A national report has confirmed UNSW as Australia's leading university for transforming research into successful businesses.
UNSW Sydney has ranked number one in Australia for the most startup and spinout companies founded through University-developed technology in 2024.
It's the fourth consecutive year the University has topped Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia's (KCA) Survey of Commercialisation Outcomes from Public Research Report ( SCOPR ).
UNSW recorded 19 spinout companies in 2024 across diverse fields including next-generation solar cells, automotive technology, virtual health care and mapping.
UNSW also took home two awards at the KCA Australasian Research Commercialisation Awards this week. For the third year running, UNSW won the 'Best Industry-Research Collaboration', this year for its partnership with SQC and Silex to establish a production capability for silicon-based quantum computing processors in Australia. The University also won 'Best Licensing Deal' for its spinout DeCarice , which is commercialising hydrogen injection technology that can replace up to 95% of diesel fuel in existing engines - accelerating the clean fuel transition.
UNSW Deputy Director of Business Development and Commercialisation Dr Dax Kukulj said the recognition reflected UNSW's entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to research excellence.
"Being recognised as the top research organisation for spinout creation for the fourth consecutive year is a clear demonstration of UNSW's strategy in action," Dr Kukulj said.
"Our academics continue to translate world-class research into tangible products and services that deliver positive societal and economic outcomes, reinforcing UNSW's ambition to be a world-leading entrepreneurial university."
Pro Vice-Chancellor Industry and Innovation Professor Stephen Rodda said UNSW works proactively on strengthening support for spinouts through new initiatives. "We've established a dedicated 'New Ventures' team to help launch new spinouts and set up Barker Street Ventures , which provides investors ready access to high-potential companies commercialising UNSW research," Prof. Rodda said.
"These initiatives are complemented by UNSW's expanding Founders and Entrepreneurial Campus programs, which together are building a vibrant ecosystem that empowers researchers, students and partners to create ventures that deliver real-world impact."
Among UNSW's standout spinouts are innovations in renewable energy and data technology.
Our academics continue to translate world-class research into tangible products and services that deliver positive societal and economic outcomes, reinforcing UNSW's ambition to be a world-leading entrepreneurial university.
Solar spinout: Developing the next generation of high-performance solar cells
Current silicon solar cells are reaching their efficiency limits. Next-generation tandem solar cells - which use two different materials to absorb energy from the sun together - could go further, but commercial production has been limited by the challenge of integrating multiple cell layers.
World-leading solar photovoltaics experts at UNSW have developed unique technology that allows manufacturers to upgrade their silicon cell production lines to make tandem products without major modifications.
Inventors Scientia Professor Xiaojing Hao, Scientia Professor Martin Green, Dr Ziheng Liu, Dr Pengfei Zhang and Dr Caixia Li have successfully demonstrated the use of their patented 'Transparent Conductive Adhesive technology' in tandem solar cells. The technology enables easy integration of sub-cells and simplifies fabrication at reduced cost and increased efficiency.
The team established the spinout company 'Tandem Art' to facilitate the commercialisation of their technology and make solar power - already the cheapest form of electricity available - even cheaper, for industry and consumers globally.
Geospatial spinout: Detailed mapping information for the masses
Large organisations such as governments and councils have vast quantities of geospatial data - maps, satellite imagery and location information - that often go untapped, as even with expert analysis it can take days to extract insights.
UNSW researchers, led by Scientia Professor Chris Pettit, have revolutionised geospatial data analysis by integrating these systems with GenAI's chat capabilities. Their spinout company MapAI formed with investment from UNSW and FrontierSI , has created a groundbreaking solution that allows users to interact with mapping data through simple chat interfaces, making geospatial information more accessible and useful.
The technology has already been demonstrated at several organisations. For example, during a trial at Geelong City Council, staff could quickly interrogate their systems to answer residents' enquiries about street parking, such as the location of disabled parking bays near the local library. At NSW Government Spatial Service, users could view their property on a map and ask questions like: What's the size of the property? What schools and parks are nearby? What's the closest light rail station?
Prof. Pettit said that by collaborating with partners including government, local councils, the not-for-profit sector and PEXA Insights, which services 300 councils, his team can maximise access to MapAI technology and its societal benefits.
