I’m delighted to introduce SmartSat’s 2019–2020 Annual Report, our first such report and my first as CEO.

I have been honoured and privileged to serve as the inaugural CEO and to lead the establishment of this amazing organisation with such highly dedicated, passionate and professional colleagues working to build a culture of inclusion, innovation and excellence in all that we do. We have now laid the foundations for a nation-building CRC, delivering value for our partners and contributing to the growth of Australia’s space industry and our economy.

The Australian space industry continues to experience rapid growth, offering huge potential for innovation and the transformation of Australia’s priority sectors. SmartSat is Australia’s largest investment in space industry R&D and is set to foster the creation of next-generation space technologies and make Australia more competitive in the global space economy. With a network of over 100 participants, SmartSat is committed to creating game-changing technologies and generating know-how that will make our industries more competitive and future-proof the jobs of all Australians.

The SmartSat CRC was officially launched in Adelaide on 19 February 2020 by Australian Prime Minister, the Hon. Scott Morrison and Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, the Hon. Karen Andrews. It has been a successful first year of operations and despite the current global challenges, we are now progressing well on our mission to become the leading contributor in transforming Australia’s space innovation ecosystem for future prosperity. Our key achievements include the establishment of the Governing Board, Management Team and associated advisory boards and committees, signing of the Participants’ Agreement, commencement of a number of potentially impactful research projects and our PhD program is growing steadily. My talented colleagues have had many achievements which are outlined in the rest of this report.

Looking ahead, we will now focus on accelerating our Research Program and implementing the Strategic and Operational Plans we have developed. I would like to thank our partners for their support and patience during the establishment phase and acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the Board of Directors and the broader SmartSat team in getting us to where we are today. We have made a fantastic start and this is due to the dedication, professionalism and excellence of the SmartSat team. I look forward to the achievements of this future-defining partnership.

Professor Andy Koronios
SmartSat CEO & Managing Director