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A multimillion dollar Space and Spatial Innovation Partnership, to be headquartered at Mount Stromlo, will create industry growth and jobs.

Federal funding was announced today for the Innovation Partnership which is a collaboration between industry, government, defence, research and education organisations, with ANU as a core partner.

The Partnership will strengthen the University’s links to the space industry and open up opportunities for research using satellites and space-derived data.

ANU Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington said that the capabilities of the University in the area of space research were beyond any other university in Australia.

“ANU has a long history in the space and spatial industries and is committed to continuing research leadership in these areas as manifested through hosting the Partnership,” she said.

The ANU Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre (AITC), a world-class facility for the assembly and testing of space-based instruments and small satellites, is a key facility in the Partnership.

Professor Matthew Colless, Director of the Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, says that this sort of collaboration is vital for the future of science in Australia.

“The Industry Innovation Partnership will help the interchange of ideas and, hopefully, spur the development of the space and spatial industries in Australia. In fact, the use of the AITC will enable Australian industry and research organisations to be more competitive in the international market.”

The Partnership will smooth the pathways between upstream technologies and downstream applications, initially connecting 93 organisations with more are expected to join over the coming months.

The aim of the Space and Spatial Innovation Partnership is to create new jobs, expand exports and grow revenues of up to $12.5 billion per annum by 2023.

“We think the Partnership will communicate the excitement and potential for growth of these areas to our students, and we hope that those students will become the generation that will realise that potential and really launch Australia into the space business,” says Professor Colless.