Australia’s Federal Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic, has launched Australia’s first-ever AI and Robotics Sprint, ‘Propel-AIR’ in Brisbane.

Designed to fast-track innovation and empower Australian startups, businesses, researchers, and entrepreneurs, the Propel-AIR Initiative is part of the ARM Hub AI Adopt Centre programs and is focused on developing local talent across AI and robotics.

“We need to build more skills and we need to build them here, and so having Propel-AIR and a program like that is why it’s a big deal,” said Minister Husic on Thursday December 12th to the ARM Hub audience.

“The biggest thing we can do is we can make countries look at us and say what are the Australians doing? We make the world’s head turn towards Australia and you will all make it happen.”

ARM Hub is Australia’s leading AI, robotics and design-for-manufacture industry hub. It is leading one of the Australian Government’s AI Adopt Centres.

The goal of the program is to fast-track Australian robotics innovators developing essential solutions across multiple industries.
ARM Hub CEO Dr Cori Stewart says it will also connect Australian robotics leaders internationally: “Propel AIR will support us to build a hard-wired connection to the world centre of Hardware Tech in Boston,” says Dr. Stewart. “Boston has borne many high-tech startups such as Boston Dynamics, Markforged, BAE Systems and more, and I look forward to announcing the Australian businesses that we launch and grow together.”

Applications open in January and the top ten finalists will be announced in June.

The winning team will travel to Boton’s MassRobotics for a month’s residency and participate in scheduled visits to key companies and institutions within the Boston tech community. Interested parties can register here for updates and more details.