Four Australian innovators, from a short list of 10 candidates, have been presented with Maritime Industry Innovation Awards at Pacific 2015,while a fifth has been judged ‘Highly Commended’.
The winners include a new welding system for submarines and surface ships that will reduce the cost of construction and improve the quality; a new method of storing work and leisure craft above water level, to reduce corrosion and weed growth, while still leaving them in the water; an advanced hyperbaric chamber for rescued submariners that will prevent them developing the feared ‘bends’; and a low-cost simulation system that has transformed the training of merchant marine deck officers, and can even be used as a virtual design tool for new ships and harbours.
The Innovation Awards, including two SME Innovation Grants worth $10,000, were presented by Maritime Australia, organiser of the Pacific 2015 International Maritime Exposition.
The winners are:
- Defence Industry National Innovation Award – DMTC Limited (VIC)
- Civil Industry National Innovation Award – AirBerth Marketing Pty Limited (QLD)
- Defence Industry SME Innovation Grant – H.I. Fraser Pty Limited (NSW)
- Civil Industry SME Innovation Grant – Pivot Maritime International (TAS)
- Defence Industry National Innovation Award – High Commended – Aero medical Integration Pty Limited (QLD)
“Although the Australian government has encouraged greater industry innovation across all sectors, ours are the first national awards to recognise and reward the efforts and achievements of innovative Australian companies in the naval and maritime industry,” Pacific 2015 CEO Ian Honnery said.
“Our purpose as a foundation is to promote the development of Australia’s industry capacity in the fields of aerospace, defence, maritime and IT so we’re putting our money – literally - where our mouth is,” Honnery said.
“The fact that the awards have been won by such high-quality candidates speaks for the quality of the individuals, companies and organisations making up Australia’s naval and maritime industry,” he added.