On Monday, Australian deep-tech startup incubator Cicada Innovations formally announced the launch earlier this month of a dedicated space tech accelerator program in Sydney. The program, called the National Space Industry Hub, will support world-class research, innovation, collaboration, and commercialization in the sector, hosting emerging space tech ventures with the aim of building a vibrant and globally competitive space industry in Australia.
The Hub will offer tailored support, physical laboratory and workspace with state-of-the-art facilities, resources, mentoring, coaching, and commercialization training programs for space entrepreneurs, emerging space ventures, and researchers across Australia. The Hub will closely collaborate with other space actors in NSW, including the NSW Space Research Network, SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre, Space Industry Association of Australia, University of Technology Sydney Tech Lab, University of New South Wales, ANU InSpace, and the University of Sydney.
“Cicada Innovations has a long and proven track record of developing deep tech ventures that tackle some of the world’s most pressing problems. It made sense to choose Cicada Innovations as our delivery partner for such a critical program, with the space industry only increasing in national importance each year given how many businesses it impacts globally,” said Stuart Ayres, New South Wales Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade.
“The National Space Industry Hub will be an important hub for businesses both directly involved in the space sector, and the businesses downstream that the space sector relies upon. It will allow us to harness Australia’s well-established research infrastructure, world-class universities, and an abundance of local innovators who are busy researching, developing, and commercializing space technology.
“We look forward to the partnership with Cicada Innovations, and to the exciting ventures that will soon be housed in the new Hub,” Ayres added.
“Cicada Innovations is already the best place in Australia to build a deep tech business, and now it will be one of the best places to build a space tech company. Our track record in hardware, software, prototyping, and manufacturing also combines with our unique multi-sector approach that connects founders from across different deep tech verticals to discover entirely novel ways of solving big-picture problems,” Cicada Innovations CEO Sally-Ann Williams said. “Our community is a melting pot for entrepreneurs, scientists, businesses, and industry. By connecting entrepreneurs, policymakers and researchers, we can help make Australia a leader in space innovation, while developing the advanced science that will create a more sustainable and prosperous future.”
Founded in 2000, Cicada Innovations is backed by four academic shareholders, the Australian National University (ANW), the University of New South Wales Sydney (UNSW), the University of Sydney (USYD) and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), with the joint mission of validating, commercializing and scaling high-impact, deep-tech startups. In November, the incubator launched Australia’s first grain agtech challenge in connection with the Australian Government’s Grains Research & Development Corporation.
