Innovation

Parkinson’s medical device breakthrough by e3k

ONE of the ‘quiet achievers’ of Australian engineering, e3k, has launched a medical device that is likely to bring its brand, which has been behind so many successful Australian-developed products, to the forefront.

Last year e3k commercialised its medical device, named Agilitas, which was wholly developed by e3k over five years. Agilitas is now on commercial sale through Bright Devices Pty Ltd, part of the Brisbane-based Gilmore Engineers Group that also created e3k in 2001.  

Agilitas is a ‘smart’ visual cueing device designed to assist people suffering primarily from ‘freeze of gait’ associated with Parkinson’s Disease. It is developing a worldwide market with first units delivered Australia-wide, as well as to Brazil and Boston, USA.

Like many products it has contributed to in the 12 years since Gilmore Engineers Pty Ltd adopted the brand name e3k, tag-lined ‘Engineering 3000 – new technologies for the new millennium’ it is expected to beome wildly successful.

For example, this year Atlantis Resources Limited – a company grown from the water power generation technology developed and tested in the Clarence River, NSW by e3k in the years 2000 to 2004 – will list on the London Stock Exchange. The world-patented technology, now part-owned by Morgan Stanley, relates to underwater tidal renewable power generation turbines.

In 2012, e3k was the recipient of four Engineering Excellence Awards from Engineers Australia. 

E3k was a national winner, drawn from hundreds of entries Australia-wide, and contested by 42 division finalists in Canberra in November 2012, as well as taking three awards in the Newcastle Division, including the GHD Overall Winner, and the UGL Innovation in Sustainable Engineering Award for engineering design and testing of the SeaUrchin marine power generator. 

This was obtained in collaboration with Elemental Energy Technologies Ltd, ATSA Defence Services Pty Ltd and RPC Technologies Pty Ltd. 

In 2010, Gilmore Engineers received an Australian International Design Award from Good Design Australia, in the Business and Technology Category, for its contribution to the development of the FLAT hydraulic stabilising mechanism for use on any item with legs, skids or footings. The product is now available for sale through outlets worldwide.

In 2008, the mechanical fastening system known as ‘Joinlox’, to which e3k had contributed during development, won Invention of the Year on the ABC Television New Inventors program. It is now commercially available from Joinlox Pty Ltd, supported by Xstrata Technology, who signed a global licensing agreement in 2010.

In 2001, e3k received a High Commendation and was a finalist in 2010 in the Engineers Australia Queensland Division Engineering Excellence Awards, for projects sponsored by the Queensland Academy of Sport – which produced equipment used in winning a silver medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics – and Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd for work on live measurement of the energy efficiency of mining haul trucks with an aim of reducing fuel consumption and emissions, respectively.

Director and president of e3k and Gilmore Engineers, Duncan Gilmore said the successes were a tribute to the diligence and innovation that e3k’s teams had applied over many years to these challenging projects.

“This list of commercial successes and awards is indicative of the level of attention received by all products which are subjected to development by e3k,” Dr Gilmore said.

www.e3k.com

 

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POSTED MAY 2014.

Can innovation save manufacturing in Queensland?

By Rowan Gilmore

THE MEDIA has been quick to explain why the last three big car manufacturers are pulling out of Australia. High costs, poor innovation, manufacturing is dying.

Is there any hope for a renaissance among smaller more agile firms that embrace innovative design and smart manufacturing?  

For example, EM Solutions, an innovative Brisbane-based firm designing and manufacturing broadband microwave radios for telecommunications and satellite links, exports more than 70 percent of its products. 

The company recently released the world’s fastest commercial radio transmitter and receiver, for carrying data traffic 20 times faster than the fastest mobile phone. Intended to carry heavy traffic in mobile or internet networks, the radio recently passed its acceptance tests on a trial between Brookfield and Springfield with flying colours. 

Technological innovation is important to compete in an industry such as telecommunications.

But home grown innovation is a tough sell, with our big telecommunications companies content to purchase equipment from large multinationals to reduce their commercial risk.

Innovation is often not enough. EM Solutions struggles to sell its products to large corporations and government agencies here at home, even while blue-chip customers overseas seek it out.

Why?

If taxpayers are spending $40 billion to lay a broadband network across Australia, why aren’t local innovators thriving on the back of that?

If Australian Defence is spending billions upgrading its telecommunications equipment, why is most imported?

It seems our large corporations don’t like to take risks, to work with SMEs, to nurture home grown innovative firms.

Even when prices are lower.

They work instead with accredited suppliers, other large organisations they think are more trustworthy than small local businesses.

One solution to prevent the further hollowing out of manufacturing in Australia is indeed to innovate; but another is for our big corporations to innovate in their technology procurement, and better manage the risk of working with small business.

The Queensland Government (through its Queensland Health payroll fiasco) has learned that ‘buying big’ did not protect it against failure, and is now adjusting its procurement practices to buy from small businesses that innovate. 

Being more innovative in their own procurement is one trend all Queensland corporations should emulate.

www.emsolutions.com.au

 

Rowan Gilmore is the managing director of EM Solutions Pty Ltd and a former CEO of the Australian Institute for Commercialisation. EM Solutions is also a current member of Queensland Leaders, the organisation helping to foster leading companies in Queensland.

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POSTED MAY 24, 2014.

 

Scientist measures the real spider-man link

MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY scientist, Douglas Little, has been awarded the 2014 National Measurement Institute (NMI) Prize for ground-breaking measurement techniques developed to assess the potential of spider webs to be used for in vivo (in body) medical devices.

“While this sounds a little like science fiction, Dr Little’s research opens the potential of using spider silks in future bio-inspired materials, for example as bio-compatible ‘scaffolding’ for new skin tissue,” Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Bob Baldwin said. 

Dr Little’s efforts to measure, very accurately, the refractive index of spider silks resulted in a 20 fold improvement on previous work, Mr Baldwin said.

The NMI Prize and the Barry Inglis Medal are awarded annually by Australia’s NMI to acknowledge and celebrate outstanding achievement in measurement research and excellence in practical measurements in Australia.

Mr Baldwin announced the successful recipients of the two prizes on World Metrology Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention on May 20, 1875.  Metrology is the science of measurement.

Bruce Forgan, of the Bureau of Meteorology, is the recipient of the 2014 Barry Inglis Medal for his instrumental role in the establishment of the Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station on Tasmania’s north-eastern tip.

“Cape Grim is regarded as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the World Meteorological Organization’s Global Atmosphere Watch program,” Mr Baldwin said.

“Accurate and reliable measurements are fundamental and critical to the bureau’s work and provide realistic assessments of whether any observed atmospheric changes are real.

“Each award recipient is an exemplary ambassador for the real-world application of measurements and techniques that are not only fit-for-purpose but are world-class innovations as well.”

www.mq.edu.au

www.measurement.gov.au

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‘Agbots’ invade Brisbane CBD

THERE were ‘agbots’ around the Stamford Brisbane hotel on Tuesday. No, it was not a location shoot for a Transformers-like Hollywood blockbuster, but an Innovation Series event looking at how automation technologies like agriculture robots (agbots) will shape Australia’s agribusiness future.

Agbots happen to be a new field of endeavour for Central Queensland farmer Andrew Bate, who has been working in collaboration with QUT and the Australian Centre for Field Robotics to develop robots as, he said, “an enabling technology to do things farmers could not do before”.

Developmental agricultural robot systems will be on display at the Stamford Brisbane while Mr Bate presents on the Innovation Series topic, Agriculture, Robotics & Collaboration a recipe for Global Success?

Mr Bate is a director of SwarmFarm Robotics and Bendee Farming and he will outline how robotic farming technologies are set to change the future of agriculture – enabling farmers in ways that have not been possible with current technologies.

Mr Bate said robotics has the potential to dramatically improve the way we produce food, from managing microbiology in the soil through to how sunlight is absorbed into plant leaves.

“From the earliest days of industrialisation in agriculture, farmers have talked about the Holy Grail of farming – the driverless tractor,” Mr Bate said. “But in the modern world of agribusiness, the concept of a driverless tractor is already obsolete.”

Instead, Mr Bate said, his research of robotics for agriculture pointed towards agbots that were small, simple, inexpensive with very few moving parts and few electronic systems. These agbots are all about helping farmers, big or small, to boost production and quality, he said.

“While governments in developing nations are eager to become self sufficient, or at least produce as much food as they can, other nations are becoming more concerned about sustainability, environmental impact and the quality and health of the food they are consuming,” Mr Bate said.

“Robotics is an enabling technology that will be key to unlocking future gains in food yield, sustainability, health and environmental impact.”

The development of robotics and farm automation also fits directly into the strategic view of Australia’s agribusiness future, examined at the Innovation Series by CSIRO Futures Leader, Dr Stefan Hajkowicz. 

Dr Hajkowicz looked specifically at ‘the future of food’ as he explained the needs and wants of global food demand that Australia can position itself to meet. Specifically, he will touch on global food shortages, agricultural markets and the current and future demand from the Asia-Pacific region.

Outlining both the opportunities and the threats to Australia achieving its potential role as an agribusiness ‘superpower’ was Queensland Chief Scientist, Dr Geoff Garrett.

Dr Garrett’s opening presentation is provocatively named 'Teaching Grandmothers to Suck Eggs …' and it aimed to remind us of the real benefits to be had through collaboration and innovation.

Dr Garrett’s Innovation Series presentation covered an overview of the resources being made available to support the Australian agribusiness industry and new ways to help it continue to be one of the world’s most efficient producers.  

The Innovation Series, started in Queensland in 2004, is a unique Australian forum convening researchers, industry and government to address and discuss leading developments in sustainability, while also encouraging the exchange of ideas and inviting new collaborations.

The Innovation Series is organised by Zernike Australia and partnered by the Australian Institute for Commercialisation, QUT, Fisher Adams Kelly, AusIndustry and Business Acumen magazine.

www.innovationseries.com.au

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'Two Aussie blokes' develop world's most innovative pram

A PRAM designed by ‘two blokes’ has won the consumer-voted Australian Product of the Year Award for innovation.  

Voted for by Australian consumers, the Rozibaby pram came up as the most innovative and best pram on the market in a vote by more than 16,000 consumers.

Rozibaby founders, Rosh Ghadamian and Tahir Baig, accepted the prize at the Product of the Year Awards in Sydney last night and said they were looking forward to meeting ever-increasing demand for the customised prams.

Part of the reason for that jump in activity could be the Rozibaby’s appearance as the ‘hero’ pram in the Logie award winning Channel 9 drama, House Husbands.

The Melbourne based entrepreneurs behind Rozibaby launched the business in 2012, when they noticed a gap in the baby products market for a quality, flexible and affordable pram that could grow and adapt with the changing needs of families.

Rozibaby prams are based around a customisation model, that enables parents to ‘build’ their own prams to suit their individual tastes and requirements. Starting with the frame, parents can choose material colours, bassinet styles, the amount and type of wheels and even have the option to add a second seat or a toddler skateboard to the back.

Each of the components snap into place “like Lego” according to the developers, making assembly, modifications and packing away incredibly easy.

Mr Ghadamian said Rozibaby had experienced phenomenal growth since launch.

“We’ve been tremendously appreciative of our customers' support and now we’re just trying to keep up with the demand for our prams,” he said.

“We’ve already got a tonne of pre-orders for our next shipment, so can’t wait to see more Rozibaby prams hitting the streets in the months to come.

“Rozibaby prams have been incredibly well-received by the Australian public -- even starring as the Hero Pram in the Logie award winning Channel 9 drama House Husbands -- however the validation and recognition to win the top category prize of a consumer award like this is a great thrill,” Mr Ghadamian said.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing how the next 12 months go, as we look to grow the business to meet the ever accelerating demand for Rozibaby prams.”

The Product of the Year Awards are the largest independent consumer survey of new products in Australia -- factoring in more than 16,000 household shoppers’ votes, gathered by research organisation Neilson.

www.rozibaby.com 

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Ocean Power Technologies gets $66.5m grant for wave power station off Victorian coast

A WAVE power electricity generation project being established at Portland, Victoria, has won a $66.5 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). 

Developer of the $232 million project, Ocean Power Technologies, Inc, which is listed on the Nasdaq (OPTT) exchange, announced that its wholly-owned entity Victorian Wave Partners Pty Ltd (VWP) would use the grant towards the cost of building and deploying a 62.5MW peak-rated wave power station off the coast of Portland, Victoria. The project is expected to power up to 10,000 homes.

The Victorian Wave Partners and ARENA also announced milestones for each of the three stages of the project, acceleration of reimbursement of eligible expenses for stages one and two, and an increase in the number of milestones to better support project cash flow requirements.

The agreement also recognised the role of Lockheed Martin as the lead for systems integration of the plant’s PowerBuoys and overall program management.

"We are very grateful for the support of the Australian Government and ARENA during this process to make positive changes to the original funding deed,” said Ocean Power Technologies CEO Charles F. Dunleavy.

“This new agreement significantly improves our ability to attract investors during the early stages of the project.

“We are also pleased to offer the prospect of manufacturing, engineering and maritime jobs in Victoria based on OPT’s unique and game-changing technology, at a time when more traditional manufacturing jobs are experiencing enhanced competitive pressures.

“We have been impressed with the commercial and results-oriented way in which ARENA has worked with us after assuming responsibility for a wide range of projects and programs last year."

ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the organisation was pleased to support development of the VWP demonstration project.

Image
The technology behind PowerBuoy is robust and reliable.

 

“It aligns with our vision of a society increasingly powered by competitive renewable energy as well as our commitment to sharing knowledge and information about our projects with the industry," Mr Frischknecht said.

VWP was awarded the grant by the Australian Government through a competitive process undertaken as part of the Renewable Energy Demonstration Program, which is administered by ARENA. The funding deed for the project sets out the terms of the grant including the requirement to obtain significant additional funding.

The planned Portland wave power station has a total project value of $232 million, and at completion would be the largest of its kind in the world.

With 28 PowerBuoys connected to the grid by an underwater substation and a submarine cable the plant would be capable of providing power for up to 10,000 homes.

The project is being developed by VWP, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ocean Power Technologies Australasia Pty Ltd (OPTA), which is an Australian company 88 percent owned by OPT and the remainder by Woodside Energy Ltd. Woodside is Australia’s largest independently-owned coal and gas company.

Since the original announcement of the grant, VWP has completed engineering milestones and conducted surveys and studies to meet the requirements for licences and approvals. In addition, the company is currently assessing power purchase agreements with local industry and utilities.

"Wave energy has enormous potential and it is fantastic that Portland has been chosen as the site for this renewable energy project,” said the region’s Federal Member for Wannon, Dan Tehan.

The Ocean Power Technologies group’s proprietary PowerBuoy system is based on modular, ocean-going buoys that capture and convert predictable wave energy into clean electricity.

Ocean Power Technologies is widely recognised as a leading developer of on-grid and autonomous wave-energy generation systems, benefiting from over 15 years of in-ocean experience. Ocean Power Technologies, Inc.  is headquartered in Pennington, New Jersey, USA. Ocean Power Technologies (Australasia) Pty Ltd has operations in Melbourne and Perth and Ocean Power Technologies Ltd is based in Warwick, UK.

ARENA was established by the Australian Government as an independent authority on July 1, 2012, to make renewable energy technologies more affordable and increase the amount of renewable energy used in Australia. ARENA is funded out to 2022 to invest in renewable energy projects, support research and development activities, and increase industry and community knowledge about renewable energy.

http://www.oceanpowertechnologies.com/

http://www.optaustralasia.com.au/

http://www.victorianwaveproject.com.au/

http://www.arena.gov.au/

 

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Brisbane Businesses score an innovative edge: Innovation Scorecard

TWELVE of Australia's most innovative businesses - including a world leading mine integrity radar safety system and a developer of hi-tech fibre-composite pipe products that have been used to create special effects at Sea World on the Gold Coast - have been showcased as part of the 2013 Brisbane Innovation Scorecard.

Image
Groundprobe scans for safety at a Queensland mine site.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk highlighted the successes of mine safety system developer Groundprobe and poly products innovator JAG Poly, along with new material specialist Teakle Composites, digital strategy company Speedwell - which has created secure digital document encryption systems for government and - and even a ‘perfect' pre-cooked egg system developed by Sunny Queen Eggs.

The scorecard showcases a total of 12 Brisbane businesses for their innovations. Also on the list for 2013 are Emersteel Fabricators, Engineering Applications General Engineering Company, MTD Products, Oniqua, OSD, QIP Physiotherapy, and automotive trailer innovator Vehicle Components.

The 2013 Brisbane Innovation Scorecard found almost 40 percent of 330 randomly-selected Brisbane businesses were developing unique strategies to increase their market share, compete with overseas competitors and add customer value.

The first and longest-running city-based innovation benchmarking project in the world, the Brisbane Innovation Scorecardis in its fourth year and an initiative of economic development board Brisbane Marketing.

Image
Sea World has developed new water features with the innovative help of JAG Poly.

 

Cr Quirk said the key findings showed manufacturing and information and media businesses in Brisbane were among the most likely to innovate in ways completely new to, not only their own business, but their industry sector as a whole.

The scorecard research found the top five reasons for innovation in Brisbane businesses were: to differentiate products and services from competitors, increase responsiveness to customer needs, increase or maintain market share, improve quality of goods and services and establish new markets.

Cr Quirk said the scorecard findings were a testament to the progressive and pioneering spirit of Brisbane businesses.

"These businesses responded to tough economic conditions and focused on retaining and building market share by developing innovative strategies," Cr Quirk said.

"Innovation helps position Brisbane as a globally-competitive city by increasing our ability to rival overseas products with those produced in our own backyard by local people."

Image
Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk.

 

Fostering a strong manufacturing and engineering community was paramount to ensuring Brisbane sustained rapid growth according to the CEO of economic development board Brisbane Marketing, John Aitken.

"Brisbane is gaining recognition as a global hub for innovation and the businesses profiled in the 2013 Brisbane Innovation Scorecard help us to understand a little bit more about why," Mr Aitken said.

"It's clear Brisbane is not only a business-friendly environment with easy company set-up and cooperative governance, but it's also a hotbed of fresh ideas thanks to the businesses putting in the hard yards to reap real results for themselves and for the city as a whole."

The 2013 Brisbane Innovation Scorecard is a collaboration between Brisbane Marketing, Brisbane City Council, Deloitte, Enterprise Connect, The Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts and the University of Queensland.

The scorecard comes on the back of Brisbane's emergence as an innovation powerhouse by exceeding international benchmarks in more than 90% of indicators in the 2thinknow Innovation Cities Index.

Pitched against 445 benchmarked cities, Brisbane scored above expectations in 90 percent of the 162 indicators.

The index ranked Brisbane as five-out-of-five for offering encouragement to new businesses, a picturesque holiday destination with political stability and easy company set up.

www.enablebrisbane.com.au

www.brisbanemarketing.com.au

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