April Director’s message
Nutt family farm in Black Rock, SA. In recent decades, rural industries have been able to develop a range of technologies that greatly increase the efficiency, safety and sustainability of food and fibre production. Central to many of these has been the deployment of satellite-based technologies that deliver remote sensing, connectivity and geolocation capabilities to
Nourish Ingredients funding announcement
Recently Nourish Ingredients, our newest CEAT Hub member, announced their successful initial funding round of $11M USD, co-led by Horizons Ventures and Main Sequence Ventures, two of the leading food-tech VC firms in the world. James Petrie, Nourish’s CEO says “It’s a huge step toward the realisation of our biggest goal – to bring to
Five ways to boost creativity and break out of a creative rut
Creativity and creative thinking impact all aspects of life, from small ways (like thinking of something different to make for dinner for a change), to major, innovative ways (like how to change a design of a product or process to make it safer, cheaper, faster, or even all of these things). No matter what kind
Attracting new talent to the ag sector
Agriculture is one of the fastest growing industries in Australia. As we approach 2050, we can expect to see significant advances in both technology and practice as the industry races to satisfy the needs of a growing population in the midst of global climate change. With technological advances continually changing how ag producers operate, the
Creativity in research
The United Nations launched Creativity and Innovation Day and Creativity and Innovation Week in 2017 to celebrate the ways in which these concepts and behaviours impact everyday life globally. “There may be no universal understanding of creativity. The concept is open to interpretation from artistic expression to problem-solving in the context of economic, social and
Future opportunities for military technology to advance agriculture
Australian producers have been at the forefront globally in adopting new technologies that deliver management efficiency and productivity benefits. The pressure of a highly variable climate and managing volatile export-focused markets has driven this adoption. Advanced pesticide technologies and no-tillage conservation agriculture practices have had an essential role in improving agricultural broadacre productivity and buffering
March update from CEAT Director
Over the past three months, CEAT has been working with our partners at the University of Adelaide and University of Western Australia to increase awareness among government, industry stakeholders and producers of our proposal for a ‘National Mission for Future Crop and Community Resilience’. The National Mission document outlines an initiative to create a step
How can Aussie agriculture adapt to climate change?
In the coming 50 years, climate change will be one of the most significant problems facing Australian agriculture, with forecasts predicting increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall. It is vital that the agriculture industry adapts to these changes. While some adaptation is happening, far more needs to be done. The ABARES Outlook 2021 conference outlined two
Smart irrigation control for water and labour savings in rice
Matt Champness, a former CEAT Emerging Scholar, is currently undertaking a PhD with Deakin University’s Centre for Rural and Regional Futures based in Griffith NSW. His project is focused on developing integrated smart sensing and irrigation automation systems for rice growing capable of delivering the needed high level control parameters. The ultimate goal is to
What is the Right to Repair Movement – and why do we need it?
How long have you owned your mobile phone? 1 year? 2 years? 3 years?! If you’re like me, you probably buy a new phone every couple of years. As new phones and updates are released, it always seems as if my old phone gets slower and slower. I’m sure you’ve experienced this too. When new
February Director’s message
After a year of deserted university campuses, it was fantastic to see students returning to their ANU residential colleges and classes in February. While lectures will remain an online experience for many, relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions has meant that small group teaching and laboratories can be now run face-to-face. The flow-on benefits will be substantial,
Nourish Ingredients join the CEAT Innovation Hub
CEAT is pleased to welcome the newest members of our Innovation Hub, food technology company, Nourish Ingredients. Nourish Ingredients is leading the movement to revolutionise how alternative protein products are made. Their work focuses on creating tailored, animal-free fats and oils that make plant-based meat, fish and dairy alternatives even tastier and more sustainable. Because
Meet CEAT’s first Fellow
CEAT established its Fellows Program in late 2020 to harness relevant expertise to tackle agritech industry challenges and transform how industry and our research community collaborate and to grow next generation agritech capability. Below is an interview between Denise Higgins and one of our inaugral Fellows, Dr Rohan Rainbow. Denise: Rohan what’s important to you
Bridging Barriers to Agri-Tech Adoption
The agriculture industry has seen many changes over the last 50 years, ranging from mechanical improvements in machinery, the broader usage and diversification of genetically modified crops and new digital management tools. These changes have expanded the scale, speed and productivity of Aussie farms, leading to more efficient production and land use. However, with the
CEAT hosts representatives from Austrade and AusIndustry
As part of our monthly Hub Member Networking Lunch on Wednesday 17 February, CEAT hosted David Barbalet and colleagues from AusIndustry and Matthew Durban and colleagues from Austrade to present to our hub members about the various funding schemes available to SMEs and emerging entrepreneurs. The session was well attended by CEAT Hub Members, and
CEAT 2020 End of Year Event
On Thursday 10 December last year, CEAT held an end of year celebration event, which was attended by over 80 guests from across ANU, CSIRO, industry, government and other innovation networks. The event celebrated the achievements of CEAT over the previous 12 months, including our elevation to an ANU Innovation Institute, our various successful events
January Director’s message
Welcome to the first update of 2021. I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are excited for the year ahead. Universities across Australia are home to researchers and infrastructure that in many cases could help industry address complex challenges. A key aspect of harnessing this capability is ensuring that industry is able to
Building Capacity for Responsible Innovation: Agri-Technology
In collaboration with CSIRO, CEAT is piloting a Responsible Innovation course in May 2021. Emerging science and technology is creating complex issues for societies and their decision makers. Novel and disruptive innovations and technologies present significant policy, regulatory and ethical challenges, which if left unresolved, could constrain the potential for future science to deliver benefits
December Director’s message
As many of you know, a key change for CEAT in 2020 was its elevation to the status of an ANU Innovation Institute along with other Institutes such as the 3A Institute, WearOptimo Institute and Institute for Space. ANU Innovation Institutes are entities whose role is to harness the full intellectual capacity of the University
New Agricultural Innovation courses coming to ANU
The CEAT Innovation Training Initiative supports the development of new skills and pathways for future innovators, influencers and leaders in agri-technology. In collaboration with the ANU Fenner School of Environment & Society and CSIRO, CEAT are supporting the delivery of a suite of new agriculture-oriented education and training offerings in 2021, ranging from Undergraduate to
Quantum Brilliance bag a bundle in funding
CEAT Innovation Hub members Quantum Brilliance have been awarded $828,666 from the Federal Government to build a state of the art manufacturing plant for room temperature quantum computers. This comes as part of the Entrepreneurs Programme, which has invested $243 million in Australian innovation to date. This latest grant of $7.99 million was received by
The impacts of COVID-19 on Australian Agriculture
2020 has dealt unparalleled challenges across all areas of our community and the world, including Australia’s agricultural community, who have faced devastating bushfires, drought and a world-wide pandemic. With 2021 around the corner, now is the perfect time to reflect on the challenges of 2020, and to look hopefully ahead to next year. The agricultural
Robotics in Australian Agriculture
Advancements in robotics, and the applications of robotics products in agriculture are constantly producing exciting opportunities in the field. Whilst many agricultural robotic projects are still in the developmental phase, the outcomes of this research hint at a future in which technology will allow us to produce the same output using less resources. This possibility
November Director’s Report
When CEAT was launched in 2018, our goal was to build – in Canberra and its surrounding region – a globally-connected agri-tech innovation ecosystem where world-class research and technology is targeted to agricultural challenges, independent of traditional disciplinary boundaries. Note the geographic range this encompasses – it goes from local to regional to national to
Software engineering in agri-tech
CEAT 2020 EvokeAG scholar, Bryce Cronin updates us on agri-tech startups that have caught his attention. As a software and network engineering student with a keen interest in robotics, I’ve been keeping my eye on a number of agri-tech startups from Australia and around the world. While these startups are diverse in their offerings, what
GRDC Research Scholarship applications open
GRDC Research Scholarship (GRS) Program applications are open again in 2021. High achieving students undertaking post-graduate research are encouraged to apply in areas of priority for the GRDC and our stakeholders. The GRS Program has evolved and goes beyond financial support to include a GRDC and industry symposium, as well as facilitating industry engagement throughout
October Director’s Report
An update from Professor Owen Atkin, CEAT Director As many of you know, the Centre for Entrepreneurial Agri-Technology is located in the National Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Precinct at the interface of ANU and the Black Mountain campus of CSIRO. The Precinct is an outstanding plant and agricultural sciences knowledge cluster – one that includes
Gondwana Genomics predict the performance of eucalyptus trees
CEAT Hub members, Gondwana Genomics, in collaboration with China Eucalypt Research Centre (CERC), recently undertook a research project where Gondwana’s DNA marker technology was used to predict the performance of Eucalyptus pellita trees. Gondwana were able to show the great accuracy of their technology to predict growth and wood traits of E. pellita trees using
AquaporinSolutions team participates in the Bridge Hub Water Challenge
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth and has recently faced one of its worst droughts. Climate change and increased incidence of extreme weather events are threatening water security for all Australians. Currently, approximately 70% of Australia’s water resources are used for Agriculture, and water resources are becoming increasingly stretched. Biotechnological innovations are needed
Research collaboration targets plant-based vaccine development
A new research collaboration aims to develop new methods and tools to non-invasively monitor the growth and performance of plants used in the production of Virus-Like Particles (VLPs). In doing so, the research will help to optimise the biotechnology for plant-based vaccine development. Initiated and supported by the Centre for Entrepreneurial Agri-Technology (CEAT) and ANU
A message from Prof Owen Atkin – September 2020
I was pleased to see that earlier this month, the Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, the Hon. David Littleproud, announced that the Australian Government will invest $86 million in establishing eight Adoption and Innovation Hubs across regional Australia, and that it will develop a Digital Foundations for Agriculture Strategy. Drought is a focus
Jessica Fearnley – My life in Agriculture
Working in the Australian temperate fruit industries is full of surprises; the constant demand to produce safe, clean quality fruit weighs continually on our farmers. My name is Jessica Fearnley and I work as a researcher to help farmers supply this fruit to you! Working for the NSW Department of Primary Industries in Orange I start my
Owen Atkin on using satellites to benefit agriculture
Professor Owen Atkin recently gave an interview to ANU media on the role satellite technology plays in providing a greater capacity to quantify the performance of plants growing across the entire surface of the Earth over long periods of time. See Owen’s full interview here.
August update from Prof. Owen Atkin, Director, CEAT
A major feature of CEAT is its focus on helping Canberra-based agri-tech businesses grow, with that growth providing employment and training opportunities for our students and early career researchers. It was with this in mind that we established the CEAT Innovation Hub in the Gould Building – a building that is ideally placed on the ANU campus
ANU-Agrifutures Australia: Space technologies for Australia’s rural sector virtual workshop
On August 18 -19 and 26-27 CEAT and ANU hosted an interactive virtual workshop on behalf of AgriFutures Australia to assess the future of space technologies in the rural sector and co-design an Industry Issues report to be distributed by AgriFutures. The workshop included participants from agriculture, fisheries, and the forestry industry, as well as
CEAT welcomes Quantum Brilliance to the Innovation Hub
Quantum Brilliance is a start-up company building quantum computers with the ultimate goal of developing ‘QPUs’ that are the size of an accelerator card. Quantum Brilliance’s work has a range of applications in the agri-sector. This includes increasing our ability to ‘replicate’ the natural world through highly complex models of relevance to agriculture that account for processes such as photosynthesis,
Farewell to FluroSat
After 18 months as members of the CEAT Innovation Hub, award-winning agri-tech start-up company, FluroSat are leaving the hub to move on to the next phase of their business journey. In recent years, FluroSat have grown into a highly successful, internationally recognised business. CEAT is pleased and proud to have been part of their journey,
July update from Prof. Owen Atkin, Director, CEAT
Last week, Bob Furbank (Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis) and I were lucky enough to be at the National Press Club to hear an address from the President of the National Farmers Federation, Ms. Fiona Simson. Her speech focused on how national economic recovery can be achieved, in part, through reform and
Read the latest from AgriFutures evokeAG. newsletter
Data driving profits, farms and Australian agriculture. How farmers collect, use and store data is what will drive Australian agriculture in the future, and everyone has a view on what opportunities are available. Economist and entrepreneur, Ros Harvey, is the Founder and Managing Director of one of Australia’s most successful startups, The Yield Technology Solutions (“The Yield”).
June update from Prof. Owen Atkin, Director, CEAT
With the winter solstice having just passed, I was surprised last week to find a near-ripe plum on one of the trees in my backyard! With the drought, heatwaves and hail events having limited fruit production during the summer, my favorite plum tree decided to take advantage of a wet late summer and autumn to
That’s a wrap on the H2O Hack
During the week of 15-19 June, the Centre for Entrepreneurial Agri-Technology (CEAT), at The Australian National University, in partnership with The University of Canberra’s Centre for Applied Water Science (CAWS), Bridge Hub, CSIRO and Charles Sturt University, with the Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN) as a delivery partner ran the ‘H2O Hack: technology to drought-proof the
Working together to solve global water challenges
The recent ‘black summer’ of bushfires and the devastating drought that preceded it has made evident the water management challenges facing Australia. 2019 was the driest year on record with nationally averaged rainfall 40% below the long term average. Fires over the summer of 2019/20 burned nearly 19 million hectares of forest and killed at
An update from Mandy Nguyen, CEAT Chief Operating Officer
I am so delighted to have the opportunity to join the CEAT team as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). As this is my first blog for CEAT, I thought I should share with you some personal background. Growing up in a family home surrounded by rice fields, I have always had a strong passion
Innovate to Grow with CSIRO
Do you have a drive to understand how new technologies could create value for your business? CSIRO is currently offering a new, complimentary, Innovation Enabled Growth professional development program to a select group of Agrifood small-medium enterprise (SME) leaders. This 12 week applied, online program will: Provide insights into emerging technologies reshaping your industry. Support
An update from Prof. Owen Atkin, CEAT Director
Well, what a wild start to 2020. Nature has reminded us how challenging the Australian environment can be, with a three-year drought and heat waves creating the conditions for a bushfire season that affected rural and metropolitan communities alike. Here in Canberra and surrounding regions, the arrival of desperately needed rain was preceded by an
Wheat breeding tool set to optimise energy use efficiency
Researchers report important progress in developing a new tool to realise the next generation of wheat yield gains. The tool takes the form of an index that rates wheat’s energy use efficiency (EUE). It can be used to exploit genetic diversity in a wheat plant’s ability to use energy from photosynthesis to optimise yield. The breakthrough
Citizen science to aid bushfire recovery
CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, is working with key agencies and community groups to support research underway throughout bushfire impacted areas. The Citizen Science Bushfire Project Finder website allows members of the public to contribute to projects ranging from air quality, to identifying and confirming animal and plant sightings while maintaining safe social distancing practices. People can
Untapped potential for animals to help reduce bushfire risk
A new study led by The Australian National University (ANU) has found that animals may be an “untapped” resource to help manage fuel loads for bushfires. Lead author Dr Claire Foster said Australia’s recent summer has shown that wildlife can be severely impacted by bushfires, but the report found that animals can also influence bushfires in surprising ways. “Large grazing animals – including cows, kangaroos and rhinos – eat large amounts of
Positive Impacts of COVID-19 on the Illegal Wildlife Trade
If you told me a few months ago that the world would have literally gone into lockdown because of a global pandemic – I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are. At Wildlife Drones we have been working from home for over the past two weeks. Like many other organisations around the world, this has
Looking after yourself during COVID-19
Many people are now working from home to help stem the tide of COVID-19. While this measure is both reasonable and necessary, it does present us as a community with numerous challenges, not least of which is how to stay sane when only essential excursions outside the home are allowed. With this in mind, we have compiled
CEAT staff get remote
Due to new protocols in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19, CEAT staff will be working remotely for the next few months. Don’t worry – you can still stay up to date with our news via our Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn channels, as well as our website. We will update these channels regularly so you
CEAT events postponed
Due to rising concerns surrounding the COVID-19 virus, CEAT is suspending all planned events for the time being. This is in line with government requirements to cancel all non-essential gatherings. We hope to deliver virtual and remote activities over the coming months, and will keep this page updated. For more information contact [email protected]
evokeAG wrap up
Tickets sold out to evokeAG 2020, held in Melbourne and the biggest agri-food tech event in the Asia Pacific region. Well over 1000 delegates came together to discuss how innovation and technology can help solve the biggest challenges in agriculture, both in Australia and globally. Speakers included John Hartnett of SVG Ventures and THRIVE, Frank
Introducing Jessica Fearnley
Jessica Fearnley is a CEAT Emerging Leader, and received a scholarship to attend evokeAG 2020. Jessica’s love of agriculture developed in Year 8, when agriculture became part of her curriculum. She says that she had a fantastic teacher who was very passionate and it was hard to not to catch his enthusiasm. Jessica continued to
Meet Bobby Wen
Bobby Wen is a CEAT Emerging Leader, and received a scholarship to attend evokeAG 2020. In 2019, Bobby completed his Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of International Security Studies at The Australian National University, and is about to begin an Associate role at Deloitte. During his undergraduate career, Bobby has participated in a number of student exchange
EvokeAG scholar, Amellia Redfearn
Amellia Redfearn is a CEAT Emerging Leader, and received a scholarship to attend evokeAG 2020. Growing up in Sydney, there were few opportunities for Amellia to experience agriculture firsthand. However, her uncle had a farm, which is where Amellia’s passion for agriculture was born. She then attended an agricultural high school, where she discovered how
5 minutes with Matt Champness
Matt Champness is a CEAT Emerging Leader, and received a scholarship to attend evokeAG 2020. Matt’s interest in agriculture arises from the challenge Australia and the world now face to sustainably produce more food for a growing population using less land, water, labour and resources. Having graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science
Meet Bryce Cronin
Bryce Cronin is a CEAT Emerging Leader, and received a scholarship to attend evokeAG 2020. In 2020 Bryce will complete a Bachelor of Engineering in Network and Software Engineering at the University of Canberra. He is interested in the industrial applications of software engineering to the agriculture sector, with a particular desire to explore the
Introducing Jana Dixon
Jana Dixon is a CEAT Emerging Leader, and received a scholarship to attend evokeAG 2020. Growing up on a farm, Jana has always been exposed to and interested in agricultural life. This has led to a natural transition into agronomic consulting following her completion of a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Adelaide
Meet Professor Owen Atkin, Director of CEAT.
In his role as Director, Owen is passionate about expanding the career options of young researchers, particularly in the agriculture industry. He is also committed to building stronger relationships between ANU, CSIRO, industry and government. In March 2019, Owen was named the ANU Vice-Chancellor’s Entrepreneurial Professor in recognition of his work in creating an innovation
Emerging leaders to attend evokeAG 2020
Six emerging leaders in agri-tech have been selected to attend evokeAG. 2020 – Asia Pacific’s largest agrifood tech event held in Melbourne on 18–19 February. Sponsored by the Centre for Entrepreneurial Agri-Technology (CEAT), the scholarship recipients will have the chance to immerse themselves in innovation, connect with industry leaders and explore hot topics in global agri-tech.
CEAT supports Emerging Leaders to attend evokeAG
This year the Centre for Entrepreneurial Agri-Technology (CEAT) is partnering with evokeAG to bring six emerging leaders from across Australia to the two-day agri-food tech event in Melbourne on the 18–19 February 2020. CEAT is providing six young people interested in agri-tech, agri-food, and sustainable agriculture with a scholarship going towards travel costs, accommodation, and
Wildlife Drones helping to protect endangered species
In a world first, drones have been used to successfully radio-track critically endangered Sunda Pangolins in Vietnam. In November 2019, technology start-up Wildlife Drones collaborated with Save Vietnam’s Wildlife and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Saving Species project, using technology that is revolutionising the way animals are tracked. Based at the Centre for
Resources for bushfire awareness and safety
The current bushfire season is one of the worst on record. Disasters of this magnitude can have wide-reaching impacts on physical and mental health. For this reason, CEAT have compiled a list of resources about the best actions to take to keep yourself and your family safe this fire season. Smoke Hazardous smoke from fires
