Four Australian innovators were presented with Aerospace Australia Industry Innovation Awards at Avalon 2017 yesterday.
Winners included BAE Systems with the Defence Science and Technology Group, who have become the prime contractor for corrosion management on the global F-35 Joint Strike Fighter fleet; Brisbane-based TAE has adapted CSIRO research to link a technician working on an aircraft with an expert a continent away using virtual reality and wifi; and a young researcher who has been conducting groundbreaking multi-national research into repairing carbon-fibre composite aircraft structures.
The Innovation Awards, including SME Innovation Grants and Young Innovator Scholarships worth $10,000, were presented by Aerospace Australia Limited, organiser of the trade show at Avalon 2017. The first Innovation Awards were presented two years ago at Avalon 2013.
The winners in the respective categories. both defence and civil, are:
- Defence Industry National Innovation Award: BAE Systems Australia and DST Group
- Civil Industry National Innovation Award: TAE Gas Turbines Limited
- Civil SME Innovation Grant: Thomas Global
- Young Innovator Scholarship for Civil Industry: Jarrod Hayes-Griss, Advanced Composite Structures Australia and RMIT University
“Although highly prestigious awards for excellence in engineering, industrial design and business already exist, ours were the first – and as far as we’re aware remain the only – national awards to recognise and reward the efforts and achievements of innovative Australian companies and individuals in the aerospace industry,” Avalon 2017 CEO Ian Honnery said.