FrontierSI and the Australian Geospatial Intelligence Organisation (AGO) have launched an expanded programme to showcase Australia’s machine analytics industry. 

Announced today by defence minister Melissa Price, the new programme offers a broadened incentive for companies to enter the incubator project, with six $150,000 grants on offer.

“This is about [Defence] establishing new frameworks for engagement, strengthening partnerships and raising the awareness of industry and academia to the challenges and capability requirements of our geospatial community,” said Ms. Price in making the announcement.

The first AGO Labs program launched last year, seeking to entice the geospatial intelligence community to develop demonstrator projects and form a new mode of engagement with the AGO.

The 2020 programme expands the successful 2019 iteration by doubling the available grants and increasing their value by 50 percent across two rounds, the first of which opens today.

Successful AGO Labs applicants will run a project through FrontierSI for approximately six months, working closely with the AGO and defence subject matter experts to demonstrate novel approaches to unclassified but pertinent challenges, according to FrontierSI Chief Innovation and Delivery Officer, Phil Delaney.

“This exciting opportunity assists AGO to extend its geospatial-intelligence capability and access those innovative companies to trial new technology approaches. At the same time, the program enables businesses to showcase their skillsets to AGO without needing any defence clearance levels,” he said.

“We’re proud to lead programs like AGO Labs, which collaborate with our government partners, and continue to invest in our space-enabled industries.”

More information on how to submit a proposal and detail on AGO Labs challenge statements can be found on FrontierSI’s website.

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