NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR NATIONAL INNOVATION AWARDS

By Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia, 23 October, 2014

Organisers of Avalon 2015 are calling for nominations for the annual National Aerospace Industry Innovation Awards.

The Awards recognise and honour Australian companies and individuals who are at the forefront of both defence and commercial aerospace innovation. Six awards will be presented in total for the following categories:

  • Defence Industry National Innovation Award
  • Civil Industry National Innovation Award
  • Defence Industry SME Innovation Grant
  • Civil Industry SME Innovation Grant
  • Young Innovator Scholarship for Defence Industry
  • Young Innovator Scholarship for Civil Industry

The SME Innovation Grants are worth $10,000 each, as are the Young Innovator Scholarships. The winners of the major defence and civil innovators categories will be presented with trophies.

These awards have been developed by the National not-for-profit foundation, Aerospace Australia Ltd, which presents the biennial Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition at Avalon Airport in Victoria. They were first presented in 2013.

"The awards enhance the foundation’s mission to promote the development of Australian aviation and aerospace industries," says CEO Ian Honnery.

"Building on the success of the 2013 Innovation Awards, we want to encourage entries that highlight the skills and expertise that exist within Australia and reward the highly innovative work which is being undertaken by Australian companies."

The awards are open to researchers and employees of Australian companies and research establishments, as well as to Australian Companies or the Australian subsidiaries of overseas parent companies. The innovations concerned could be anything from a new product or service to a radical new approach to business.

Entries will be judged on their understanding of the user needs and the originality of the innovation.

Nominations for the National Aerospace Innovation Awards will close on 11 December with a short list of candidates drawn up by 1 February.

The Chairman of Aerospace Australia Ltd will present the Innovation Awards during the 2015 Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition. The winners will be invited to deliver a presentation on their Innovations to the Application Technology Sessions of the 16th Australian International Aerospace Congress (AIAC16) at Avalon on 25 and 26 February.

To find out further information about the eligibility criteria or to make a nomination for the National Aerospace Awards go to http://www.airshow.com.au/airshow2015/TRADE/innovation-awards/index.asp

The 2015 Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition will be held at Avalon Airport from 24 February to 1 March and is supported by the State Government of Victoria, the City of Greater Geelong and the Australian Defence Force, in particular the Royal Australian Air Force.

Source: Aerospace Maritime & Defence Foundation of Australia