While continued investment in traditional clean energy infrastructure remains essential for Australia to reach its net-zero targets, investment in innovation is needed to fully decarbonise the Australian economy. The urgency of the climate crisis is clearer than ever, highlighting the need for diverse solutions to reduce carbon emissions across all sectors and industries. The program will identify and support startups developing ground-breaking and innovative solutions to address key challenges in areas such as energy storage technologies, transmission infrastructure, alternative clean fuel developments and the decarbonisation of existing industrial assets.
EDF Australia CEO James Katsikas emphasised the partnership aims to deliver a unique opportunity for startups to work with major industrials and to test these innovative solutions in real-life conditions.
“We are deeply committed to the global fight against climate change. As an organisation we spend over A$1B annually on research and development to ensure we remain at the cutting edge of energy innovation. This partnership enables us to combine that global expertise with local innovation to work alongside dynamic startups and find new and impactful solutions that can accelerate Australia’s energy transition.”
“We will aim to provide startups with essential commercial and technical support, fostering collaboration and driving sustainable technological advancements.”
“Ultimately our investment in this program will assist us to deliver better outcomes in the infrastructure projects we are developing across Australia.”
The collaboration marks Swinburne Innovation Studio’s first FACET grant and will combine the expertise of Swinburne Innovation Studio and EDF Australia.
Swinburne Vice-President of Innovation and Enterprise, Dr Werner van der Merwe, highlighted the importance of this program.
“This collaboration with EDF Australia reflects our commitment to delivering impactful solutions to address one of the greatest challenges of our time.”
Director of Swinburne’s Innovative Planet Research Institute Professor Allison Kealy agreed and highlighted the need to address energy challenges.
“The transition to a sustainable energy future requires bold, innovative thinking, and partnerships like this one play a crucial role.”
“This partnership will enable us to leverage our combined expertise in technology commercialisation to make meaningful progress in energy storage, transmission and decarbonisation efforts.”