Investment and Technology Transfer to Address Growing Demand

Leonardo Australia has joined the South Australia-based SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre as a Supporting Participant, the organisations announced on 21 February.

SmartSat CRC participants agree to collaborate according to member expertise and interest in a variety of projects. Leonardo’s involvement will mean added investment by industry and added transfer of proven technologies to Australia.

The announcement came during the 9th Australian Space Forum in Adelaide, with the attendance of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Italian Ambassador Francesca Tardioli and President of the Italian Space Agency, Giorgio Saccoccia.

Leonardo Australia is establishing an industrial presence in Adelaide and, as a first step, will be supporting Leonardo’s geospatial imagery company e-GEOS (a joint venture between Telespazio and the Italian Space Agency) in its contribution of funds and know-how to the SmartSat CRC.

Michael Lenton, Chairman of Leonardo Australia explained “As an Australian, I am totally committed to growing our company into a valuable local industrial asset contributing in knowledge and employment. The SmartSat CRC is a powerful vehicle for helping position Australian industry and the Australian Space Agency in the centre of the global space scenario.”

“e-GEOS will bring its ‘out of the box’ thinking in satellite radar and hyperspectral imagery to the infinite fields of application in Australian society – maritime surveillance, mining, better agriculture even environmental monitoring as a critical element of bushfire prevention and damage assessment,” added Bruno Versini, e-GEOS Chief Operating Officer.