The Australian Technologies Competition (ATC) 2015 has reached its final stages, with the announcement of 16 finalists who represent the most innovative Australian engineering technologies on the cusp of commercialisation.
The ATC is currently in its fifth year, and is organised across six industry categories:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Built Environment
- Energy Technology
- Mining Technology
- Global Development
- Food and Agritech
The competition sees the companies’ technologies, business plans and managers judged by a panel of experts.
The final gala Showcase and Awards Event will be held in Sydney on 20 October, where the 16 finalists (whittled down from 128 entrants) will battle it out in front of a live audience. The finalists have already won entry into an intensive mentoring program focused on commercialisation, funding and pitching.
In all, the 16 finalists are hoping to raise an additional $40 million to bring all the solutions to market.
Some notable finalists with engineering innovations include:
- CIM Enviro, in the Built Environment category, whose ACE Platform identifies the root cause of human, software and hardware faults within mechanical and control systems in built environments, delivering improved thermal comfort, longer plant and equipment life cycles and significant energy cost savings.
- Corky’s Sustainable Energy, in the Mining Technology category, whose VAM RAB method helps to safely abate coal mine methane from an underground coalmine’s ventilation air, taking into account variable flow, methane and dust concentrations. It is safer and results in reduced emissions.
- FluidIntel, also in the Mining Technology category, whose fuel and lubricants management system for the mining sector reduces fuel use by two to five percent, and has been selected by six of the top ten global miners.
- Pacific Environment’s cloud-based EnviroSuite 2.0 technology platform, which is a finalist in both the Built Environment and Mining Technology categories. The platform is an environmental management system that combines real-time monitoring and predictive modelling wit high resolution weather forecasting and automated data analysis, allowing clients to maximise operational efficiencies and meet their regulatory compliance obligations.
- Polymeric Powders, in the Advanced Manufacturing Category, for its new flexible plastic-rubber composite material that exhibits increased shock absorption, resistance to cracking, and thermal and acoustic insulation properties. The material can be moulded, or 3D printed.
- Reedbed Technology, in the Built Environment category, has developed the Reedcell treatment system that successfully treats wastewater, including industrial and mining wastewater and contaminated groundwater. The simple-to-operate system has a long lifespan, uses no chemicals, produces no odours, and is visually attractive.
In addition to the category winners, one technology company will be awarded the 2015 Australian Technology Company of the Year award, which recognises the greatest potential to deliver efficiency gains and increased competitiveness for global industry.
[Image courtesy: fluidintel.com]