March 17, 2023

UOW to lead the region’s innovators to the Illawarra Energy Expo in Canberra

The inaugural expo will showcase the region to Parliament and key industry stakeholders

Illawarra-born ingenuity in clean energy and renewables will be on display at the Illawarra Clean Energy Expo at Australian Parliament House in Canberra on Monday 20 March.

Illawarra Clean Energy Expo will showcase the capabilities of companies and organisations active in the Illawarra region that are leading the clean energy transformation, providing high-calibre, sustainable employment and training for the clean energy industry.

The delegation leaders met on Friday 17 March at Sicona, a Wollongong based developer of next generation battery technology that enables electric-mobility devices and storage of renewable energy. Sicona is commercialising technology developed and perfected at the University of Wollongong’s (UOW) Australian Institute for Innovative Materials.  

Member for Cunningham Alison Byrnes said the expo will raise awareness of the wealth of expertise available in the Illawarra.

“Businesses across the Illawarra are leading the way in developing scalable, real-world solutions in clean energy and renewables. This expo will showcase this capability to the nation and open conversations that have the potential to lead to real advances in the industry,” Ms Byrnes said. 

UOW Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Patricia M. Davidson said energy transformation has regional significance to the Illawarra, with the region’s attributes of creativity and innovation helping to make it an economic powerhouse.

“The University of Wollongong is at the heart of this clean energy revolution. UOW is well placed to provide evidence-based advice to inform policy and industry investment across Australia that considers social, economic and technical issues.

“The University occupies a critical position in our regional economy as an education, research and innovation powerhouse. We are an anchor institution, continually seeking to create social and economic opportunities in our communities,” Professor Davidson said. 

Exhibitors in Canberra will be providing insight into the work already underway at UOW and to support the Illawarra toward a decarbonised future.

UOW’s delegation will include members of:

• Australian Research Council Future Energies Hub
• Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS)
• Australian Centre for Culture, Environment, Society and Space (ACCESS)
• Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC)
• Australian Power Quality Research Centre (APQRC)
• Research Knowledge Exchange and Translation
• The Energy Futures Network
• iAccelerate
• Australian Institute for Innovative Materials (AIIM)

Other exhibitors will include Illawarra based companies and organisations; BlueScope Steel, Squadron Energy, Hysata, Green Gravity, Oceanex, BOC Gases, Sicona Battery Technologies, Gridsight AI, NSW Ports, i3Net, Business Illawarra, Recharge Illawarra, Rewiring Australia, Ecojoule Energy, Wise Energy and Invest Wollongong.