The University of NSW (UNSW) in Canberra has joined a new Cooperative Research Centre for Smart Satellite Technologies and Analytics to be known as SmartSat CRC.
The new CRC has been set up with $190 million in cash-and-kind from 84 research and industry partners.
With the addition of Federal Government funding through the Department of Industry, Science and Technology, the SmartSat CRC is set to meet the Australian Space Agency’s goal of generating an extra 20,000 jobs by 2030.
Director of UNSW Canberra Space, Russell Boyce said SmartSat would allow Australia to grow the space research and innovation that already existed.
“Having the SmartSat will ensure that Australia continues to not only be a part of the space race internationally, but be leaders in cutting edge research technology,” Professor Boyce said.
The bid was developed by the University of South Australia (UniSA) in partnership with Nova Systems.
Leader of the bid and designated Chief Executive of SmartSat, Andy Koronios of UniSA said the CRC would be a game changer for Australia’s space economy.
“Globally, space technologies and industries are worth more than $500 billion but that success has been underpinned by serious global investment in research,” Professor Koronios said.
“Australia has had a strong pedigree and a long history in space with excellent scientific capabilities in instrumentation and communications technologies but until now, the research has not been brought together to build a new industry for Australia.”
He said the CRC would have its headquarters in South Australia but would establish interstate nodes to ensure that the whole of the nation was involved in the development of smart satellite technologies.
