A breakthrough seed technology that could help farmers grow more food while using less fertiliser has been named the overall winner of the 2026 Curtinnovation Awards.
Rhizobacterial Enhanced Seeds, developed by Curtin researchers Dr Mohammad Farzam and Dr Rebecca Swift, took out the prestigious Griffith Hack Overall Award for its potential to improve crop yields while reducing chemical inputs.
The technology coats beneficial bacteria onto seeds to support plant growth and reduce a reliance on fertilisers, resulting in lower costs, environmental benefits and improved sustainability.
The annual Curtinnovation Awards recognise Curtin-led innovations with the potential to deliver real-world impact, celebrating researchers who are transforming ideas into practical solutions for industry and the wider community.
Among the award recipients was TBIScan, a portable device that measures brain activity to provide faster and objective concussion assessments in clinical and sporting settings, while ASTRAPOD enables small satellites to autonomously determine precise real-time orbits without external navigation systems.
Other winning innovations included Rivertown, a simulation game helping communities prepare for flood risk, while Sunfish Robotics have developed a solar-powered underwater robot capable of collecting ocean data for extended periods.
Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne said the winning innovation addressed a major challenge facing agricultural producers around the world.
"As global demand for food continues to grow, farmers are under increasing pressure to improve productivity while reducing environmental impacts," Professor Hayne said.
"The novel seed coating demonstrates how innovative research can help address that challenge. We're also looking at its application in related fields, such as promoting the growth of native plant species in mine site rehabilitation.
"The Curtinnovation Awards celebrate the ideas and people helping solve real-world problems, and this year's winners showcase Curtin's ability to deliver solutions with meaningful economic, environmental and social benefits."
This year's winners span health, agriculture, education, artificial intelligence, sustainability, mining and space technologies.
Professor Hayne congratulated all winners and finalists.
"The quality of entries this year was outstanding and reflects the creativity, talent and entrepreneurial spirit that exists across Curtin," Professor Hayne said.
"My congratulations go to all our award winners and finalists and I look forward to seeing these innovations continue to develop and create impact in Western Australia and around the world."
2026 CURTINNOVATION AWARDS WINNERS
Griffith Hack Overall Award: Rhizobacterial Enhanced Seeds
Uses beneficial bacteria coated onto seeds to reduce fertiliser use and increase crop yields.
Dr Mohammad Farzam, Dr Rebecca Swift
Science & Engineering Award: ASTRAPOD
An onboard navigation system enabling small satellites to determine precise real-time orbits autonomously.
Professor Ahmed El-Mowafy, Dr Amir Allahvirdi-Zadeh
Health Sciences Award: TBIScan
A portable EEG-based device for rapid concussion assessment.
Dr Sarah Hellewell, Caerwen Ellery, Dr Tejas Canchi, Professor Soumya Ghosh
Business & Law Award: EngageMind
An AI platform supporting violence prevention by connecting at-risk individuals with appropriate services.
Dr Kevin Marc Blasiak
Humanities Award: Rivertown
A simulation game helping communities and governments prepare for flood risk.
Dr Francesca Perugia, Dr Rebecca Scherini, Connor Goddard
Learning & Teaching Award: PROsectionXR
A virtual dissection platform enabling immersive exploration of human anatomy in 3D.
Morgan Titmus, Dr Michael Ovens, Dr Hannah Radley, Dr Paul Ellery, Dr Alina Miranda, Dr Gary Whittaker, Dr Beatriz Ito Ramos De Oliveira, Associate Professor Petra Helmholz, Professor Zhonghua Sun
Trailblazer Award: Automated Detection of Drill Rig GPS Calibration Drift
A geospatial tool that detects drill rig positioning errors using aerial imagery and drilling data.
Dr Paul Hancock, Leigh Tyers, Professor Melanie Johnston-Hollitt, Arun Veluchamy, Matt Pomery, Daniel Hitchen
Curtin Entrepreneurship Award sponsored by the Malka Foundation: Sunfish Robotics
A solar-powered underwater robot that can collect ocean data for extended periods.
Nikki Staltari, Morgan McDermont, Taylor Odishoo, Michael Bryan, William Jupp, Josh Jenkins, David Htet
Curtin Global Award: Ai-MASS
An automated microalgae harvesting system using bio-based separation and AI monitoring to improve efficiency.
Professor King Hann Lim, Dr Shiew Wei Lau, Professor John Sie Yon Lau, Professor Tuong-Thuy Vu, Dr Ming Chiat Law, Dr Saaveethya Sivakumar, Dr Jonathan Then Sien Phang, Dr Basil Andy Lease, Dr Emmanuel Yahaya, Leonard Umban Anak Pengarah, James Chun Ket Tai, Subha E Zannat, Mohammad Syazwan Onn, Dr Nurul Farahin Abd Wahab, Dr Norhafizzuddin Husein, Ridhwan Zhafri Kamarul Bahrim, Tg M Uzaini B Tg Mat
