Industry, government and research leaders will come together in Parramatta next month to explore how smart sensing can help advance some of New South Wales’ biggest priorities.

The NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN) will host Ambitious NSW: Sensing the Future of NSW Industry on Tuesday 6 October at Western Sydney University’s Parramatta City Campus.

The interactive workshop will focus on three missions identified in the NSW Industry Policy and NSW Innovation Blueprint as critical to the state’s future: advanced manufacturing, housing and net zero.

Smart sensing technologies have an important role to play across all three, helping manufacturers automate and optimise production, improving the performance and sustainability of buildings, and providing the data needed to manage energy, emissions and resources more effectively.

The workshop will bring together key stakeholders from industry and government with researchers to explore how world-class university research can be translated into practical smart sensing solutions addressing these priorities.

NSSN Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Haskins said the workshop was designed to connect research capability with clearly identified industry and government needs.

“NSW has world-class research and technology capability, but creating real impact requires us to start with the problems that industry and government need to solve,” Mr Haskins said.

“By bringing those groups together around the same table, we can identify where smart sensing can make a difference and build the partnerships needed to turn promising research into practical solutions.”

As a longstanding NSW innovation network working at the intersection of government, industry and universities, he said the NSSN is well positioned to bring these groups together and help turn research capability into practical outcomes.

Rather than simply showcasing existing research, the workshop has been designed around collaboration and problem-solving.

Through stakeholder discussions, breakout sessions and co-design workshops, participants will identify unresolved knowledge gaps and industry and government pain points, before exploring opportunities for collaborative research and development projects where university expertise could provide innovative solutions.

Dr Anastasiia Tukova from Macquarie University

Projects emerging from the workshop are expected to bring together research, industry and government partners and have the potential to attract a combination of industry investment, government funding and competitive grants.

The program will begin with a keynote address from Sally-Ann Williams, Chair of National Computational Infrastructure and Strategic Advisor in Deep Tech.

A panel discussion, Unleashing university technology research to address NSW’s innovation priorities, will examine how university research can contribute to the state’s innovation agenda.

Moderated by NSSN Board Chair Dr Jill Freyne, the panel will feature Justin Koek, Director, Net Zero Industry & Innovation at the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; Rebecca Krummins, Executive Director, Portfolio Asset Management, Homes NSW; Jaclyn Aldenhoven, A/Executive Director, Fostering Innovation at Investment NSW; and Professor Brian Falzon, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science at Western Sydney University.

The workshop will then turn its focus to each of the three missions through dedicated breakout sessions.

The Advanced Manufacturing session will be moderated by Dr Anastasiia Tukova from Macquarie University, with panellists including Mark Helou from the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility, Rebecca Lodin from Mako, Dario Valezo from Carbonix and Houman Hatamian from Transport for NSW.

The Housing session will be moderated by Scientia Professor Chris Pettit, Director of the City Futures Institute from UNSW, with contributions from Olivia Hyde from Homes NSW, Jeff Oatman from the Green Building Council of Australia and Matt Napper from Ingenia.

The Net Zero session will be moderated by Dani Alexander from the NSW Decarbonisation Hub, with panellists including Sophia Hamblin Wang from MCi Carbon, Eric Kimmel from NSW DCCEEW and Ali Nezhad from Boral.

Each breakout session will be followed by a dedicated co-design workshop, giving participants the opportunity to move from discussing challenges to identifying possible research and technology solutions.

The process is intended to create the foundations for future collaborative R&D projects that respond directly to the needs of industry and government while drawing on research expertise from across NSW universities.

By bringing together decision-makers, technology developers, researchers and end users around clearly defined challenges, Ambitious NSW aims to help shape the next generation of smart sensing solutions that can support a more innovative, productive and sustainable NSW.

Ambitious NSW: Sensing the Future of NSW Industry will be held from 9am to 5pm on Tuesday 6 October 2026 at Western Sydney University, Parramatta City Campus, Level 9, 169 Macquarie Street, Parramatta.

Register.

Ambitious NSW: smart sensing to help tackle the state’s biggest industry challenges

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