Fourteen Australian innovators from both the civil and military sector have been shortlisted for the prestigious 2017 Aerospace Australia Limited Industry Innovation Awards.
The awards recognise and reward local companies and individuals at the forefront of aerospace innovation and carry with them a total of $40,000 in cash prizes.
They will be presented in the following categories:
- Defence Industry National Innovation Award
- Civil Industry National Innovation Award
- Defence Industry SME Innovation Grant
- Civil Industry SME Innovation Grant
- Young Innovator Scholarship for Defence Industry
- Young Innovator Scholarship for Civil Industry
The winners will be announced on Wednesday 1 March during the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace and Defence Exposition at Avalon.
Aerospace Australia CEO Ian Honnery said Australian innovators have helped make the Royal Australian Air Force a global benchmark for capability and professionalism, while simultaneously creating a century-long tradition of safe and efficient air transport, both domestically and across the globe.
"Today the RAAF – indeed the entire Australian Defence Force – is reaching out to Australia’s world-class, innovative aerospace industry for help in maintaining and enhancing that operational capability into the future," he said.
"And our civil aerospace industry sits at the doorstep of the fastest-growing aviation and aerospace markets in the world, in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. The 14 companies and individuals shortlisted for these Innovation Awards have risen to the challenges presented by these new opportunities."
The Awards will be presented by the Chairman of Aerospace Australia Limited, Air Marshal (Retd) Geoff Shepherd at the Avalon 2017 Innovation Theatrette.
The winners of the National Civil and Defence Industry Innovation Awards will be presented with a trophy, while the winners of the SME Innovation Grant and the Young Innovator Scholarship will receive cheques for $10,000 each. All 14 Australian innovators shortlisted for the Innovation Awards will be featured at Avalon 2017 in a dedicated Innovation Awards Showcase adjacent to the Avalon 2017 Innovation Theatrette.
"The specially created Innovation Awards Showcase is the perfect platform to present the best of Australian innovation to a global audience of aerospace and defence professionals," Mr Honnery said.
2017 Aerospace Australia Limited Industry Innovation Awards
INNOVATION AWARDS SHORTLIST:
- Australian Aerospace Engineering Pty Limited (NSW) – Mission-Specific Composite Main Rotor Blades
- BAE Systems Australia Limited and DST Group (VIC) – Environmental Degradation Monitoring and Prognostics (EDMAP)
- Esstrack Pty Limited (VIC) – A-TACS Aviation Telemetry and Communications Systems
- Flight Safety Foundation Limited (VIC) – Basic Aviation Risk Program BARS) for RPAS Operations Standard
- Heat Treatment Australia – HTA Group (QLD) – a new metals surface treatment business methodology
- Kinexus (NSW) – The Future Through Collaboration
- Moorabbin Flying Services (VIC) - Aviation Education Training Facility Business Model
- Simulator Solutions Pty Limited (NSW) – SimStack simulator component interface system
- SynFlyt Pty Limited (NSW) – SynFlyt Innovation 21 Flight Simulator
- TAE Gas Turbines Pty Limited (QLD) – FOUNTX wearable Technology
- Thomas Global Systems (NSW) – TFD-8601 Liquid Crystal Display Upgrade
- Zone Products Australia (NSW) – Arbitor Physical Security Information Management System (PSIM)
YOUNG INNOVATOR SCHOLARSHIP SHORTLIST:
- Jarrod Hayes-Griss, Advanced Composite Structures Australia and RMIT (VIC) – Modelling environmental effects on bonded composite repairs to aerospace structures
- Simon Kennedy, Monash University (VIC) – 3-D imaging and object recognition for autonomous UAVs