Federal Minister for industry and science Tim Ayres will officially launch Propel-AIR 2.0 in Brisbane on 17 February, marking the return of Australia’s flagship AI and robotics innovation sprint aimed at accelerating the next generation of local robotics ventures.
The launch will take place at ARM Hub in Northgate and will bring together robotics innovators, researchers and industry leaders for a day of live demonstrations, discussions and the opening of entries for the national Propel-AIR competition.
Highlighting the program’s global reach, team members from MassRobotics in Boston will travel to Brisbane to participate in the launch as part of a week-long collaborative visit with ARM Hub.
The visit underscores the growing partnership between Australia’s leading robotics hub and one of the world’s most active robotics innovation ecosystems.
The event will also showcase Australian success stories emerging from the program. Melbourne-based NexoBot founder Dominic Lindsay, winner of the inaugural Propel-AIR program, recently completed a month-long residency at MassRobotics in Boston.
During the visit, he pitched at RoboBusiness in Silicon Valley, visited the Stanford Robotics Lab and took part in Tough Tech Week.
“What really stood out is how important it is to have ecosystems like ARM Hub; with this we can develop solutions that deliver for an Australian context,” Lindsay said.
Propel-AIR is delivered through ARM Hub’s AI Adopt Centre as part of the Australian Government’s AI Adopt Program.
The initiative is designed to fast-track AI-integrated robotics ventures from research and development through to commercialisation by connecting them with industry customers, global partners and investors.
“Propel-AIR 2.0 comes at a pivotal time for Australia’s sovereign robotics and AI capability,” said ARM Hub CEO and founder Cori Stewart. “We’re bringing together the full spectrum of Australia’s robotics ecosystem. From cutting-edge research to commercial deployment, this day demonstrates the depth of innovation happening across the country.”
The morning session will feature live demonstrations of emerging technologies, including QUT’s automated banana de-handing system and The Fish Girl’s commercial robotics platform, alongside other innovations targeting manufacturing and agriculture.
A robotics and commercialisation roundtable will follow, exploring pathways from research to market with contributions from the visiting MassRobotics team, Australian innovators and industry practitioners.
Minister Ayres will formally launch Propel-AIR 2.0 at 11:30am, joined by the MassRobotics delegation and representatives from NVIDIA.
The winning team, to be announced in July, will receive a month-long exchange at MassRobotics in Boston, including visits to organisations such as Boston Dynamics and MIT, as well as direct mentorship from MassRobotics experts.
Propel-AIR 2.0 is open to Australian innovators developing AI and robotics solutions across sectors including advanced manufacturing, resources, agriculture, healthcare and energy. Entries open on 17 February.
