Space Industry

158 Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (1 July 2020). Can the Premier provide a breakdown of projects currently being funded, supported or managed by the South Australian Space Industry Centre and/or the Australian Space Agency?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier): I have been advised:

The South Australian Space Industry Centre (SASIC) supports and/or funds:

The Australian Space Forum, which continues to attract growing interest locally and internationally. It has grown from 110 participants at the first forum in May 2016 to more than 1000 national and international registered attendees and 40 exhibiting organisations at the last Forum in February 2020.

The Space Industry Work Experience Program, an initiative of the SASIC, in partnership with the Department for Education's Advanced Technology Program (ATP). The program provides students from years 10 to 12 the chance to undertake short-term placement at selected local space companies. In 2019, 31 students from 23 schools worked with mentors within local space organisations, giving them direct access and hands-on experience.

GRAVITY Challenge. Managed by Deloitte, SASIC is a key contributor to the program. GRAVITY Challenge is a space technology innovation program exploring new uses for space data and space capability. Its goal is to activate the space ecosystem by bringing market challenges and global innovators together to create viable solutions, and ultimately accelerate their commercial uptake.

The South Australian Space Scholarship Program, which provides a total of $100,000 worth of scholarships to South Australian entrepreneurs and innovators each year, to study, intern or attend world-leading conferences. Since the establishment of the program in 2018, nine candidates have successfully received scholarships, enabling them to attend some of the world's largest space conferences and intern at prominent space agencies.

The Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program scholarships, which fund five aspiring South Australian space professionals valued at $10,000 each. The program is an intensive, five week, live-in experience in the southern hemisphere summer, involving the international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary educational philosophy for which the International Space University is renowned.

The Space Incubator Program, Venture Catalyst Space, delivered through the University of South Australia's Innovation and Collaboration Centre (ICC). A highly competitive six-month incubator program, which aims to develop and grow the innovative ideas of selected space companies. In 2019, five companies took part in the program, with each receiving funding (stipend up to $10,000 per company), access to training and workshops, one-on-one mentorship, a modern co-working space and cutting-edge technical resources and tools.

The ActInSpace hackathon, co-organised by the French and European space agencies and delivered by the ICC with support from the South Australian Government. The hackathon engages teams to work over a 24-hour continuous period to find a solution to a challenge posed by the European and French space agencies and Airbus. The first hackathon staged in Adelaide in 2018, was won by South Australian team Wright Technologies, which travelled to France to and was successful in competing against 32 countries in the global finals.

The Mission Control Centre, to be located on the ground floor of the McEwin Building at Lot Fourteen. The South Australian Government will invest $2.5 million through the Adelaide City Deal—a 10-year agreement between the Australian and South Australia governments and the City of Adelaide. Saber Astronatics has been chosen to establish the state-of-the art space hub.

The SmartSat CRC headquartered at Lot Fourteen, which brings together industry, government and academia to collaborate on research and development-focused initiatives in niche areas of intelligent satellite systems, advanced communications and analytics. The South Australian government provides in-kind support.

SASIC does not have oversight of a breakdown of projects funded/managed by the Australian Space Agency. SASIC are, however, consolidating and refining their activities to best support South Australia's space industry, in collaboration with the Australian Space Agency.