Insight into Coast’s ‘space renaissance’
TWO experts at the forefront of the ‘space renaissance’ in Australia will encourage students and budding entrepreneurs to reach for the stars when they speak at a symposium this week.
Students from Bond Entrepreneurship Collective have secured the Gold Coast’s own James Gilmour, founder and director of Gilmour Space Technologies, and Kirby Ikin, chairman of the National Space Society of Australia, as speakers.
The pair will give insight into the role of start-ups in the burgeoning space industry at tomorrow’s ‘Space, The Next Step’ event at Bond University.
Mr Gilmour, whose Pimpama-based company is developing new hybrid-engine rockets to support the development of a low-cost space launch vehicle, said he wants science and technology students to know they can have a future in Australia.
“I like to say that we are in the midst of an Australian space renaissance,” he said.
“I think having someone speak to them lets them know there is light at the end of the tunnel to pursue a career in science, engineering, technology, and math.”
Mr Gilmour, whose company employs 19 staff, up from three in 2014, said for too long students have graduated to find “little to no opportunity” in Australia.
“Particularly with the stuff I’m doing, and the insight I have in terms of what’s required, this event is an opportunity to hopefully light the spark for these people and for them to fuel the fire.”
However, Mr Gilmour said, in the past year, he has had 20 students come through his Pimpama base, and found many lacking in the skills required.
“I know what is required, and as an employer, there are some tremendous shortfalls from some of the young engineers that are showing interest.”
Bond Entrepreneurship Collective member George Cary said his two greatest passions are space and business.
“I would love to combine them in the future,” he said.
“James and Kirby are experts in their fields and are both passionate about space and keen to raise awareness of the sector.”
Mr Ikin, who will fly from Sydney for tomorrow’s event at the Bond University Transformer Collaborative Space, recently attended the International Space Development Conference in Los Angeles with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
He is managing director of Asia-Pacific Aerospace Consultants and was a space insurance underwriter at GIO Space, and the director of commercial operations at the Asia-Pacific Space Centre.
He also consults to the Australian Government on policy relating to the space industry.
To coincide with the symposium, students from the Bond Entrepreneurship Collective (BEC) have organised an exhibition of images and videos from the US’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
A 700kg replica of a space capsule from Project Mercury — America’s first humanflight space mission — was also delivered to Bond University. It comes from Mr Gilmour’s personal collection.