University of Queensland researchers and industry partners have secured $7.7 million from Australia's Economic Accelerator to tackle challenges facing Australian businesses across energy, farming, health, and tech.
The scheme will advance early‑stage commercialisation research across 20 UQ‑led projects that respond to industry needs, such as a gust‑resistant drone to fight fires, higher quality biodegradable single‑use products, and technology to protect against quantum cyber‑threats.
AEA Ignite Round 2 recipients:
Dr Feifei Bai - create a smart power system monitoring device that analyses data in real time to reduce operational costs and improve grid reliability by quickly detecting and responding to faults.
Dr Clement Matthew Chan - improve the quality and cost of biodegradable single-use items using patented biocomposite technology to overcome issues like brittleness and slow production and offer practical, affordable solutions for packaging.
Dr Jiarui Chen - test lamella plates - a type of wastewater treatment device - inside mineral processing equipment to capture finer particles of lithium and other critical materials usually lost, producing higher yield and less waste.
Dr Naipeng Dong - test new generation quantum-chips designed to resist future cyberattacks by quantum machines.
Dr Mitch Dunn - create a lightweight smart outer shell for uncrewed aircraft that strengthens the vehicle and builds in better antennas and protection for safer, more reliable flight.
Dr Chloe English - test a new dietary additive to reduce gill disease and boost growth in farmed Atlantic salmon, aiming to deliver a low‑cost, effective and commercially viable solution for the global aquaculture industry.
Associate Professor Fernando Guimaraes - develop natural immune cells to target aggressive breast cancer.
Associate Professor Hassan Khosravi - enhance the RiPPLE learning platform to help students build stronger thinking, evaluation, and AI literacy skills, by creating a digital tool that supports responsible learning in the age of AI.
Dr Xuemei Li - explore new ways to turn dangerous PFAS 'forever chemicals' waste into safe and valuable materials.
Dr Haijiao Lu - create a lab-scale prototype able to turn waste from used lithium-ion batteries into new clean energy technologies.
Dr Syed Akbar Raza Naqvi - design a small, painless device that uses safe electromagnetic signals to accurately check tooth health, helping dentists make faster, more reliable diagnoses and avoid unnecessary treatments.
Dr Christian Nefzger - advance CAR-T cancer therapy by making the cells stronger and less prone to exhaustion and boost their effectiveness against solid tumours.
Dr Melanie Oey - advance cultivated meat production using microalgae and recycled media to 'grow' animal tissue, aiming to create a cheaper, sustainable product through a circular economy.
Dr Chian Teng Ong - improve how farmers identify low-emission animals by developing a simple, low‑cost oral swab test to predict methane emissions in livestock.
Professor Pauline Pounds - build a gust‑resistant drone that can accurately drop fire retardant in strong winds, helping firefighters more quickly control bushfires.
Dr Maral Seididamyeh - develop a treatment using natural compounds to target postharvest losses from mould and decay.
Dr Priyanka Singh - build an AI system that can reliably detect manipulated social media content and help users verify what is real.
Dr Rachel Stephenson - produce a safe vaccine to protect sheep from flystrike, reducing chemical use, improving animal welfare, and supporting a more sustainable wool and meat industry.
Dr Qiyang Tan - develop a 3D‑printing process to create high‑performance copper parts, helping Australia turn its rich copper resources into advanced manufacturing capability.
Dr Run Zhang - develop a low‑cost paper test strip which will let winemakers quickly measure sulphur dioxide levels onsite using a smartphone, helping ensure wine quality, safety, and regulatory compliance.
