In December 2023, Australia’s technology scene saw developments including: Australia-US collaboration on deep-space monitoring; lithium recycling in Australia; moves towards quantum research in Australia; ongoing growth in Australia’s hydrogen energy capacity; and many more.
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Critical technologies in December 2023
Action Plan: Australian Cybersecurity Strategy 2023-2030
‘More than 40% of shoppers between 18 and 39 use the [buy now, pay later] installment payment offering, the Reserve Bank of Australia said in a study released Sunday…’
“BNPL looks like credit, it acts like credit, it carries the risks of credit,” Australia’s Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones said in May.
- Australia: H2site and Gold Hydrogen partner for Yorke Peninsula natural hydrogen pilot plant using process claiming to recover over 95% of available hydrogen alongside valuable co-products including helium
- Australia: Regulator proposes reforms including targeted consumer protections and codes to prevent anti-competitive conduct by major digital platforms including Amazon and Meta
- Download: ‘The Evolution of Consumer Payments in Australia – Results from the 2022 Consumer Payments Survey’ from the Reserve Bank of Australia (pdf link)
- Australia, US and UK to collaborate on Deep-space Advanced Radar Capability, with facility set for Western Australia expected to be operational by 2026
- Australia: West Tech Fest secured a further $500K in sponsorship from WA Government, in support of the festival for another 2 years
- Download: The Australian Signals Directorate Cyber Threat Report 2022-2023
ASPI: Australia’s semiconductor manufacturing moonshot: Securing talent
- Australia unveils lunar rover prototype proposed for Australian Space Agency ‘s$50 million Moon to Mars Trailblazer program, potentially taking part in future NASA Artemis mission
- Australia: Gov’t opens applications for $18.5M funding to establish Australian Centre for Quantum Growth to develop quantum workforce and relationships with international counterparts
- Australia: Arkeus raised Au$4.45M with AI-backed imaging for autonomous drones and aircraft to boost situational awareness, looking to scale production of hyperspectral optical radar tech
- Australia’s AGL energy giant partners US firm, SLB, for large-scale nickel-hydrogen battery trial site in South Australia, looking at stationary energy storage options beyond lithium-ion batteries
- Australia: AGL energy giant and Renewable Metals battery recycling firm partner to investigate viability of lithium battery recycling facility at AGL Hunter Energy Hub
“…[a] Regulatory Digital Twin for Australia’s regulatory system would provide a set of new and essential digital tools for Australia’s innovation agenda… real-time information and a powerful platform for ‘what if’ analysis.”
- Australia: An intro to the 12 technology firms selected by the country’s science agency, CSIRO, for its ON Accelerate program in 2024
- Australia’s Arc Infrastructure railroad operator views prototype demo from US Parallel Systems, showcasing autonomous, battery-electric, self-propelled freight car system, possibly for use in Perth, WA
- Australia: Vantari VR gains $7M pre-A funding with virtual reality-based medical training tech, looking to build on global partnerships already in place
CSIRO: Australian Tech Industry Map
- Australia: Legislation passes prohibiting the use of credit card transactions to fund gambling, covering credit-loan services and digital currencies as well as online gambling accounts
- Australia: Gov’t to allocate $17M for up to 5 industry-specific centres to aid organisations in responsibly applying AI to business practices
- The Coming Boom in Rare Earths: “…it is an unprecedented level of funding and hasn’t been seen from the U.S. government since World War II, basically.”
- Australia: Quasar Satellite Technologies looks to AUKUS Pillar 2 participation with space object monitoring using multi-channel, phased-array antenna
- Australia is working on an ‘intelligence community cloud’ platform, interoperable with US and UK networks, to aid national security agencies in detecting threats using shared data
Australian Strategic Policy Institute: AUKUS and critical minerals
- Australia: Clove raises $4.15M with AI-driven food recipes platform, personalising meals and meal plans alongside providing a platform for enthusiasts to publish recipes
- Australian Renewable Energy Agency, ARENA, awarded $1.64M grant to non-profit EnergyLab, looking to boost support for Australia’s early-stage clean energy startups
- Australia: Green Gravity and Wollongong Resources mining firm partner to explore gravitational energy storage tech at up to 8 sites in New South Wales,, utilizing unused mine shafts
- Australia: University of Technology Sydney unveils investment fund to boost access to capital for university-connected startups
- Australia: NSW government 2023-24 MVP Ventures Program applications open, aiming to help startups and SMEs with innovative products or processes in the state to commercialize and grow
- Australian Space Summit & Exhibition 2024 set for late May – details here
Australian Game Developer Survey:
“Revenue in the Australian video game industry has risen to $345.5 million, up 21% on FY2022…”
- Download: Australian Game Development Survey (AGDS) FY 2023 Industry Snapshot (pdf link)
- Australia’s largest grid-forming battery set for construction in New South Wales’ Hunter region, twice the initially-planned size and aiming for mid-2026 operation
- Australia: SparkLabs Cultiv8 agri-food-tech accelerator opens applications for 6th cohort, seeking 10 early-stage startups and founders
- Australia: eSafety Commission online safety regulator opens legal action against Twitter/X Corp over alleged failure to comply with requests to explain how the platform was dealing with exploitation and abuse material
- Australia: Ark Energy lithium-iron phosphate battery approved for construction, with Richmond Valley Battery Energy Storage System set to be the largest of its kind globally on completion
Tech Council of Australia: Australia’s Generative AI opportunity
- Australia: St Vincent’s, the country’s largest non-profit healthcare provider, suffers cyberattack, with uncertainty around what data has been stolen
- Australia: Planning now underway for $425M Riverbend Energy Hub in SA, aiming to convert 200K tonnes of landfill into hydrogen annually upon completion
- Download: ‘An Overview of Cyber Security & Asset Management Standards in the Australian Mining and Minerals Sector’, a June 2023 report from RMIT University Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation
- Japan’s Nissan carmaker now investigating a cyberattack on Australia and New Zealand business arms, with dealer systems potentially impacted
- Australia division of Japan’s Nissan car maker hackers identified as Akira ransomware gang, with group claiming 100GB of data stolen
Australian Signals Directorate Cyber Threat Report 2022-2023
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