Sasanelli, Dr N.

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. F. Pangallo:

That this council—

1. Acknowledges the outstanding contribution Dr Nicola Sasanelli AM has made to:

(a) the establishment of the South Australian Space Industry Centre;

(b) supporting and promoting the development and growth of South Australia's space industry sector;

(c) developing international strategies, policies and agreements for government agencies, universities, industry and research institutions in the fields of space, science and technology;

(d) the formation of the Andy Thomas Space Foundation and his leadership as chief executive officer; and

(e) strengthening bilateral relations between Australia and Italy.

2. Congratulates Dr Sasanelli on his distinguished public service and career achievements in Italy and in Australia and extends to him the best wishes in retirement.

(Continued from 22 February 2023.)

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (17:12): I stand in the chamber today to support this motion. Adjunct Professor Nicola Sasanelli AM joined Defence SA in April 2016 as director of the Space Industry and Research and Development Collaborations project. In 2009, he joined the South Australian government as a special envoy for higher education, research and technology transfer to Europe with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and later joined the Department of State Development as director of international R&D collaborations.

From 2003 to 2013, he was appointed Adjunct Professor of Science and Technology at the University of Canberra, and in 2007 he became an honorary member of the Order of Australia. In 2016, Nicola developed the concept for a South Australian space forum, with the first forum held attracting 80 attendees. The success of this event saw the South Australian Space Industry Centre host an annual space forum, now the high-profile, internationally recognised Australian Space Forum, hosting more than 1,000 delegates and over 80 exhibitors, managed by the Andy Thomas Space Foundation.

In September 2017, the South Australian Space Industry Centre was created, with Nicola appointed as director. His focus was to support space industry growth and increase international research and development collaborations in South Australia's space sector. Nicola was instrumental in Adelaide's successful bid to secure the 68^th International Astronautical Congress, which accelerated the growth of the Australian space sector.

International relationships and knowledge transfer were a high priority for Nicola during his time with the South Australian government, with many MOUs—memorandum of understanding—signed internationally, raising the profile of the state in the global space sector. Nicola initiated a jointly sponsored internship program with Bocconi University in Milan to assist in developing strategies for cultivating the space ecosystem. Three-month placements in the South Australian SIC office for Bocconi University students occurred, to conduct research and analysis of the international and local space sectors from a socio-economic and political perspective as they relate to enriching the South Australian space economy.

In 2018, Nicola was appointed adjunct professor at the University of South Australia Division of Information Technology, Engineering and the Environment. In the same year, he was appointed to the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by the Italian government for promoting high-tech industry and R&D collaborations between Italy and Australia.

In 2019, Nicola was instrumental in establishing the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre, a consortium of universities and other research organisations partnered with industry that has been funded by the Australian government to develop know-how and technologies in advanced telecommunications, intelligent satellite systems and earth observation next-generation data services. He was seconded by the South Australian government to the SmartSat CRC as director of communications and outreach.

In 2020, Nicola founded and was CEO of the Andy Thomas Space Foundation. Their mission is to promote social wellbeing and overcome disadvantage in Australia through advancing space education, raising space awareness and contributing to the national space community through events and other educational initiatives.

In January 2023, Nicola retired from the South Australian government. Nicola's passion and ambition has been a key driver for South Australia's emergence as a centre of gravity for space in Australia. With those words, the government supports the motion.

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (17:16): I am pleased to speak today on the motion of the Hon. Frank Pangallo and to recognise the service of Dr Nicola Sasanelli AM. Space is an important emergent industry for South Australia, and we cannot understate the contribution that Dr Sasanelli has made and his contribution to our success.

We all know that the first South Australian astronaut—although under the United States flag—was Dr Andy Thomas, and South Australia's legacy has been further cemented in the world's eyes by Dr Sasanelli. In 2009, he joined the South Australian government as a special envoy for higher education research and technology transfer to Europe with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, and later joined the Department of State Development as director of international R&D collaborations. From 2003 to 2013, he was appointed as adjunct professor of science and technology at the University of Canberra, Australia, and in 2007 he became an honorary Member of the Order of Australia.

In 2016, Dr Sasanelli joined Defence SA as director of the space industry and R&D collaborations project. In September 2017, the South Australian Space Industry Centre was created with Dr Sasanelli as director. His focus was to support space industry growth and increase international R&D collaborations in South Australia's space sector. In 2018, Dr Sasanelli was appointed adjunct professor at the University of South Australia and was appointed to the board of the Space Industry Association of Australia. In the same year, he was also appointed to the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by the Italian government, a worthy recognition of his contribution to Australian-Italian relations and the pursuit of space.

The South Australian Space Industry Centre was established in 2017. In December 2018, former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, along with former Premier Steven Marshall, announced that the Australian Space Agency would be based in Adelaide at Lot Fourteen. These headquarters opened in February 2020.

The growth of the space industry in South Australia continues to contribute to the key economic drivers of the defence sector. As well as defence, space complements priority sectors for South Australia, including agriculture, mining and tourism, as well as services for the community such as health and education.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Sasanelli shortly after being elected to this place. I spoke to the Premier at the time—Premier Marshall—about my interest in the activities occurring in Lot Fourteen and had a tour of the South Australian Space Industry Centre with Dr Sasanelli, and I very much appreciated his time.

I spoke earlier about Dr Andy Thomas. The Andy Thomas Space Foundation is named after this great Australian astronaut. He successfully completed four space flights and logged over 177 days in space. The foundation named after him seeks to promote innovation and social wellbeing in Australia by advancing the cause of space and increasing awareness of its benefits to our nation. I hope the good work of the foundation continues for a long time to come.

In 2022, the former federal government committed $20 million towards an expanded $66 million space park through the Modern Manufacturing Initiative fund, with the remaining funds to be provided through industry investment from four companies, with Fleet Space Technologies being the lead partner. All of these great advancing scientific endeavours to the edge of space might not occur because the future of the nation's leading Australian space park as well as hundreds of South Australian jobs is now in doubt after revelations the current federal Labor government is withdrawing its $20 million contribution to the park.

Despite previous commitments to the project, Premier Malinauskas and Deputy Premier Close redirected the state's contribution to a smaller common facility back at Lot Fourteen. This state Labor government does not care about the space industry in South Australia, recently shown again by taking the space and defence portfolios away from the Deputy Premier and handing it to Stephen Mullighan.

Despite all the success of the space agency at Lot Fourteen, it is a shame that the current governments at both state and federal levels do not place the same priority on this industry. I do hope that this changes soon and I do thank Dr Sasanelli for his outstanding contribution to space and to our state, and I thank the Hon. Frank Pangallo for bringing the motion to this place.