Enabling Technology
Enabling major change
Queensland has long been a hotbed of innovation, ambition and talent.
Queensland’s collaborative ecosystem, leading institutions and world-class R&D capabilities foster the development of enabling technologies that has the potential to drive radical change across many industries.
With many local companies already succeeding internationally, Queensland is emerging as a global hot spot and testbed for industry-led platform technologies.
Quick glance at Queensland’s technology landscape
Strong R&D capability with collaboration between government, universities, research centres and industry
World-class institutions and programs nurturing the next generation of talent
Sophisticated infrastructure including the fastest international connection point from Eastern Australia to Asia
Global testbed for new technologies supported by forward-thinking government programs and policies
Supporting innovation
The Queensland Government is committed to driving ground-breaking innovation to support a strong and vibrant economy into the future.
The $755 million Advance Queensland initiative promotes the development of the state’s innovation capabilities through investing in research, attracting new investment, building global partnerships and encouraging companies to launch and scale.
Nurturing future talent
Queensland’s talent pool for tech professionals is one of the fastest growing in Australia.
The state has world-class educational programs and institutions, delivering a pipeline of talent across Information Technology, Engineering and Science that is leading the next wave of technological advancements.
A strong Research and Development capability is supported by 12 research-focused universities, including four in the world’s top 250.
To meet the needs of this emerging sector, the Queensland Government is helping supply an additional 10,000 digital professionals by 2024 through upskilling and attracting new talent.
Queensland capabilities
Queensland has a diverse and vibrant tech industry, with competitive strengths in digital tech, SaaS, Ai, robotics, drones, quantum and immersive technology.
Digital technology and SaaS
Home to two of the nation’s six tech unicorns (Go1 and SafetyCulture), Queensland has established itself as a hub for some of the brightest digital tech start-ups, scale-ups, incubators, mentors and talent.
Its thriving digital tech landscape covers a broad range of solutions designed for edutech, agtech, health and safety management, cryptocurrency, biomedical and digital health (to name a few).
- Leading global edutech platform Go1 recently achieved double unicorn status following a US$100 million raise.
- Mobile solution for safety in the workplace, SafetyCulture joined the ranks as unicorn in 2020, has invested into an Australian start-up to take their digitisation efforts to the next level.
- Acquired by Microsoft in 2021, Clipchamp is championing online video creation with global companies including Google, Deloitte and Dell as customers.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Queensland is one of Australia’s largest markets for AI by percentage of companies and adopting industries, with strong capability in AI powered cyber-physical systems, health, mining and aviation technologies.
Queensland is progressing industry development nationally through the AI Hub – a $5 million hub that works together with researchers, developers, industry bodies, and government to increase awareness, deliver programs, and connect Queensland talent with the globe.
- FloodMapp is a program developed after years of AI R&D providing the most accurate real time flood map forecasts in the world.
- The Queensland University of Technology’s COTSbot is a mobile aquatic device that uses computer vision, machine learning and advanced robotics to remove a major threat to the Great Barrier Reef.
- Multi award-winning innovation HomeGuardian’s patented AI device detects falls, incidents and illness symptoms for Aged Care and Disability industries.
Robotics
Queensland is positioned as a key robotics technology hub in the Asia Pacific, home to world-leading research centres and industry clusters, including:
- Australia’s first robotics cluster Queensland Robotics is innovating and commercialising robotics technologies.
- ARM Hub is Australia’s first robotics and manufacturing hub, drawing together scientists, technical specialists, designers and engineers to develop commercial solutions.
- Australia’s largest integrated R&D precinct, Queensland Centre of Advanced Technologies specialises in field robotics developing autonomous vehicles and sensor network technology.
- The $25.6 million Australian Centre for Robotic Vision is dedicated to creating “robots that can see”, firmly positioning Queensland as a global leader in this field.
- CSIRO’s Data61 Robotics and Autonomous Systems Group is one of the world’s premier research groups, home to the biggest motion capture system in Australia.
- QUT’s Centre for Robotics is that largest and fastest research group in Australia, paving the way for a future of autonomous vehicles.
- Townsville University Hospital was the first Australian hospital to trial humanoid social robots in health information delivery, with the help of SoftBank Robotics and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Robotic Vision.
- In 2021, CSIRO beat teams from NASA, California Institute of Technology, and Carnegie Mellon University to claim second place at the Robot Olympics – the world’s premier robotics competition.
Drones
Queensland is the drone capital of Australia, with universities at the forefront of research. As the first state to launch a drone strategy, Queensland is home to more than 30 per cent of Australia’s drone industry and the highest number of remote pilot licence-holders.
With large expanses of open land and uncongested airspace, Queensland’s physical environment provides a natural advantage for drone facilities. Queensland is perfectly positioned to build on drone research, design and development, with application in sectors such as agriculture, mining, marine industries, tourism and defence.
- Boeing selected Toowoomba’s Wellcamp Airport to base its first uncrewed aircraft assembly plant outside of North America – production of its Boeing Airpower Teaming System is expected to generate $1 billion.
- Queensland drone test flight facility at Cloncurry Airport is the first of its type in Australia, and one of only three in the world.
- Alphabet’s Wing established in Logan in 2019 and is now the most successful international testing ground for drone delivery service, helping shape how the company will operate globally.
Quantum technology
Queensland has a history of innovation and leadership in quantum technology and is an Australian leader in the fields of sensing, computation and precision navigation. Building on these capabilities, Queensland is well-positioned to provide solutions across aerospace, defence and mining, resources, and energy sectors.
- Australia’s national centre for engineering ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS) is the highest funded research effort in Australia.
- The University of Queensland is an international leader of the second quantum revolution with top facilities including superconducting, opto-mechanical, optical and ultra-cold atomic system.
- Griffith Centre for Quantum Dynamics conducts cutting edge research in Quantum processing and is home to the only laboratory in Australia where atoms, molecules and materials can be probed on sub-femtosecond timescales.
Immersive technology
Queensland boasts a diverse range of capabilities in virtual reality, augmented reality, data visualisation platforms and other related immersive technologies.
With research centres at the forefront of developing and commercialising projects in the field of immersive technologies, Queensland is fostering a vibrant immersive tech community.
The Queensland Government’s XR Hub is helping develop local talent and supporting initiatives to increase investment in growing immersive tech companies.
- Real Serious Games designs and develops Extended Reality (XR) products, solutions and experiences for training, education, communication, engagement and planning for major national and international brands.
- Maxart builds virtual and mixed reality media applications that is transforming the way spatial computers are used across major industries.
- Axiom is a leader holographic display system and 3D immersive technology that produces more devices with more features than any other company currently operating in the hologram industry.
