South Australia – the home of the world’s biggest lithium ion battery, Maggie Beer and now… the Australian Space Agency.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced overnight that the brand new agency will be located at Lot Fourteen in Adelaide, which has become a centre for innovation in Australia in areas such as robotics, AI, cyber security and big data.
The PM also outlined the positive impact that the presence of the Australian Space Agency will have on the economy.
“Our Government’s $41 million investment into the agency will act as a launching pad to triple Australia’s space economy to $12 billion and create up to 20,000 jobs by 2030.”
South Australia already has a strong space presence, with over 800 employees already working in the sector, as well as start ups such as Nano-satellite company Myriota and Fleet Space Technologies.
“Along with Fleet, some of the most exciting space and technology businesses call South Australia home, and having the Space Agency on our doorstep is only going to bring more incredible businesses here,” said Flavia Tata Nardini, CEO and co-founder of Fleet Space Technologies.
“We have an amazing space culture here: the South Australian Space Innovation Centre (SASIC) has been an excellent hub for the more than 70 space-related organisations here, and has been an excellent hub for the more than 70 space-related organisations here, and has been a huge advocate for the work we’ve been doing — without them we wouldn’t have been able to launch four satellites in just four weeks!
Space and the related industries provide South Australia a huge economic opportunity, and this spells the beginning of an amazing future for not just South Australia, but for the entirety of Australia.”
Federal Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews stated that the government is committed to growing Australia’s space sector, investing $260 million to develop the country’s satellite capabilities and incease GPS accuracy in cities and rural areas.
The Minister also expects that there will be a jobs boom in Adelaide over the next decade. “Particularly with the agency headquartered here in South Australia, we are well on target to triple the sector in the next 12 years.”
The Australian Space Agency headquarters is expected to open in 2019.