The Australasian Space Innovation Institute has appointed its inaugural leadership team as SmartSat CRC concludes after seven years.
Emeritus Professor Andy Koronios has been named Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Beveridge Chief Operating Officer, and Dr Carl Seubert Chief Technology Officer. Larry James, former Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of NASA's Jet Propulsion Labouratory and a retired US Air Force Lieutenant General, will serve as Strategic Advisor.
At the same time, 35 remaining SmartSat CRC key projects and 16 milestones are being transferred to the institute to maintain funding arrangements, partnerships and project delivery after the Cooperative Research Centre ends.
The transition places the new organisation at the centre of work previously carried out under one of Australia's larger space research collaborations. SmartSat CRC received AUD $55 million from the Australian Government through the Cooperative Research Centres Program and brought together researchers, companies, government bodies, entrepreneurs and end-users.
Figures released with the leadership announcement show SmartSat attracted more than AUD $270 million in combined investment over its life. It also delivered more than 200 research and development projects across satellite communications, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, Earth observation, space situational awareness, and positioning, navigation and timing technologies.
Its network spanned more than 175 Australian and international partners and involved more than 400 researchers, creating what it described as one of the country's largest connected innovation networks.
Leadership transition
Koronios will lead the institute as it takes on the transferred project portfolio, overseeing the shift from a time-limited CRC model to an independent not-for-profit structure.
Before this leadership change, SmartSat served as a nationally coordinated framework for Australia's space research and innovation efforts during a period of broader growth in the sector. It connected universities, research organisations, start-ups, small and medium-sized businesses, larger industry groups and government bodies around shared priorities.
The institute said the transfer preserves work already under way and allows projects to continue without interruption, while protecting the value of public and partner investment tied to those activities.
International links also formed part of SmartSat's work. Through programmes including the UK Space Bridge and the Australia-New Zealand Collaborative Space Program, participants developed ties with space agencies, research institutions and commercial organisations abroad.
According to information released by the institute, those relationships supported joint research, technology exchange, project development and market access. They also helped position Australian organisations within international space projects.
Commercial pipeline
Over its seven-year run, SmartSat backed more than 60 space start-ups and emerging companies. Support included access to funding, expertise, infrastructure and collaborative networks intended to help take projects from concept to demonstration and into commercial use.
The institute said many of those companies are now contributing to Australia's broader space industry. It also estimated that SmartSat-backed research, innovation and industry development activity would generate more than AUD $1.2 billion in economic impact.
That estimate underscores the significance of the handover to the newly staffed institute. With the CRC ending, continuing active projects and milestones provides a way for unfinished work to remain within a coordinated structure rather than dispersing across separate organisations.
In a statement accompanying the appointments, Koronios linked the end of SmartSat to the institute's launch phase.
"The conclusion of SmartSat CRC marks not an ending but a continuation - its impact will stay through ASII. The relationships established among industry, government, academia, and research organisations, together with the knowledge, intellectual property, workforce capability, and collaborative culture developed through SmartSat, provide a strong foundation for continued innovation. As these projects, partnerships and capabilities transition into ASII, the investment made through SmartSat CRC will continue to strengthen Australia's space sector and shape the nation's future space capability for many years to come," said Professor Koronios.
He also reflected on the scale of the CRC's original remit and how it developed over its life.
"When SmartSat CRC commenced operations in 2019, its objective was ambitious: to build a nationally coordinated space research and innovation capability that would accelerate the growth of Australia's emerging space sector while delivering practical outcomes for industry, government and the broader economy. Seven years later, SmartSat concludes its journey under the Cooperative Research Centres Program, having established one of Australia's largest and most collaborative space innovation ecosystems," said Professor Koronios.