CSIRO and Boeing have taken their teamwork to new heights with the announcement today of 20 new joint research projects.

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews congratulated the organisations for their cooperation, saying CSIRO and Boeing are both leaders in their respective fields.

“For 30 years they have explored technologies together, ranging from airport modelling software to collision awareness and aircraft paint,” Minister Andrews said.

“These exciting new projects promise to reap substantial rewards for both organisations and complement our national effort in space.”

The new CSIRO-Boeing agreement includes four new joint space technology research projects:

• Space situational awareness, such as monitoring space debris;
• On-board image processing and analytics for Earth observation satellites;
• Lightweight, radiation shielding materials for spaceflight; and
• On-orbit manufacturing of space structures or satellite components.

Over the past 30 years CSIRO and Boeing have delivered more than 200 projects and jointly invested more than $180 million on a wide variety of aerospace technologies such as new manufacturing processes, coatings, fire retardants and software for data analytics.

“We are witnessing a real transformation of the global space economy,” Minister Andrews said.

“Space technology is getting smaller, access to space is becoming cheaper and innovation cycles are becoming shorter, and all sorts of companies can make significant contributions to the space economy.

“I commend CSIRO and Boeing on the contributions they have already made to the global aviation industry, and I look forward to the next 30 years of innovation and success.”
 
The Liberal National Government recognises the value of our science, research and technology sectors in creating jobs and growing the economy. That’s why we have invested $97 million more into CSIRO compared to when Labor was last in government.

This investment is part of our plan to boost our economy and create an additional 1.25 million jobs over the next five years.

Media contact: Minister Andrews' office 02 6277 7070