AFR awards University’s research commercialisation prowess

QuantX Labs, which is run by Chief Executive Professor Andre Luiten, from the University of Adelaide’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), exists to solve the challenges of defence innovation in Australia. The company has invested more than $25 million in this pursuit already.

As an example of its intense focus on partnership, in 2023 the company established a physical space within its premises, named RavensNest, where it brings together customers, sponsors, defence and university researchers to undertake collaborative capability acceleration.

The QuantX team is also working closely with researchers at the University’s IPAS, as well as the Defence Science and Technology Group, to create an optical quantum clock that significantly outperforms GPS navigation systems. It is a cutting-edge technology that will allow defence personnel to operate with greater safety in contested environments.

The AFR also acknowledged QuantX’s Cryoclock, a product the company describes as the culmination of 20 years of research and which it says delivers the world’s purest microwave and radio frequency signals. The Cryoclock has been tested on the Jindalee Over-The-Horizon radar, a cornerstone of the Australian Defence Force’s surveillance technologies.

In accepting the Research Commercialisation Award, Professor Luiten flagged the delicate balance required to transform university research breakthroughs into innovative commercial products.

“The most valuable Intellectual Property in these breakthroughs frequently resides only in the heads of researchers.  Ensuring that this can be passed to an enthusiastic industry partner is a major challenge, given the differences in outlook and language for the two organisations,” Professor Luiten said.

“Our success has been born out of a mutual respect about the needs of both parties and making sure that we built the engagement in such a way that each party can be rewarded for taking part in the activity.

“The University of Adelaide’s Defence Trailblazer has been instrumental in incentivising exactly the right behaviours.”

Pro Vice Chancellor (Research Operations and Commercialisation) at the University of Adelaide, Professor Michael Goodsite, congratulated QuantX and University’s commercialisation team colleagues on their combined achievement.

“QuantX Labs’ innovative leadership drives global impact. Commercialisation is a team effort. Together, we’re transforming ideas into solutions that strengthen Australia and using our learnings to continuously improve. It is fantastic to be at a university that values, incentivises and delivers on research commercialisation,” Professor Goodsite said.

The University of Adelaide shared the AFR’s Research Commercialisation Award with Monash University’s Translation and Commercialisation of Neuromedicines.

For more information on the AFR’s Higher Education Awards, visit the website.