I, too, would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet, the Kaurna people and pay my respects to elders past and present. I also extend that respect to any First Nations Australians in the room today.

Thank you to the Andy Thomas Space Foundation for having me here this morning as part of 17^th Space Forum.

Can I also commend the team at the Andy Thomas Space Foundation on the important work they do to bring STEM education to young Australians from all walks of life. 

The Foundation does a great deal to inspire our next generation of STEM leaders to see a bright future for themselves in this country. 

Earlier this month, our government tabled the Future Made in Australia legislation in parliament.

Tabling legislation is, in itself, unremarkable. But our ambition is not.

It’s a bold declaration of our intent to reshape our economy from its very core. 

It's about more than just making things in Australia; it's about harnessing our nation's boundless potential and Australian know-how to forge a path where we not only compete – but win – in the global arena.

A Future Made in Australia will be defined by resilience, prosperity, and unwavering commitment to Australian ingenuity.

Our government’s vision is clear – to foster an environment where bold ideas flourish, and innovation thrives. 

Australia's future success hinges on our ability to harness our unique know-how and add value like never before. 

We're not just envisioning the industries of tomorrow; we're laying the foundations today and replacing outdated structures with robust linkages that support our national priorities. 

By providing the right frameworks, we're creating an ecosystem where businesses are confident to invest in our shared future.

Australia’s competitiveness will be shaped by how effectively we adopt critical technologies –quantum, AI, robotics.

This crowd doesn’t need me to tell you if we don’t adapt the consequences are bleak. We just get left behind. It’s absolutely that simple.

Since coming to government I’ve focused on setting the direction in areas that have for too long been ignored.

Investing in technology. Investing in people. Investing in skills. These aren’t just academic exercises. They’ll strengthen our economy and promote economic complexity.

In an increasingly competitive world, it’s the countries that embrace critical technologies that are able to not just maintain the jobs and industries they have already but are able to create more.

What’s comforting is we’re not starting from scratch. 

Australia is already doing many of these things well. 

It’s about harnessing the know-how that we all know exists, and infusing it into the fabric of our economy so that we can create secure, well-paying jobs – and reinforce the national wellbeing we’ve all come to expect.

You are all at the forefront of that effort.

You’ll have noticed that at no point so far have I referred to an industry or sector.

Robotics, AI, automation, quantum, advanced manufacturing – all of these cut across every part of our economy and uplift every one of our industry sectors.

A Future Made in Australia will not be realised by a few of the same-old industry sectors doing the heavy lifting. 

Likewise, our $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund is focussed on advancing Australia’s industrial capability as a whole.

The NRF will make transformative investments, that uplift not just individual companies but have collective impact.

It is central to realising the ambitions of a Future Made in Australia.

And space has a vital role to play.

It’s why space is listed as an area eligible for investment under the NRF. In my time as Minister, when meeting with space companies and visiting their facilities, I’ve been impressed to see firsthand how you’re developing critical technologies and finding markets here and overseas.

That’s how I see space. It is where Australians are deploying the technologies our economy needs. 

When I look to the AROSE and ELO-2 consortia designing our nation’s first lunar rover, I don’t just see a mission to the Moon. I see robotics and remote operations capability being stretched.

When I visited Advanced Navigation, I didn’t just see a piece of technology that’s part of a future NASA mission. I saw cutting-edge AI and automation breakthroughs being made right here in Australia.

When we funded QuantX, we didn’t just fund a precision timing instrument. We funded quantum capability that will improve productivity in agriculture and resources.

When I visited The Fleet Space Technologies team here in Adelaide and saw their space-enabled geode, I saw our transition to net zero through more efficient and environmentally friendly identification of critical minerals.

CSIRO and SmartSat CRC’s work on AquaWatch is about better data for our scientists to protect our environment and waterways.

Space Machines Company showed me more than just the largest Australian-made payload in history. They showcased innovative manufacturing techniques and materials – as well as a supply chain drawing on an array of Aussie companies and skills, including a seamstress brought in to sew the satellite insulation. 

And at every space company I’ve visited, I’ve met great local and international talent – engineers and scientists generating more Aussie know-how.

I also see the important space science happening in our universities, and across industry, contributing to bold exploration missions. 

I see an opportunity for us to do even more in this area – not just space for space’s sake but to enhance all of those capabilities that contribute to national priorities.

But we know a Future Made in Australia can only be realised with a skilled and diverse technical workforce.

Space is often the catalyst for many Australians studying science.

It ignites the fire of curiosity. 

A recent study from Lego has found space forms a part of almost every Australian child’s dream – with 87 per cent interested in finding new planets, stars and galaxies.

Seven in ten kids want to go to space one day.

Space – and ambassadors like Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg – are a proven way to get more kids into STEM.

The challenge is maintaining this love of STEM throughout the education pipeline.  

Later this morning, I will meet some of the school students here for the state final of the Kids in Space program.

This program – delivered by Maker’s Empire with the support of the Australian Space Agency and Andy Thomas Space Foundation – is giving our kids the tools and critical thinking skills they’ll need to succeed in an increasingly tech-filled world.

And it’s fuelling the bright minds we need for our economy to thrive into the future.

But we also need to address the gaps in our STEM workforces now, by creating an environment that lures and retains diverse talent – that’s why we commissioned the Diversity in STEM review to help us solve these challenges. 

How companies in the space sector can contribute to government priorities is a key focus of the Australian Space Agency.

The Agency has a role to connect efforts across government, so that our policy and investments are joined up.

Having a national space agency that knits together deep space expertise with other policy, international engagement, regulatory and communications specialists ensures we can deliver against our agenda.

And whether they’re advising the government on policy or regulatory matters, Enrico Palermo and his team at the Agency do an excellent job. 

Keeping an Agency presence here in Adelaide – among the innovation district of Lot Fourteen, which is a hub of not just space but critical technology activity – is incredibly important.

It’s an interconnected, broader way of thinking that motivates our government’s approach to supporting industry. As I’ve previously said, we don’t believe in scores of competing programs doling out little bits and pieces of money here and there – programs used for political purposes rather than national interest.  

Likewise, this Government’s support for space extends beyond just grant programs. While some of these investments have been effective with measurable outcomes and will continue to be important, we’re focussed on pulling levers that will benefit the entire sector. 

By getting the settings right we can crowd investment in and stimulate supply chains.

Our Technology Safeguards Agreement – or TSA – with the United States is a prime example of that.

And I’m excited to announce this morning, the TSA has now come into force. 

I want to acknowledge the work the Australian Space Agency did to lock this down.

It’s a great deal for Australia and our space industry. It strikes a balance between protecting sensitive US technology while unlocking new commercial opportunities for Australian companies.

We’re already seeing evidence of that, just from the signing of the agreement late last year.

The relationships built through this process – and the vote of confidence from the US that it trusts Australia – is generating activity before the agreement even beds in.

The CEO of Southern Launch has described the TSA as a ‘game changer’ that will “accelerate the development of the Australian space industry.”

Plans are already underway for US company Varda Space to return its capsule to Koonibba in regional South Australia later this year … and conversations have also begun about future launches.

With the TSA in place, it’s estimated Australian spaceport operators could supply between 45 and 95 space launches over the next decade with a value of between $460 million to 1.2 billion. 

This would be a massive uptick for Australia’s launch sector which was worth $27 million in the 21/22 financial year.

This demand will increase investment in local infrastructure and scale the Australian launch and return sector. It will expand the market that is open to Australian companies and uplift the entire local space sector.

It also sends a powerful signal to other global collaborators that the world’s largest space nation trusts Australia and wants to do business here – and that they should too.

Of course, Australia has a long history of international collaboration when it comes to space. 

Famously, our radio telescopes helped broadcast the first images of NASA astronauts walking on the Moon in 1969.

More than half a century later, the Tidbinbilla tracking station in Canberra was NASA’s eyes and ears in the final stages of the DART asteroid redirection mission, a world first full-scale planetary defence test.  

But it’s not just the US. The international cohort in the room here today is evidence of the opportunity we have to work with partners closer to home.

A big welcome to NZ Minister Collins, the delegation of Indian business here and representatives from Korea.

Add in our other partners like the European Space Agency, Japan and UK, and you are reminded of the role space – and science and innovation more broadly – can play in enhancing cooperation in our region for mutual benefit.

By working together we can strengthen our relationships while also delivering outcomes that will benefit our nations and region more broadly.

And of course, it’s a big 18 months ahead for Australia in space, as the eyes of the world turn to our shores for IAC25 in Sydney. I’m looking forward to seeing what the hosts at SIAA deliver there. 

Another way we’re working to get the settings right is by building a world class regulatory framework.

Developing a world class space regulator is good for business, and a unique selling point for our sector.

The Australian Space Agency has today opened consultation on the next set of reforms to the space activities legislation. The purpose of this set is to remove inefficiencies and improve flexibility, while not impacting on safety. 

The changes could include:

• removing the three-stage application process for a launch facility licence
• reduce the notice period that the Launch Safety Officer must give to relevant persons before a launch or return of a space object from ‘30 days’ to ‘20 days’

Further details on these proposed changes are available for review from today through the Department of Industry, Science and Resource’s online Consultation Hub, and we encourage your input.

This is part of ongoing work I have tasked the Agency with – to improve the regulatory framework for now and for the future.

Protecting people and property, as well as the space environment, is critical to the long-term sustainability of our local space sector … it builds social license with the community and demonstrates success to our international partners.

But don’t mistake this as risk aversion.

As someone that’s been among the innovation community for many years, I know failure is part of the innovation cycle.

The ability to experiment and try new things is built in to how we regulate.

But good regulation is about ensuring we do that in a way that isn’t cavalier about our nation’s safety or security.

As a government, we continue to aim to strike the right balance between responsible regulation and entrepreneurism to create a sustainable future. 

A future that embraces innovation to unlock a much-needed transformation.

A future that is achieved not by bolstering individual sectors but by lifting the critical technological capabilities that propel industry forward and empowers generations to come.

A future in which space, with the right settings and support, will contribute.

A Future Made in Australia.