For 34 years, the INCITE Awards — powered by WAITTA — have championed the outstanding digital and technological solutions shaping Western Australia’s technology industry.
But as technology evolves, so must the ways we recognise its impact.
With nominations relating to sustainability and the environment increasing significantly in recent years, we decided to take stock: Were the INCITE Awards' existing categories creating sufficient pathways to recognition of the broader technology profession?
Read more: Announcing the winners of the 33rd INCITE Awards
Pathways are our 'thing'; the reason we exist. INCITE is an incubator and a pre-qualifier for Western Australians to participate in the national iAwards.
Until now, there hasn't been a dedicated space for sustainability-focused solutions to shine.
The Transformative Solutions Award was where many of these organisations would nominate, with the City of Perth Social Impact Award also being a benefactor where no clear 'home' for sustainability and the environment existed.
And the feedback was resounding - our messaging and category criteria continued to speak just to ICT, and did not resonate with those in the MedTech, BioTech, Life Sciences and AgriTech fields.
Following conversations with leaders and thought leaders across these broader tech fields, it became clear that sustainability is no longer just a nice-to-have — it’s now central to how innovation must be designed, deployed and scaled.
There was also a strong message of a growing appetite for these solutions to be surfaced within our key networks in business, government and academia.
Something had to change.
The INCITE Awards have seen this shift reflected in an increasing number of projects nominated in recent years that tackle not only industry challenges but also global environmental and social issues.
In particular, the 2024 program of the INCITE Awards saw two Western Australian groups - with project nominations in sustainability and environment fields - go on to succeed at the national iAwards: NGIS and Containers for Change (WARRRL).
Read more: WA innovations take top awards at national iAwards
NGIS received Merit in the Sustainability & Environmental Impact Award at the 2024 iAwards for its product TraceMark. Photo: WAITTA
NGIS won the Transformative Solutions Award in the 33rd INCITE Awards, but went on to participate in and win a Merit in the Sustainability and Environmental Impact Award in the iAwards.
Containers for Change (WARRRL) won Merit in the City of Perth Social Impact Award, going on to win the Sustainability and Environmental Impact Award and the iAwards.
The Containers team went even further, taking their Collect app to the international Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards.
Their stories highlighted the phenomenal work happening in this part of the technology profession, and it just made logical sense to have an INCITE Award category aligned to what the iAwards was already celebrating.
It's not the end of celebrating WA's transformative solutions, however a revised award title provides more clarity in-market for what merit recipients and winners are seeking to achieve. It tells the Western Australian sustainability and environmental technology story in a much simpler way.
Read more: Containers for Change on the journey to the iAwards
Containers for Change (WARRRL)'s Kristen Britz (pictured, far right) went to participate in APICTA with the Collect app. Photo: Supplied
To spotlight and accelerate this positive change, we’re proud to introduce the Sustainability and Environmental Impact Award. This new category honours the trailblazers using technology to address humanity’s biggest challenges, build a healthier planet, and improve quality of life for people everywhere.
Eligible nominations may focus on sustainability, environmental stewardship, life sciences or agritech initiatives. Projects can be in production, pilot stage, or proven proof-of-concept — but they must show real-world testing or clear evidence of user acceptance and use within the nominating organisation’s customer base.
Through this award, we aim to highlight and amplify solutions that don’t just transform industries — they safeguard our future.
All entries will be judged on four broad criteria – matching the problem and the solution, and innovation:
Thank you to WAITTA Platinum Sponsor Kinetic IT for presenting the inaugural Sustainability and Environmental Impact Award.
Read more: Announcing the finalists of the 34th INCITE Awards
Winning an INCITE Award in the Sustainability and Environmental Impact category grants the winning organisation and merit recipients a direct pathway to the IAwards, representing Western Australia in Australia’s largest and longest running innovation awards.
Following that, successful winners at the national level will go on to represent Australia at the Asia-Pacific ICT Awards which 16 member-countries from the Asia-Pacific region take part in and support.
APICTA is a global platform where top innovators in digital technology sectors come together and pitch for a chance at one of the most prestigious awards on the Australasian side of the world. Successful Western Australian individuals and organisations have seen their participation in INCITE, the iAwards and APICTA rewarded with increased brand awareness, investment and ongoing opportunities.
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