Land Forces 2024 Innovation Award winners announced

Three Australian innovators have been named winners of the Land Forces 2024 Innovation Awards, worth $120,000, after pitching their technologies on the first day of the Land Force 2024 International Land Defence Exposition.

They were among 20 finalists who each delivered a 3-minute pitch to a judging panel of innovation experts and an overflowing audience of exposition attendees from around the world.

The winners are:

• Land Forces 2024 Innovation Award: Shane ‘Buzz’ Sarlin, Buzzworks, for optical clarity, ballistic facial and mandibular protection for any tactical helmet.
• Land Forces 2024 Emerging Technology Award: Daniel Stevens, Septic, for a system to detect and localise unexploded ordnance in real time, whether dropped from an aircraft or fired by artillery.
• Land Forces 2024 Young Innovator Award:  Tara Penboss, Black Sky industries, for contribution to Ultra-Mobile Artillery Rocket System V2.0.

A fourth award for the person who best mastered the art of the pitch on the day, was also presented. The winner, voted unanimously by the judging panel was:

• Best Pitch Award: Katie Donaldson, Praxis for tactical solar – Advanced Composite Solar panels for land, sea and air.

The Awards were presented by Professor Emily Hilder, Head of Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA); BRIG James David AM, CSC, Director General Future Land Warfare, chaired the Pitch judging panel and presented the Best Pitch Award.