Artist’s impression of the 5km diameter central core of SKA antennas. Source.
Last week, senator Kate Lundy announced the new Space and Spatial Innovation Partnership under the Australian Government’s Industry Innovation Partnerships Program. These industry-led partnerships aim to create more Australian exports and jobs and diversify the economy by linking Australia’s world-class research to industry, especially SMEs.
The CRC for Spatial Information through its SME consortium “43pl”; EOS Space Systems and the Australian National University are proud to be core partners in the venture, to be headquartered in Canberra, with nodes Australia-wide.
“The Partnership will create opportunities for innovative geospatial companies to drive further growth in their businesses’’ said Graeme Kernich, CRCSI Acting CEO.
The partnership will also capitalise on Australia’s position as home to what will be the world’s biggest space project – the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
Minister Lundy acknowledged the role of core partner 43pl, representing over 50 geospatial companies and down-stream user companies.
“The Partnership aims to help Australia carve out a 2.2 per cent share of the global space and spatial technologies market – growing revenue by up to $12.5 billion annually by 2023 – and creating more than 10,000 new jobs in the sector,” said minister assisting for innovation and industry, Senator Kate Lundy.
“It is an industry-led initiative backed by government and the research sector that has already attracted ten high-level, core partners.
“It is great to see preeminent companies and research bodies such as EOS Space Systems, 43PL, NICTA, NewSat, the Australian National University, Monash University, the University of NSW and Geoscience Australia already on board for this partnership.”
The Space and Spatial Partnership will build vital links between industry, government, defence, research and education to increase productivity, improve efficiencies, grow skill capacity, and ensure long-term sustainability and growth of the sector.
The Partnership builds on the outcomes of the Australian Space Research Program and facilitates the implementation of the Australian Earth Observation from Space and National Positioning Infrastructure Plans.
