Accolade for Optimatics
Australia can stake claim as world water leaders
Australia must develop a coherent national brand to sell its expertise as a quality supplier of water technology and management, the chairman and chief executive of the National Water Commission, Ken Matthews, said yesterday.
Global sales in the water industry were worth $400 billion a year now and are growing at 7 per cent a year - meaning there was enormous commercial potential.
"I believe our vision should be for Australia to be considered a world centre for developing advanced water technologies and a brand that's recognized worldwide," he told the Water Industry Alliance 2007 awards presentation in Adelaide.
Australian exports of water expertise were growing at 30 per cent a year, indicating the nation was taking an increasing bigger slice of the global market, he said.
South Australia was well placed in the industry.
"SA has a very well deserved reputation in the water excellence area, particularly in exports," he said. "It's a sign of the growing strength of Australia's water industry as a whole that the Water Industry Alliance is here (in SA)."
Alliance executive director David Williams said the level of growth in the industry in SA was demonstrated by an increase from 16 to 23 companies which entered the awards.
"Our local water industry is making a global impact by developing water-wise technologies," he said.
The keenly contested Innovation Award went to Optimatics, a company that was spawned by University of Adelaide research.
Chief Executive Tim Anderson said Optimatics conducts simulations of entire water systems. It uses two techniques - genetic algorithms and artificial neural networks - to identify optimal solutions.
"It's a holistic approach to the system," he said.
The Advertiser, Saturday May 26, 2007
