In our words
Beyond industry awareness
Peter Woodgate, SmartSat CRC
“Together these industries face a once in a century opportunity. This is well beyond more talk and forward thinking. This is an industry-driven movement to focus on the immediate and medium-term wins that are achievable for Australian businesses, scientists and professionals if only we take smarter, informed action”.
NEW and different for industry
Glenn Cockerton, SIBA-GITA
“We’re looking to bring this dialogue to geospatial professionals in public and private practice right across Australia. The national coalition will be hosting a range of ways from direct online feedback to video roundtables and live local discussion. Also, what’s new and different with this exploratory outreach and consultative paper is that it’s uniquely driven by industry, for industry. So while we have some of the most influential government agencies currently talking with us, this program is independent and doesn’t aim to produce public policy but to investigate, understand and mobilise the best kind of industry response that Australia can make in the coming years.”
ADDING YOUR VOICE TO OTHERS
Tony Wheeler, CEO, SSSI
“It’s an important opportunity not just to have your say through a timely national consultation but also to connect into a diverse circle of large and small organisations and thought leaders. You’ll learn a lot about new directions, skills and opportunities. We’re focusing not just on the emerging space industry or the geospatial disciplines, we’re specifically investigating the intersection of these two worlds. Our organisation is excited to be immersed in this new discovery process. The SSSI thematic commissions will be one significant way we can focus our members’ unique disciplinary-based experience. We also look forward to our members joining with other geospatial colleagues as well as space sector innovators in more location-based video meetups. We’ll certainly be encouraging the ‘coffee break conversations’ model among members and partners.”
A natural progression
Graeme Kernich, CEO
"This roadmap is the natural progression of the 2026Agenda, which delivered a roadmap to drive growth, coordinate effort, and transform the spatial sector. We are seeing technological change present the opportunity for space and spatial businesses to work together to integrate information workflows faster and cheaper. This will improve the service offerings and operational efficiencies."
The right time for Australia
Peter Kerr, Space+Spatial Industry Roadmap coordinator
“Some think that Australia is too small to play in this arena. Bigger countries with well-established space sectors tend to be caught in entrenched interests and approaches. But, as we’re seeing with Elon Musk and SpaceX as well as others, in the 21century the space industry is very different, more affordable and with many niche specialist options. As a small, younger upstart entrant to this marketplace, we think Australia can be more agile in how our industries pivot faster to take advantage of the new opportunities. There is a huge home-grown multi-billion market just in defence, but we urgently need to build both capabilities and capacity. In addition, this effort may prove to be valuable in meeting the rapidly growing needs of earth observation and space-based programs in India, Asia and the Middle East as well as the US and Europe.”
MAKING SENSE OF SPACE
Dr Tim Parsons, Chair SIAA
"As a long-time advocate and active participant in Australia's rapidly emerging space industry, I know only too well that for many 'space' means deep space missions to the Moon and Mars. Further development and iInnovation around near-Earth orbit systems and technologies is a real-world opportunity for advancing Australia's future. So I welcome this chance to explore how 'space+spatial' can work together."
CONVENING A NATIONAL CONVERSATION
John Wells & Allison Hornery, Cofluence
“In 2021 we hope to be hosting all kinds of meeting spaces between these two industries. This comprehensive interaction program started with influential leadership circles and current feedback coming in from government, public sector and defence arenas. But now it’s time for the ‘Industry Professional Focus’ phase where national peak bodies, member networks and associations are co-convening dialogue and feedback opportunities. Everyone can have a say and shape their ‘space+spatial’ future.”