A Year In Review: 2024

In an era where the global energy transition remained at the forefront of public consciousness, Australia made significant strides towards becoming a world leader in resources technology and critical minerals. Just over a year on from our inaugural Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer Showcase in Perth, WA, we’re looking back at some of the activities we supported that accelerated innovation and research to support this ambitious goal and created opportunities for all Australians.

Driving Innovation through Collaboration

By transforming the way industry and academia to work, we’ve achieved remarkable milestones with far-reaching impacts on our society and economy:

• Showcasing Cutting-Edge Research: The inaugural Trailblazer Showcase brought together over 200 industry leaders and researchers, highlighting 17 innovative projects that pushed the boundaries of resources technology and critical minerals.
• Investing in Our Future: With a commitment of over $100 million to 47 research projects, the programme actively de-risked new technologies for industry use. This investment is crucial for developing resources needed for clean energy technologies such as electric vehicles and renewable energy infrastructure.
• Fostering Collaboration: The programme engaged over 300 academics across three university partners, significantly improving collaboration between universities and industry, essential for translating research into real-world applications.
• Supporting Start-ups: The launch of the National Energy Transition Accelerator (NETA) supported nine early-stage start-ups developing solutions for the global energy transition, fostering innovation and bringing new ideas to market.

Creating Jobs and Opportunities

The Trailblazer is about more than just new technology. By investing in education and training, we’ve created pathways for Australians to participate in the growing critical minerals and sustainable technology sectors:

• Empowering Future Leaders: A record number of PhD students completed industry internships invaluable for developing necessary skills in the evolving job market. In total, a 74% increase was noted on participation year on year.
• Inspiring the Next Generation: Over 200 high school and tertiary students participated in programs such as The University of Queensland Sustainability Hackathon, igniting their passion for sustainable technologies.
• Revolutionising Academic Careers: A comprehensive review of researcher rewards commenced, aiming to create career pathways focusing on industry collaboration and commercialisation, potentially transforming how academic research translates into real-world impact.

Breakthrough Technologies for a Sustainable Future

The Trailblazer programme fostered groundbreaking technologies that revolutionised sustainability and resource management. Here are just a few we’ve supported:

• Unlocking Rare Earth Elements: A research project backed by the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia aimed to establish a new rare earth province, securing domestic supply essential for clean energy technologies.
• Reducing Energy Use in Mining: Researchers at The University of Queensland developed a small-scale flotation device that significantly reduced energy consumption in mineral processing, making operations more sustainable and cost-effective.
• Green Copper Production: University of Queensland spin-out, Banksia Minerals Processing, secured over $1 million in funding to scale up breakthrough copper production technology. This electrochemical process significantly cut costs and unlocked millions of tonnes of copper from low-grade resources.
• Sustainable Fuel Solutions: Dr Laure Bracconier from Curtin University developed a new process for producing green diesel from CO2, aiding mining operations in reducing emissions and supporting decarbonisation.
• Green Hydrogen Breakthrough: Dr Jiayi Tang, also from Curtin University, is leading an innovative project producing low-cost green hydrogen from raw water, potentially revolutionising energy storage and transportation.

Engaging the Community

The programme recognised the importance of public engagement and education:

• Cybersecurity Awareness: With cyber-attacks costing large businesses an average of A$72,000 per incident, events such as CyberConnect helped companies protect themselves in the digital age.
• Inspiring Future Generations: The launch of the Pilbara CoRE Academy in Tom Price, Western Australia, connected Year 11 & 12 students with real-world pathways into the resources industry, crucial for building a skilled future workforce.

A Year of Momentum

Moving further into 2025, the Trailblazer programme continues to capitalise on its achievements and driving innovation. By driving innovation, creating jobs, and developing breakthrough technologies, the programme is positioning Australia at the forefront of the global energy transition. If you’d like more information on how you or your team can get involved, reach out to us.