Energy, enthusiasm, and Earth Observation (EO) were on full display at the Queensland Earth Observation Hub Showcase, organised by the Queensland Earth Observation Hub (EO Hub), and proudly supported by SmartSat and the Queensland Government.
More than 100 researchers, innovators, government leaders, and EO professionals gathered to celebrate the impact of the EO Hub’s first three years, highlighting the power of collaboration in transforming satellite data into real-world solutions across agriculture, mining, environment, and disaster resilience.
Coordinator of the Queensland Earth observation hub, Gavin Kennedy, welcomes attendees to the Showcase
The day began with Professor Kerrie Wilson, Queensland’s Chief Scientist, who opened the event with insights into the state’s first Future Queensland Science Strategy 2024–2029 and its alignment with EO innovation. This was followed by Professor Andy Koronios, Chief Executive Officer of SmartSat, who provided a national perspective on the role of Earth observation in Australia’s sovereign space capability.
Queensland Chief Scientist, Professor Kerrie Wilson, officially opening the Showcase.
Attendees also heard from Dr Allison Rifai from the Office of the Inspector-General of Emergency Management, who explored the use of EO in disaster resilience, Melissa Walker and Michael Castiglione from Healthy Land & Water, who spoke on leveraging EO for natural resource management, and Rob Foster from Fetch Metals & Geminum, who addressed EO and data fusion across the mining lifecycle.
Following these thought-provoking talks, Gavin Kennedy, Coordinator of the EO Hub, took to the stage to highlight the scale and scope of the Hub’s success, most importantly the over $8 million co-invested in 19 EO projects since 2022. His presentation showcased the strategic partnerships and innovation-driven outcomes enabled through the Hub’s programs.
(L to R) Mathew Byrne from Brisbane City Council, Richard Simpson from Meta Moto, Gavin Kennedy from the Queensland Earth Observation Hub, Jean-Marc Hero from the City of the Gold Coast, Marc Beaudry from Hyvista, and Alisa Starkey from Ozius.
(L to R) Andries Potgieter, Yan Zhao, Francesca Devoto and Davoud Ashourloo from the University of Queensland.
The Showcase’s walkaround expo featured a dozen exhibitors where EO Hub project teams presented high-impact applications, from hyperspectral weed-mapping and coastal change monitoring to predictive Artificial Intelligence tools for agriculture and mining. These exhibits buzzed with conversation and connection, offering hands-on demos, practical insights, and sparking new ideas and future collaborations.
(L to R) Marc Beaudry from Hyvista with Sanjeev Srivastava and Prashant K Srivastava from the University of the Sunshine Coast.
(L to R) Jun Wang, Amy Hooper and Wenzong Gao from Kurloo.
One of the day’s highlights was the panel session, If I had a Satellite… moderated by EO Hub co-founder, Professor Stuart Phinn. A lively and imaginative discussion unfolded as sector leaders Alisa Starkey from Ozius, Tim Neale from DataFarming, Paul Seaton from Fugro, and Craig Shephard from University of New England envisioned EO systems tailored to their industries. The session emphasised the need for a strong, coordinated national EO voice, and gave the audience plenty to think about.
(L to R) Professor Stuart Phinn from the University of Queensland, Tim Neale from DataFarming, Alisa Starkey from Ozius, Craig Shepard from the University of New England, and Paul Seaton from Fugro onstage for the ‘If I had a Satellite…’ panel.
SmartSat Chief Operating Officer Andrew Beveridge closed the event with reflections on the Hub’s achievements and the importance of continued investment in EO innovation. He praised the Showcase for bringing together research, industry and government to build shared capability.
(L to R) Jennifer Williams and Daniel Field from Stratoship.
The community spirit carried into the evening at an EO themed night of the popular GEORabble social event, where presentations, networking, and plenty of geo-flavoured humour capped off a big day for Queensland’s EO ecosystem.
With a strong turnout and overwhelming positive feedback, the Queensland EO Hub is already looking ahead, fuelled by the future of SmartSat and the momentum of the Showcase and committed to driving even greater impact in the years ahead.
To find out more about the EO Hub, its projects and any upcoming events, click here.