photographs and any other editorial matter or advertisement herein may be reproduced without written permission of copyright owner.

We acknowledge we are on Kaurna Miyurna land. The Dreaming is still living. From the past, in the present, into the future, forever.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PREMIER

Peter Malinauskas

South Australia’s economy is now ranked second in the nation, continuing to outperform the eastern states.

In 2023, our state is in a fortunate position to capitalise on its unique economic strengths in the defence, space and critical technologies sectors to lead and contribute to solving global challenges.

Lot Fourteen is a beacon of productivity for the state, not only with a vibrant innovative and collaborative ecosystem, but offering a solid vision for the future world of work in South Australia.

The innovation district is proving up critical technologies to fast-track their adoption in defence settings and driving and contributing to our state’s strengths in advanced materials, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, quantum, robotics, cyber security and big data analytics. These capabilities reflect the state’s key priorities, providing high-skilled, rewarding careers for all.

It’s a place where we are investing in the future and positioning ourselves on the world-stage.

The Hon Peter Malinauskas MP Premier of South Australia

“ Our time is now to make an impact and propel South Australia forward. Telling the stories of our successes is just the beginning.

DI DIXON

THE STATE PROJECT LEAD

ON A MISSION TO INNOVATE

Innovation can often seem like a nebulous concept. Overused in ad slogans and misused in PR spin; if you think the ‘i’ word has lost its way you might be right.

As you will discover on page 42, our experts across the academic, corporate and not-for-profit world give us a fantastic insight into what innovation really means for their organisations.

Inside our first issue of Boundless, you’ll also find examples of small companies tackling some of the biggest social issues of our time. Our front-page star Roann Junio-Hartmann’s vision for a more inclusive society comes from the founder’s own lived experience as a single mother, raising two children in public housing. The beta launch of her new app Cobber will offer an ‘Uber’ for the delivery of second-hand goods, and you can read about it on page 28. While on page 14, HutSix talk about its custom software that reduces the contextual barriers often faced by Indigenous communities and geographically isolated locations.

We also meet two young upand-coming PhDs from the Australian Institute for Machine Learning - both harnessing the boundless possibilities of AI. We also learn about new companies building out our sovereign capabilities for AUKUS and so much more.

Five years into building Lot Fourteen’s global innovation district, Boundless tells the stories and offers a snapshot of just some of the amazing work of the 1500 people here, across 150 organisations.

As I take the lead in defining the new strategic management of the state’s innovation districts and economic zones; we’re excited that Lot Fourteen will deepen its connection with Adelaide BioMed City and the Tonsley Innovation District, with the state’s other knowledge and manufacturing hubs. The new model is a first for Australia, and key to stimulating economic growth from our defence, space, advanced manufacturing, and critical technologies - including renewable energy, cyber and artificial intelligence.

Lot Fourteen has also joined the Global Institute on Innovation Districts - a global network of innovation districts, to leverage its indepth research, analysis, and connections to strengthen our position as we navigate crucial decisions, opportunities, and challenges through all stages of our growth and advancement.

I hope Boundless will inspire you to keep on collaborating and giving back to our vibrant community.

If you do one thing today, make sure you have a flick through and take action by reaching out to one of the companies or individuals inside to set-up a coffee, have a yarn or to do business with.

Ngaityalya (thank you).

Di Dixon

State Project Lead, Lot Fourteen Department of the Premier and Cabinet

From left: Georgia Kenyon, 3rd Year Neuroimaging Analysis PhD Student, Lana Tikhomirov, PhD Candidate

THE FUTURE OF

From ChatGPT to ground-breaking medtech research, the future is here.

hatGPT has thrust the power and possibility of artificial intelligence (AI) into the mainstream.

The disruptive technology has been used by students to complete assignments to politicians delivering speeches.

Examples emerge every day of its capacity to translate human thoughts and prompts into prose that are almost indistinguishable to that created by humans.

The fast-paced evolution of AI technology has divided opinion, with critics concerned bots like ChatGPT will cost humans jobs and erode true personal interaction. But global estimates are that AI will contribute up to USD$16 trillion to the global economy by the end of the decade. CSIRO research has predicted Australian industry will need up to 161,000 new specialist workers in AI by 2030.

Adelaide is at the forefront of the research and development in machine learning and computer vision through the University of Adelaide’s Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML) based at Lot Fourteen.

What is machine learning?

Put simply, machine learning is a type of AI that enables computers to learn from data and improve their performance on a specific task, without being explicitly programmed. Examples include image and speech recognition, software that can write human-like language (like ChatGPT), and autonomous vehicles.

“ AI is not something to be feared but has huge opportunities to enhance Australia’s industries, create new jobs, provide better healthcare and drive business efficiency.

Professor Simon Lucey, AIML director

Machine learning underpins business models of the largest corporations and has the potential to deliver massive social, economic and environmental benefits.

AIML’s director Professor Simon Lucey, says AI is not something to be feared but has huge opportunities to enhance Australia’s industries, create new jobs, provide better healthcare and drive business efficiency.

“AI is set to transform every aspect of our lives. It’s a revolution and we’re living through it right now,” he says.

“The real value of AI is not in the technology itself, but the huge improvements it’s making across a range of areas.

“In agriculture, AI is being used to improve harvest yields and help manage environmental resources and in medicine; researchers are using AI to improve patient diagnosis and reveal insights to deliver better health care outcomes, both at a population and an individual level.”

“To meet the huge demand for AI skills in the next few years, we really need to ramp up our education and training efforts, to make sure we have great diversity of talent across the whole tech sector.”

Doubling in size since moving in as Lot Fourteen’s first tenant, AIML is now home to more than 170 machine learning researchers, engineers, and postgraduate students. This core of AI talent - particularly in computer vision - has proven a powerful lure for multinational tech companies seeking to grow their AI capability; with both Amazon and Microsoft choosing to establish operations at Lot Fourteen.

Meet two PhD students at AIML who share the critical research they are doing right here at Lot Fourteen, and their thoughts on AI.

Q&A with Georgia Kenyon, PhD Student, Neuroimaging Analysis

Using AI systems for diagnostic decisions

What is the research you are doing at AIML?

I’m on a joint PhD between the University of Nottingham (UK) and the University of Adelaide, and I am working on using AI, specifically deep learning, to analyse brain MRI scans. My project focuses on combining the knowledge of human anatomy with deep learning models, to improve the segmentation of the brain into its multiple structures. I am particularly focused on extracting the blood vessels from the brain, which are often ignored. Understanding where vessels are in the brain can help to identify anomalies like microbleeds to doctors, as increased brain microbleeds can indicate risk factors such as stroke.

Georgia Kenyon, 3rd Year Neuroimaging Analysis PhD Student

So, using machine learning to highlight areas of the anatomy on imaging that might be more difficult to see?

Definitely - this could be a way of highlighting normal anatomy, or it could also highlight issues we don’t expect to see. So, you could have the capacity to highlight anomalies like tumours; or in my case, microbleeds. The difference between my project and a lot of other deep learning projects, is that I am going to focus on incorporating what we know about anatomy and training the deep learning models in a way that provides almost a set of ‘rules’ that should help deliver more anatomically plausible segmentations.

Why are people interested in using machine learning on medical imaging such as MRIs?

When we go to the doctor, it’s very hard to know what’s going wrong without doing some sort of imaging, whether it’s blood tests, CT or MRI scans. And at times it can be very difficult to see certain aspects of the body in these scans, particularly at fast pace. Having something that could split a brain MRI into its different structural parts, or highlight anomalies, can be beneficial for a doctor because it can help highlight something that they may not otherwise notice immediately.

Will this replace doctors?

No. It’s just going to potentially be a really good tool that could improve efficiency and workflow for doctors. What would the ideal outcome be for your research in 10 years’ time?

I would love to see aspects of my work go into clinical practice and used on different aspects of the body, not only blood vessels. For medicine, I see the benefits of multi-modality, combining a patient’s healthcare data to create a good patient-to-doctor clinical workflow, that results in optimised care for every patient. What advice would you give to students about to leave high school, or girls and women thinking about a career in STEM?

Follow your passion. I think whatever field you go into; technology and artificial intelligence is going to have an impact. So, pursue your passion but then keep thinking about how technology can improve what you’re doing, and hone your skills around that.

Having something that could split a brain MRI into its different structural parts, or highlight anomalies, can be beneficial for a doctor because it can help highlight something that they may not otherwise notice immediately.

Q&A with Lana Tikhomirov PhD Candidate Training AI for health outcomes

What is your research at AIML?

I’m a cognitive scientist in Artificial Intelligence (AI) safety research. Cognitive scientists test and understand unseen thinking processes such as decision making, memory and language. I’m trying to understand what happens to these processes when you use AI. Specifically, I am investigating radiologists’ decision making when they use AI systems for diagnostic decisions, as this is the most common application of AI in medicine. This knowledge is going to be important from a safety and ethical perspective, because we’ve seen previously that there are a lot of difficulties in introducing technology to humans - especially in highrisk workplaces. Through my work, I hope to gain better understanding of how AI impacts decisions, then we can design AI that complements the decision making of radiologists.

Lana Tikhomirov PhD Candidate Australian Institute for Machine Learning

What would be the ideal outcome of your research and impact in ten years from now?

Firstly, that we would be able to better outline why we should create and implement AI, so it can complement an existing task that humans want to do better. Secondly, would be to create a framework for designing and implementing AI that tries to minimise any misuse or overuse of AI.

What might misuse and overuse be?

It could be examples where the technology may not, for instance, account for a particular demographic or a minority. And, if you accept that decision right off the bat, you could end up having a worse outcome for a patient. There may also be cases where AI can’t pick-up incredibly rare diseases, or sometimes there’s certain contextual knowledge that humans have that AI can’t understand.

Where do you see AI going in the future?

I see two potential outcomes. The first is where AI is used to assist humankind in areas where we need it, and we understand why we need the technology. The alternative is where we can sometimes unfairly erase certain human decisions in favour of AI, because we don’t understand the value of those human decisions. These outcomes depend on how well we have a good ethical and safe societal approach to AI.

What career advice would you give a high school student wanting to enter a similar field?

I think the most important area in the future will be human and AI interaction and implementation. We don’t just need people to create AI, we need people to understand what its applications are. That means if you enter a human or social science, you will be important in these spaces.

AI is still very much a male-dominated industry, although diversity is increasing. Do you have any thoughts about the role of women in this space?

I think diversity is increasing. The culture and environment can be very welcoming. I knew that I wasn’t necessarily going to know a whole lot about machine learning or know a whole lot about technology, but I had an interest in it… and that’s all you need really. I think the days where computer science seems more like a geeky male pursuit is coming to an end, as more people interact with technology.

I think the most important area in the future will be human and AI interaction and implementation.

GPT

Lyndsey Jackson, CEO & Co-founder, Platfarm

My ambition is to get as many people in my hometown using GPT-4 or ChatGPT as possible. It’s accessible and democratised AI, and I use it for admin and research. I’m excited by the opportunities for helping small business, volunteer groups and young people in the regions to build future job skills.

openai.com

We love a good hack. A time-saver, rather than a cyber hack of course.

From Slack to Xero, Google to Microsoft; as busy entrepreneurs, researchers and those on the cutting edge, we’re all looking for apps that will make us twice as productive in half the time.

TRELLO

Mary Kelly, Founder, Reusably Trello is a game changer for managing startups! You can download all your ideas on this app – which can be accessed on a phone or desktop. Trello’s ‘boards’ are super visual; you can even set them up for personal use like holiday ideas and fun things to do, alongside business boards too.

trello.com

APPY DAYS

MINUTEME

LUMAAI

Alex Tolson, Founder, Lateral Vision

Luma AI creates 3D models and environments from images taken with your phone! Pretty amazing that what once was expensive and required specialised tools, can now be done through an app.

lumalabs.ai

FUTUREPEDIA

Fern Buranasak, Marketing Manager, Lot Fourteen

A library for all AI tools, what’s not to love? It’s the place to discover new AI which makes work-life easier, adding a glimpse of the future to your day-to-day.

futurepedia.io

Carly

Zeitz, Corporate Accountant, Apxium

Cut down on talkfests with this nifty app invented to manage your meetings and slash boring admin. From automating your agenda creation and meeting notes, to sorting your notes into one tidy place - this is the ultimate productivity hack. MinuteMe was born out of the Startup Hub at Lot Fourteen.

Minuteme.com

Experts share their favourite apps they use on the daily

To find out the new and best tech on the market, we went out to experts across the innovation district to see what they’re using... and we weren’t disappointed. Some of the apps we found were even created right here at Lot Fourteen!

PODCAST INDEX

Mike Horton, Manager, SA Hub, Stone & Chalk Group

Attention all podcast buffs - check out Podcast Index to see what podcast apps support creators to monetise their work, receive direct feedback from listeners, and drop ad-reads forever. Amazing!

podcastindex.org

CHANGING

HutSix is improving lives one tech at a time

Many people have absent friends, or those acquaintances who drop in and out of our lives.

But when Brad Bellette lost touch with a good friend who shared his love of BMX, he knew something was amiss.

Little did he know that coming to his friend’s aid would become a “pivotal moment” for Brad, and his ambitions to use technology to improve lives in Indigenous communities.

Today HutSix, its name derived from the location of the breaking of the Enigma code in World War II, is delivering technological innovation to tackle social equity disparity in regional and remote Australia.

LIVES

From left: Brad Bellette, HutSix Chief Executive Officer Erika Hamilton HutSix Chief Operating Officer

“My friend [Bradley] is an Aboriginal man who runs an Aboriginal construction company in Alice Springs, and we just never saw him,” explains Brad, Chief Executive Officer of tech firm HutSix, from the company’s new Lot Fourteen office.

“It turned out he was buried writing reports for government funding bodies - he was managing the maintenance for six town camps in Alice Springs and was giving up his weekends and giving up his life writing these reports, he was ready to walk off the job.”

The maintenance reports were crucial to Tangentyere Constructions maintaining funding, and for Bradley to keep his job.

As mates do, Brad helped Bradley create a cloudbased customer relationship management system that would track the jobs Tangentyere Constructions did, and allow them to share the information directly with the NT Department of Housing.

The software was built to Tangentyere Constructions bespoke needs, cutting the organisation’s reporting time from two weeks to 48 hours.

“That was the moment when the light-bulb [moment] happened and made me realise that we could create something big, and in the past five years we have done more and more work in this space,” he says.

Today HutSix, its name derived from the location of the breaking of the Enigma code in World War II, is delivering technological innovation to tackle social equity disparity in regional and remote Australia.

GETTING ESTABLISHED

Established in Alice Springs in 2012, the company has 11 staff nationally - four in Adelaide - and established its Lot Fourteen HQ in 2021 in the Marnirni-apinthi building, before moving to its current home in the TechCentral building in 2022. HutSix’s tech is truly changing lives.

Innovations include an app to streamline applications for payment of mining royalty payments to traditional owners in Queensland’s Western Cape, who are eligible for the money under an Indigenous Land Use Agreement.

“We found out that people couldn’t access the money,” Brad says. “Nobody was applying, and the reason nobody was applying was that every time you had to prove your identity, these were massive roadblocks.

“And the other issue is they couldn’t find enough staff to process the claims, so it was getting worse - there were sheds full of paper applications, so we thought: why don’t we develop something that can be used by people on their phone.”

HutSix’s Royalties Distribution App validates identities through social media, and empowers shareholders on the ground.

The app also builds out a family tree of related shareholders, further streamlining application and verification processes.

It’s releasing that money to do what it was supposed to do –benefit people who are entitled to it.

Erika Hamilton, HutSix Chief Operating Officer

THE TECHNOLOGY

The technology also means only one auditor is needed to process claims; further accelerating release of funds, with the app, administered through the West Cape Communities Co-Existence Agreement, distributing over $100,000 a month to recipients since its 2017 implementation.

HutSix Chief Operating Officer, Erika Hamilton, says the app has the potential to improve lives for future generations on Cape York, and close the gap for Indigenous children.

“This system makes it easier for people to have funding for schools, for teachers, so children can finish Year 12,” she says. “They can now get funding to improve infrastructure, or can pay for school support staff.”

“It’s releasing that money to do what it was supposed to do – benefit people who are entitled to it.”

HutSix also built an app for the Tiwi Islands Regional Council’s youth night patrols, streamlining report-writing tasks and administrative duties, meaning staff could be on the road more of the time helping their community.

Users can see real-time data entered by others, and the data can be accessed by other stakeholders such as truancy officers, who previously had to wait until the next morning each day for a photocopy of the previous night’s activity reports.

Women escaping domestic violence are also being supported by HutSix, which has created a CRM that is breaking down the barriers for at-risk and vulnerable women in the Northern Territory in accessing professional support.

THE PLATFORM

The platform enables staff at the Katherine Women’s Information and Legal Service to deliver community legal education (CLE) to crisis service providers, alleviating the need for senior lawyers to do the work.

The system also integrates a feedback and follow-up system for CLE session participants, and has a discreet self-referral process for at-risk women.

“So, it eases the administrative burden for the organisation, but also makes it a lot easier for people to self-elect for outreach services,” Erika says. Brad adds: “What these systems are doing is handing back control and that democracy to organisations.”

“And for the federal or state governments funding these organisations, they get more transparent governance. We like to think we are pretty unique in this space.”

Erika says a “guiding light of strong values and a core mission” dictates HutSix’s work.

“The culture in our team is that everyone is striving to make a difference,” she says. “And we need to make sure we do work that actually does that.”

Lot Fourteen, she says, aligns with the company’s vision to be at the forefront of ideas and innovation.

“It’s also about being around people who are willing to collaborate,” she says. “It’s really easy here, nobody is threatened by you, everyone wants to collaborate.”

Brad adds: “It just seemed like the right thing to do. From the moment I popped into the place, it just felt like the right place to be.”

heavy hitters.

From Rodeo Drive to the Super Bowl, meet the Lot Fourteen companies conquering the US

Market size, maturity and available capital are stand out reasons why the US is on the hit list for many South Australian companies looking to scale in 2023 and beyond. However, barriers to entry are aplenty and even the most impressive flying starts don’t always yield Disney-style happily ever afters.

We caught up with two startups with fascinating insights into cultural nuances, alongside the dos and don’ts of levelling up your company stateside.

Tim Stollznow

MyVenue, the 2022 Australian Emerging Exporter of the Year, is a solid example of targeting the US market with enviable success.

The company’s Point of Sale technology is purpose-built for large venues, like stadiums, that sell food and drinks to big crowds. The solution offers fast transaction times, scalable terminal deployment, innovative mobile ordering, comprehensive back office, and browser-accessible performance dashboards for real-time reporting.

The startup has generated more than 85 per cent of its revenue in the US in the past 12 months; unsurprising, given the country has more stadiums than any other country on Earth. Most large US cities have major league, minor league and college venues for football, basketball, hockey and baseball.

In February 2023, MyVenue’s technology was used at Super Bowl LVII, where it processed 90,000 transactions across concessions, premium bars, mobile ordering and corporate boxes. Meanwhile, over three days at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix in 2022, the company amassed 223,000 transactions and US$7 million in gross sales. Despite the impressive resumé of achievements, MyVenue’s journey hasn’t been without its unique challenges. Chief executive officer, Tim Stollznow, says that Americans are very proactive in choosing and changing technology providers and are prodigious networkers.

“If your team or product doesn’t perform as promised, North American venue operators are willing to quickly replace the technology, regardless of the cost. This places a greater pressure on executing,” Stollznow says.

MyVenue

CEO MyVenue

Tim’s Tips

EXPOS. Select at least one tradeshow to attend every year of three years straight (minimum)

BE RELENTLESS. Live and breathe the market. Use the local language, especially industry terminology

GET LOCAL. Have an advocate on the ground at all introductory meetings –this can be an employee or an external consultant

BUILD A LOCAL TEAM. An on-ground presence (same time zone and accent) makes doing business easier and speeds up enquiry responses

GET OFF ZOOM. Build rapport with customers and overcome any perception of being a foreign company by meeting face-to-face

For global entertainment events, such as the Super Bowl, the stakes don’t get much higher.

“We regularly fly Australian-based experts to the US to build relationships and deploy products, as we did for February’s football game at State Farm Stadium. This is costly, but it’s worth the investment,” Stollznow says.

“We also rely on third-party POS terminals and EFTPOS devices to operate a full turnkey POS solution. Unfortunately, post-pandemic microchip and superconductor shortages created supply chain challenges we’ve had to overcome.”

That being said, within three short years MyVenue has grown from zero to 33 employees and continues to expand rapidly its customer base in the US.

Americans are very proactive in choosing and changing technology providers and are prodigious networkers.

Rachel Kidwell

nother startup, based in Stone & Chalk’s Startup Hub is TCPinpoint, who won its first US customer in late 2022. The company’s cloudbased workflow platform helps property managers in the retail sector create amazing spaces by managing the multitude of tasks, communications, documents and reporting required in the delivery and fit-out of retail shops.

Scale, again, is an important factor for the company. The Australian retail market exhibits very different characteristics to other retail markets around the world, in large part due to the high barriers to entry, but also comparative low supply versus the major markets of North America. Australia has retail supply of approximately 1.06sqm per person, compared to the US which has more than double this.

Post COVID, TCPinpoint signed its first US customer, Prism Places, which has a US$3 billion portfolio of assets across California, Colorado and Texas. Implementing TCPinpoint’s software solutions across the portfolio has meant that the company has ditched spreadsheets, and now has visibility across their tenancy delivery to ensure they can provide best-in-class customer experience to their tenants and key stakeholders.

Rachel Kidwell, TCPinpoint’s chief executive officer says, “from our experience of the US, the speed of decision making and engagement through implementation are two of the biggest cultural differences.”

“We were able to implement our software with Prism Places across a six-week timeframe, extended only due to the festive holiday period.

“

From our experience of the US, the speed of decision-making and engagement through implementation are two of the biggest cultural differences.

“Building technology from an idea sketched out on an A3 piece of paper, based on lived experience, has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life.

“In other territories, there may be six to eight coffee meetings before leads are interested in a proposal. In the US, on average, we can receive incoming web-based enquiries, demo the software and provide a proposal in a 48-hour time frame; with a yes or no answer received in seven to 14 days.

“The speed of doing business is very different.”

Rachel Kidwell, TCPinpoint’s Chief Executive

Prior to entering the US market, Hank Delen, TradeStart Adviser at the Department for Trade and Investment says it’s worth conducting considerable market research.

“It’s essential to understand the value drivers, competitive dynamic, and your business value proposition for the market,” he says. “You can then apply the learnings from the research into a written strategy, that will keep your team aligned, while importantly identifying key success milestones and opportunities to manage the risks.”

Austrade’s TradeStart network is a good place to start when looking for new export markets. Delivered in partnership with state, territory and local governments, industry associations and chambers of commerce, the network assists small and medium sized exporters to achieve long term success internationally. It offers exporters the combined resources of Austrade and each partner organisation, providing local assistance and a direct link to Austrade’s services and overseas network.

Find out more at www.austrade.gov.au or www.dti.gov.au.

ON YA C BBER

New app Cobber aims to be the ‘Uber’ for second hand items

C Oobber and bayanihan. One is Australian slang for a mate, the other is a Filipino word representing the spirit of community co-operation and working towards a common goal. Together, they drive Roann Junio-Hartmann’s vision for a more inclusive society that uses technology to improve lives, and has been put into fruition with the beta launch of her app Cobber.

Originally born in the Philippines and now based in Adelaide’s southwestern suburbs, JunioHartmann is the founder and inventor of a peer-to-peer delivery platform, Cobber, which aims to amass a fleet of drivers to transport bulky second-hand goods.

The innovation came through the founder’s own lived experience as a single mother, raising two children in public housing, who relied on second-hand goods sourced from Facebook and Gumtree to furnish her house.

Junio-Hartmann doesn’t drive and often sellers did not have a suitable vehicle to transport larger items.

“This business is important to me because it is solving a very real social problem,” she says.

“Social marketplaces offer amazing second-hand goods, but if you are among the many people in this country who cannot afford a car, or you are too busy to go and pick up a couch, accessibility is a huge barrier.

“This is not just about another gig economy business; it’s rooted in a story about social isolation and connection; that’s why at Cobber, we are using technology to create a more inclusive world.”

This business is important to me because it is solving a very real social problem.

Customers will be able to book a delivery driver on the Cobber app using a similar technology to that of Uber. The customer will have to upload a photo of the product, including approximate dimensions, and once the job is submitted a driver is alerted. With an automated payment system, and an upfront instant quote for cost of service, Junio-Hartmann says the app provides a hassle-free customer experience, avoiding lengthy negotiations.

Junio-Hartmann, who has a computer engineering background, says Cobber provides a smarter, economical and sustainable way to transport goods, while financially rewarding drivers who want to use their vehicle and spare time to help in the community.

Roann Junio-Hartmann, Cobber's founder

“

The valuable insight that I would probably share with people looking for a business idea, is to pay attention to your own struggles and those of others because necessity is the mother of all invention.

“Research shows that people are likely to pay more for delivery if it’s a second-hand item because they know they are still getting a saving,” she says.

At the time of publication, the app had 31 pre-registered drivers and some 200 people waiting to test the software.

“The goal is to increase the brand presence, and encourage more people to get onboard and help their community and put some extra money in their back pocket,” Junio-Hartmann says.

And with the value of unused and unwanted goods in the Australian circular economy estimated to be $62 billion with projected yearly growth, according to Gumtree and Planet Ark’s 2022 Trading in the Circular Economy Report, Junio-Hartmann says the potential of Cobber is unlimited.

Roann has raised an initial $45,000 for product development and aims to officially launch the app in mid-2023. She was among six national winners of Stone & Chalk 2023 International Women’s Day Scholarship, which aims to support women in STEM with a six-month residency.

“The valuable insight that I would probably share with people looking for a business idea, is to pay attention to your own struggles and those of others because necessity is the mother of all invention,” she says.

Hidden away in a secure part of the Margaret Graham building lies a place where defence and space companies from near and far have a safe space to land, assemble and deploy business activity in South Australia. This is the Defence and Space Landing Pad. And it will be in higher demand after the recent AUKUS announcement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, of Australia’s mission to acquire a conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine fleet.

From nuclear-powered subs to innovative space tech, South Australia’s defence and space ecosystem is drawing international companies to Lot Fourteen for a chance to establish a foothold in these growing sectors

The deal, inked by Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, is estimated to cost $268 billion to $368 billion, and create 20,000 jobs nation-wide over the next 30+ years. With more than 8500 jobs heading to South Australia as part of the ambitious program, work begins this year on a new state-of-the-art submarine shipyard in Osborne. Training will focus on trades in science and engineering to upskill and build a next-generation shipbuilding workforce, ready to fill the high-skilled, hi-tech jobs to come.

For Australia, the heart of the nuclear-powered submarines manufacture is here in Adelaide, and it will need a robust supply and talent pipeline to ensure success.

The Defence and Space Landing Pad will be just one component of ensuring the supply chain is in place. Managed by state government department, Defence SA, it offers tenants access to shortterm office accommodation, a range of support programs and a network of industry contacts. And the alumni list is a long and high-calibre one, including L3 Harris, Bureau Veritas and Saber Astronautics, with the latter opening the Responsive Space Operations Centre at Lot Fourteen in 2021; providing next generation spaceflight operations services and software to the commercial space sector.

Far from commercial leasing business objectives, the Landing Pad aims to graduate its tenants within relatively short time frames, supporting them to establish a strong South Australian base and providing a seamless transition from entry to exit.

Catching up with a submariner

With 22 years in the Swedish Armed Forces as a submariner, it was fascinating to catch up with Anders Folbert, managing director of MCT Brattberg Australia, on the day of the AUKUS announcement.

Folbert, who arrived at the Defence and Space Landing Pad in January 2023 and has substantial experience aboard submarines, says the new nuclear powered subs once operational can spend months underwater.

His role in the Swedish Navy and as a Submarine Commanding Officer led to several managing positions in Sweden’s Submarine project A26. He now heads up MCT Brattberg Australia, which he says is a “world leader in the design, development and manufacture of cable and pipe transits”, and provides local support to key clients BAE Systems, SAAB Australia and ASC.

“MCT Brattberg is the original creator of multicable and pipe transit, patented in the early 1950s and since then has become the industry standard because of its high performance and safety features, and represented by more than 200 offices in the world,” Folbert says.

MCT Brattberg’s high-performance cable and pipe transits

”The cable and pipe transits must have features that make them safe in a variety of hazardous applications to protect people, environment - including intellectual property like computer data - and to help ensure the continued operations.

“I believe that Cable Penetration Seals should receive the same attention to detail as the watertight and fire tight doors on a ship, platform or building. Both penetrate the same division and, therefore, are local weaknesses within the construction.”

Projects in the Defence sector are the main reason for the company’s new subsidiary in Adelaide, but they are also involved in other projects at sea and on land (for example train, offshore, buildings and data centres) and are looking at expanding in these areas.

DID YOU KNOW

Because nuclear propulsion is independent of air, nuclear-powered submarines have no need to surface frequently, so they can maintain maximum stealth by staying completely submerged. The nuclear reactor on board a submarine allows it to operate at high speed for long periods of time, with virtually unlimited range.

Source: United States Naval Institute

Catching up with MBDA

MBDA is another new arrival to Lot Fourteen, taking up residence in the Defence and Space Landing Pad in March 2023.

The company has over 13,000 employees worldwide and is Europe’s leading missile and missile systems company. MBDA uses leading-edge technology, focusing on the design, development, production and throughlife support of highly complex guided missile systems. Sarah Webb, Head of Engineering Australia at MBDA Systems, says that they’re excited to be based at the innovation district.

“This new local presence in South Australia is an important step for MBDA in supporting the growth and sustainment of Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise industrial capability,” she says.

“We are engaging across both Primes and SMEs in the Australia supply chain given some of the unique capabilities that exist and saw Lot Fourteen as an obvious location to enable those collaborative discussions in South Australia.”

Webb says her initial focus is to build long-term relationships, partnering with local Australian entities, while building a team.

“Last year in the UK, we worked with over 700 SMEs. We’re not at that level yet in Australia, but we’re keen to support the development of supply-chain and sovereign capabilities,” she says.

“For us, it’s not about keeping all our capabilities under lock and key. It’s about upskilling local teams, while ensuring they have ownership of products and make informed decisions on the ground, rather than keeping all capabilities in other countries.

From left: Sarah Webb, Head of Engineering Australia at MBDA Systems, Anders Folbert, Managing Director MCT Brattberg Australia

“We’re also always looking at how to increase our workforce diversity globally, for example through supporting programs to get girls into software coding, to raising awareness around neurodiversity in the workplace.”

As the state prepares to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented by AUKUS, Lot Fourteen will continue to build strong networks with other knowledge and manufacturing hubs including the Osborne Naval Shipyard, the Edinburgh Defence Precinct and the future Australian Space Park.

Follow the leaders

Global companies are in Adelaide for innovation and growth

“The focus on Cyber Security and AI within Adelaide and Lot Fourteen, and the depth of the local talent pool in these topics are big attractors for us. AI and data are key to the next generation of digital personalisation, and the local focus on Augmented Reasoning, in particular, is very exciting when we think about how we can use AI technology to better empower our staff to serve our customers.”

Brendan Hopper, CIO for Technology, Commonwealth Bank of Australia

“Our Adelaide base has continued to thrive over the past year, bringing jobs to South Australia and becoming a part of the business community. We are privileged to be offering roles to, and working alongside, the firstclass talent in Adelaide who are looking to reach their full potential in delivering technological and scientific excellence.”

Peter Burns, CEO Accenture Australia and New Zealand

“We have chosen Adelaide as the home of our first Australian Centre for Innovation and Technology because we have enormous confidence in the South Australian economy and an exceptional talent market that exists in the region.”

Hendri Mentz, Deloitte Adelaide office Managing Partner

“Nokia has established a National 5G Industrial Incubation Lab in South Australia, an important capability to harness the power of 5G for all Australian industries.”

Andrew Cope, Nokia Managing Director of Australia and New Zealand

YOURSELF SHIELD

We caught up with the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre to discuss how some quick phone settings tweaks could prevent a major security breach, data loss or worse

The average cybercrime attack costs a small to medium sized business $63,000.

Whether work or personal, phones carry vast amounts of information including contacts, private conversations, emails, banking details, locations visited and more.

It’s vital to have a proactive approach to protecting this information from criminals, if your device is lost or stolen, and prevent a hacking attempt.

Safeguarding your phone access, keeping software up to date, and ensuring your device and data are recoverable are just the beginning of mobile cyber safety.

The Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre shares eight pointers on how to prevent security breaches.

SAFEGUARD PHONE ACCESS

Use fingerprint, face, pin or password locking

Switch on face or fingerprint locking - if your phone has the capability - for convenient protection. Alternatively, use a hard-to-guess pin or password. Do not use your date of birth, postcode, or other more obvious identifiers.

STAY UP TO DATE

Update your phone software

Smartphones have updates that improve security against scammers and hackers. Make sure that you have the latest software. If your phone is too old and cannot be updated, look for a good deal on a new phone - just be sure to purchase from a reputable retailer.

RECOVER YOUR DEVICE & DATA

Activate‘find your phone’ and automatic backup

‘Find your/my phone’ may help if you lose your device, and having a backup will ensure you retain access to your data. The backup will also help if you forget your pin or password or irreparably damage your phone. Apple, Google and Microsoft all have excellent phone backup options.

BE ALERT FOR SCAMS

Watch out for suspicious messages and calls

Never respond or click inside a message demanding payment or personal information. Use a computer to search for the phone number of the company contacting you, then ring directly to verify with them the authenticity of the request.

ENACT APP AWARENESS

Vet your apps before downloading

Not all phone apps can be trusted. Before downloading, check the company that provides it and decide if they are reputable. Be wary of apps that require payment details. Never install an app from outside of the phone store (e.g. Apple App Store and Google Play).

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AVOID PUBLIC WI-FI

Be careful where you connect

Most phone plans come with a good allowance of internet capacity so avoid using free or public Wi-Fi. If you really want to use free or public networks, check for the official sign with the Wi-Fi details and do not share sensitive information, such as bank account numbers, credit cards and HR records while connected.

CHARGE & CONNECT SAFELY

Assess cables, devices or QR codes before use

Avoid using public USB charging stations, connecting to unknown Bluetooth devices, or scanning QR codes. These can be used to copy your phone data, transfer malicious software onto your phone, or redirect you to an unsafe website that could compromise your security.

$63,000

PERFORM FACTORY RESETS

Don’t give your data away unknowingly

Have you obtained a nice new smartphone? Before you sell, gift or recycle your old one, ensure to factory reset it prior to handing the device to anybody else. Also don’t forget step three (above), and make sure you have a backup of your data before the factory reset.

Learning how to protect yourself and your business in the digital realm doesn’t need to feel overwhelming and time-consuming. The Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre provides free, simple, informative resources that help pave your way to prevention and protection.

To access resources and learn more about growing your digital resilience, visit: https://www.cybercollaboration.org.au/resources

The average cybercrime attack costs a small to medium sized business

SPROUTING SOLUTIONS U

sing analogies of rainforests and gardening, Professor Allan O’Connor has what could be described as an innovative approach to defining innovation. One of Australia’s leading experts on entrepreneurship based at UniSA, Professor O’Connor says, at its core, innovation is something that is new, and it must add value. But much like gardening or the complex ecosystem of a rainforest, innovation requires balance, support, symbiotic relationships, and the right conditions and interventions to ensure it can flourish.

From accelerated serendipity, range anxiety to gardening metaphors, leading experts give their views on innovation, the value of innovation districts and more…

“What we’re talking about is a diversity of things that’s happening within an ecosystem, which draws upon the analogy of a rainforest,” the Professor in Enterprise Dynamics explains of the push and pull of ecosystems, where innovation and entrepreneurship intersect, such as Lot Fourteen.

“You’ve got all these different species and kind of microclimates that are struggling against each other, prevailing together and bringing a whole community together.

“And if you think of South Australia as a Botanic Garden, it is an area where you can get immense diversity, where you get this crisp set of interactions of different industries, technologies and ideas.”

If SA is the Botanic Garden, then the State Government is like the gardener, creating the ideal conditions for ideation and seeding of these ideas into various plots, he says.

He says the next step is to link these “plots” to create more diversity across the ideas, the talent, and the industries to have the “garden flourish” that creates the socioeconomic equivalent of a rainforest.

SA will create a state-wide model to connect innovation districts, including Lot Fourteen, Tonsley Innovation District and Adelaide BioMed City. The model will cut across the state’s economic zones, stimulating economic growth in defence, space, advanced manufacturing, and critical technologies including renewable energy, cyber and artificial intelligence.

At Lot Fourteen, Stone & Chalk unites programs, investors, industry stakeholders and mentors in a single network to drive growth and commercial success for tech startups and scaleups.

“

If SA is the Botanic Garden, then the State Government is like the gardener, creating the ideal conditions for ideation and seeding of these ideas into various plots.

Professor Allan O’Connor

Dr Tim Mahlberg, Stone & Chalk’s SA Director of Ecosystems, is devoted to supporting the end-to-end journey for startup founders and working to grow the innovation ecosystem in SA. He says innovation is about “seeing potential”.

“I think people think of innovation as a kind of Big Bang, something that is radical and disrupts everything,” he says.

“I have the view that innovation is about improvement, it’s also about human agency, and self-determination, recognising that you can make a sustainable impact when you are in a system that supports you in making change.”

Stone & Chalk is helping to unlock the potential in nearly 60 startups representing some 200 residents in the incubator’s ecosystem.

“They want to make a difference in some way, and they’ve seen that technology is an enabler to do it,” Dr Mahlberg says. He says investment in innovation districts can help to foster innovation through what he calls “accelerated serendipity”; the water-cooler or coffee machine talks, or organic interactions, that can flourish into something bigger.

“So, when (innovators) are here, they feel part of the social community, they identify as being an innovator and that gives them an incredible sense of energy,” he says “The experience is what is at the heart of innovation communities and ecosystems; and that’s a big focus of Stone & Chalk.”

Innovation is also about solving the big problems, Dr Mahlberg says, such as applying technology in space, climate and agriculture. One of Lot Fourteen’s newest tenants is the Royal Automobile Association, or commonly known to South Australians as the RAA, which provides motor, home and travel services to more than 800,000 members.

The RAA was founded 120 years ago; today it’s the advent of electric vehicles, Internet of Things, and digital devices in the home powered by renewable energy that is propelling RAA through an accelerated period of reinvention and innovation.

“Innovation is in our DNA,” RAA Innovation Manager – Special Projects, Angela DiFabio says.

“When the RAA was founded, anyone driving a motor car would have been considered an early adopter of the technology.”

As motorists became increasingly concerned about “range anxiety”, RAA began door-to-door oil can deliveries to members in regional areas.

“

Those chance meetings, informal and formal networking is part of the tapestry of being in a rich ecosystem helping to discover and co-create what the future could look like.

From left: Allan O’Connor, Professor in Enterprise Dynamics Angela DiFabio, RAA Innovation Manager Dr Tim Mahlberg, Stone & Chalk’s SA Director of Ecosystems

Angela DiFabio, RAA Innovation Manager

“Today, we’re playing a leading role in solving a new era of range anxiety - for EV drivers. RAA has begun the rollout of the state’s first border-to-border EV charging network of 140 charging sites, and is entrenched in how EVs will integrate with the home,” DiFabio says. In a conscious decision to be part of the innovation ecosystem and drive collaboration to find solutions for tomorrow, RAA has located its innovation team at Lot Fourteen. DiFabio says innovation is about creating new value “whether it be social or economic”.

For RAA, this is a combination of incremental innovation, using the best technology to better service members and the community, DiFabio explains, or deep innovation exploration such as drone technology.

She says basing staff at Lot Fourteen helps to elevate innovation through “osmosis… by living it, breathing it and bumping into people.”

“Those chance meetings, informal and formal networking is part of the tapestry of being in a rich ecosystem helping to discover and co-create what the future could look like,” she says.

“ I have the view that innovation is about improvement, it’s also about human agency, and self-determination, recognising that you can make a sustainable impact when you are in a system that supports you in making change.

Dr Tim Mahlberg, Director of Ecosystems, Stone & Chalk SA

Professor O’Connor says innovation succeeds in organisations where it is part of their culture.

“It’s seeded from the ground up and it becomes part of the DNA of the organisation to really look at new ideas and start to invest in them,” he says.

“Innovation takes a team and the diversity of ideas, talent, and perspectives to develop something that is new and value creating.”

Professor O’Connor says that just because an idea may not develop into a solution, that should not be the full stop in pushing ahead with innovation. Rather, failures should drive companies further.

“The question is always about what have we learnt from that process? Let’s look at why it didn’t work and how we can apply that thinking as we move forward,” he says.

Between academics to startups, corporations to government, it seems innovation can mean different things to different organisational cultures. And that’s fine. Lot Fourteen’s highly attuned ecosystem might not be at rainforest level complexity, but if we keep innovating who knows what we can collectively achieve.

Getting the business basics in place is the real short cut to success say legal and accountancy firms

GROWTH HACKING

Navigating the minefield of legal, financial and operational challenges are not always at the forefront of entrepreneurs’ minds as they leap into the unknown of building a business from scratch.

We caught up with two members of The Circle – First Nations Entrepreneur Hub, who are paving the way for future First Nations businesses and leading by example, offering business-saving advice with a strong social purpose.

From left: Matthew Karakoulakis, AMK Founder and Principal Kedeisha Kartinyeri, & Mike Levy, KML Directors

AMK LAW

AMK Law’s (AMK’s) top three requested services from small business clients surround legal dispute resolution, often related to unpaid debts; advice in areas such as employment, contracts and liability; and drafting contracts and agreements. Named one of Australia’s most innovative firms in 2020 by Australasian Lawyer, AMK has embraced technology to streamline operations and maximise efficiency, while increasing access to justice for people who can’t afford traditional legal fees. A great example of this is the firm’s Boost Legal Templates. Designed with Australian small businesses in mind, the interactive templates host many of AMK’s commonly requested legal documents and can be purchased and customised online almost instantly.

“Boost Legal Templates is really aimed at bringing cost effective, quality driven legal products into the marketplace for clients who are starting out with a minimal budget,” Founder and Principal of AMK, Matthew Karakoulakis, says.

“An added bonus is that for each sale, a percentage is donated to digital inclusion projects run by Dot Com Mob.”

A proud Aboriginal-owned business, AMK is incredibly motivated to support and promote others in the First Nations business sector, and does so by taking on pro bono clients, sub-contract work, external purchases, and delivering workshops.

Outside of his billable hours, Karakoulakis gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the life of a founder via social media, breaking down legal stereotypes and offering a mix of stories and legal tips; while injecting a fun and engaging look at how he applies his brown belt in Jiu Jitsu to the practice of law.

As Karakoulakis says, he’s all about keeping it real and being relatable, which in turn has fostered business through a sense of trust and humility.

KML BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Another member of The Circle and accounting firm, KML Business Solutions (KML), have a comparable mandate to AMK; working across a similar client base as a professional services business.

Accountants by trade, directors Kedeisha Kartinyeri and Mike Levy met at a midtier accounting firm where their similar interest and focus for providing critical business support services for First Nations organisations led them to create KML.

Traveling remotely throughout South Australia and the Northern Territory to build relationships and provide personalised services, KML’s mission is to increase First Nations participation in the accounting profession by providing opportunities and employment pathways.

Kartinyeri and Levy also currently work with The Circle to provide financial support to members, as a business service supplier, servicing 15 members thus far.

When asked where startups and small businesses face the most challenges when it comes to business planning and accounting, KML stated: initial business structure and bookkeeping system setup; not separating business income and expenditure from personal funds; and not understanding GST and PAYG requirements as the most common factors.

Kartinyeri and Levy say with early, reliable business advice, startups and small businesses will reduce their risk of tripping over these common issues and set themselves up for a sustainable, healthy business model.

“

Boost Legal Templates is really aimed at bringing cost effective, quality driven legal products into the marketplace for clients who are starting out with a minimal budget.

Matthew Karakoulakis, AMK Founder and Principal

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5

WAYS TO NAIL YOUR FINANCIAL AND LEGAL OBLIGATIONS

Establish a solid and suitable business structure from the start says AMK. Register your company via ASIC and create a shareholders’ agreement. KML adds that time and money spent up front on solid financial guidance will save time long-term.

For product-based companies, AMK recommends the need for a product supply agreement to ensure that the terms and conditions of the products are covered. For service-based businesses, a service agreement should be in place.

Setting up terms and conditions for your website are non-negotiables.

Set up a suitable accounting/bookkeeping system and processes

– KML recommends Xero due to its sophisticated functionality and userfriendly dashboarding.

AMK suggests protecting your intellectual property through trademarks and other means.

Kedeisha Kartinyeri, KML Director

“Budgets and cashflow forecasts are significant, you must have tools to ensure you have efficient resources to operate at the scale the business is growing at,” Levy says.

“We are big advocates for using add-on apps to accounting software,” Kartinyeri says in relation to slashing admin time when bookkeeping.

“For example, Xero has hundreds of different apps to help manage business efficiency.

“Apps include receipt processing, timesheets, inventory, and online sales…there’s basically an app for everything.

“Although it takes time to implement a new process using an app, in the long run it will cut admin time and automate processes. We also suggest that businesses keep up to date with bookkeeping processes, by regularly reconciling accounts.”

Financial projections are critical to business sustainability and growth, and Kartinyeri and Levy say businesses commonly underestimate how financial projections can benefit them.

“By putting projections in place, you know what is upcoming and can therefore avoid any negative surprises,” they say.

“You can also plan what the future might look like for your business and get a better idea around whether you have the required level of sales to continue to be profitable. It can also indicate whether you are pricing correctly.”

A partnership between the Australian and South Australian Governments, and funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency, The Circle supports the First Nations business sector in South Australia, creating opportunities to build capacity, capability, and connections to thrive.

“ We are big advocates for using add-on apps to accounting software.

SPA CE NEWS

NASA head visits Australian Space Agency

In a continuing sign of the close co-operation between Australia and the United States, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pamela Melroy visited the Australian Space Agency recently, in the first visit of a sitting NASA Administrator to Australia since 2014.

To mark the visit, Federal Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic, announced $8 million in grant funding to two successful Australian consortiums under the government’s Moon to Mars Trailblazer initiative - to design early-stage prototypes of a semi-autonomous rover.

The rover, which aims to launch by 2026, is part of the NASA Moon to Mars mission, which will be a major step towards a sustainable human presence on the Moon; and supporting future missions to Mars. Lot Fourteen tenants Inovor Technologies and Saber Astronautics are partners in the consortium that will be working on this trailblazing initiative.

From NASA’s visit to an Australian-first propulsion system, here’s what’s happening in South Australia’s space sector

First Australian woman to be trained as an astronaut History has been made with Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Director of Space Technology at the Australian Space Agency, to be trained as an astronaut by European Space Agency. Bennell-Pegg will be the first Australian woman to go through training as an astronaut by an international space agency.

As a space systems engineer with over 12 years’ experience, Ms Bennell-Pegg has studied and worked across six countries on human spaceflight missions and technologies, the International Space Station, debris removal concepts, scientific, earth observation and space exploration missions. She’s now in Germany for astronaut training and will complete her intensive training in mid-2024.

Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Director of Space Technology at the Australian Space Agency

Inovor and Neumann Space team up

The potential to significantly disrupt the way satellite propulsion is done today has moved one step closer, thanks to a new collaboration between two Lot Fourteen companies.

In-space electric propulsion developer Neumann Space and defence tech company Inovor

Technologies have developed the first Australiandesigned and made electric propulsion product qualified for integration on a satellite. This new partnership will complete delivery of a platform ready for spacecraft integration and launch via satellite for space domain awareness, Earth imaging, communications, climate science, AgTech and scientific experimentation.

The weather forecast for water quality

Lot Fourteen-headquartered SmartSat CRC is the foundational partner of AquaWatch Australia, CSIRO’s mission to deliver a world first ground-to-space water quality monitoring system for Australia and the globe.

AquaWatch will provide near real-time updates and predictive forecasting - a weather service for water quality - once fully operational by 2030. Using an extensive network of Earth observation satellites and ground-based water sensors, it will support better water quality management, with early warning of harmful events such as toxic algal blooms, blackwater and runoff contamination.

The system will also increase the resilience of Australian communities who depend on water, as well as improved outcomes for our natural environment after events like bushfires and floods.

CSIRO and SmartSat CRC are bringing together research, government, and industry with an initial co-investment of $83 million to design and develop the mission; which will have direct benefits for the development of the Australian space industry, particularly the satellite technology supply chain – from the manufacture of spacecraft, right down to the development of new remote sensors.

NOW LEASING

In the heart of Adelaide, Lot Fourteen is a growing innovation district shooting for the stars. The future of innovation begins here.

Be a part of it.

lotfourteen.com.au