Four research projects from the University of Sydney have been awarded $8.9 million in Australia’s Economic Acceleration (AEA) Innovate Grants to advance technologies in quantum computing, satellite technology, marine robotics and long-range Wi-Fi.

The grants will help researchers partner with industry and translate their work into commercial applications. 

Professor Julie Cairney, Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), was delighted with the outcome. 

“The projects demonstrate our researchers’ capacity to work with industry partners to deliver practical solutions that benefit the whole community,” said Professor Cairney.

Dr Cassandra Chua, from the Faculty of Science, is working on the development of superconducting quantum amplifier products that will help bring critical enabling technology for quantum computing into the marketplace.

Without this technology, we cannot support the development of utility-scale quantum computing systems.

“One of the goals of our new spin-out company from the University of Sydney – Emergence Quantum – is to establish the capability for manufacturing critical technology for quantum computing and quantum sensing applications in Australia," said Dr Chua.

Establishing domestic capability to manufacture superconducting devices at scale will create an opportunity to position Australia as a leader in the global quantum community and supply chain.

This project will foster cross-school synergy between the teams led by Dr Thomas Ohki and Professor David Reilly from the Faculty of Science and the University of Sydney Nano Institute.

Dr Cassandra Chua will lead project management and coordinate the collaborative efforts with Emergence Quantum. 

Dr Abdallah El Kass, a researcher in the Faculty of Engineering, will lead the technical development effort.

Satellites powered by solar cells are essential for the communications that underpin our daily lives. But to date, advancements in satellite technologies have been limited by onboard power availability.

Current space cell technology is prohibitively expensive and faces global supply constraints, while alternative solutions provide limited power and degrade under space radiation.

Professor Anita Ho-Baillie, from the Faculty of Science, the University of Sydney Nano Institute, and the Net Zero Institute, has been working on development of metal-halide perovskite solar cells that will offer considerable advantages, including lower production costs, high power-to-weight ratios, and space radiation resistance.

Significant progress has already been made, with the successful integration of solar cells onto satellites launched into space in 2024.

“This project addresses immediate onboard energy needs with innovative, cost-effective solar cell technology,” said Professor Ho-Baillie.

“Additional benefits include the development of a domestic space photovoltaic supply chain with a trained workforce to support our growing space industry.

“It has the potential to revolutionise the space industry,” said Professor Ho-Baillie, the John Hooke Chair of Nanoscience at Sydney Nano.

Dr Lachlan Toohey, from the Faculty of Engineering, has been awarded a grant that will help commercialise the Seeker Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, designed to capture high-resolution, geo-referenced seafloor imagery over complex underwater terrain.

It is modular, portable, hover-capable and highly manoeuvrable.

“Development of the Seeker Autonomous Underwater Vehicle to this stage has been a real team effort,” said Dr Toohey.

The vehicle was originally designed and manufactured in collaboration with the Defence Cooperative Research Centre, to support future Navy operations.

Over the past year Dr Toohey has been continuing to develop the vehicle in collaboration with Faculty of Engineering colleagues, Professor Stefan Williams and Dr Jackson Shields, under an AEA Seed grant.

“We have now demonstrated the viability of this vehicle design in both nearshore and offshore environments, collecting high-resolution imagery of the seafloor in a variety of subsea environments,” said Dr Toohey.

“We have current interest from defence, offshore energy and environmental survey organisations looking to exploit the unique characteristics of this vehicle to support maritime survey operations.

“This AEA Innovate grant will help us operationalise the vehicle to meet current opportunities in the marketplace.” 

Current Wi-Fi systems have been designed for indoor use with short ranges under 100m, so they are not suitable for expansive areas like underground mines, which often have hundreds of kilometres of tunnels.

Existing Wi-Fi systems in these environments have been costly to install. They have poor signal quality and limited coverage, impacting both safety and productivity.

The University of Sydney has developed a new long-range Wi-Fi system that is compatible with conventional Wi-Fi devices using commercial Wi-Fi chips. This has the potential to significantly reduce deployment costs.

“The AEA Innovate grant will help us get the system ready for commercial deployment,” said Professor Yonghui Li, from the Faculty of Engineering.

“This new long-range Wi-Fi system can be seamlessly integrated with other systems, offering a cost-effective solution for extending broadband in underground mines. This will really enhance productivity and safety,” said Professor Li.

“And it also has potential application to other sectors, including agriculture, emergency services, public safety, rural connectivity and other large industry settings.”