This year’s iAwards program was one of the most competitive in its history, with judges describing the field of finalists as exceptionally strong.
Securing a win was a remarkable achievement – and even earning a Merit was no easy feat, awarded only to entries scoring within five per cent of the category winner.
Overall, Western Australia performed strongly at the 2025 iAwards, with multiple INCITE Award winners and merit recipients advancing to compete at December's Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards, to be held in Kaoshing City, Taiwan.
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Project: Roborigger Remote Release Hook
Winner, Student & Education Category - 2025 iAwards
Winner, Emerging Leader Award - 2025 INCITE Awards
Emerging Leader Award winner Cody Dalliston first impressed judges at the 2025 INCITE Awards with his work at Roborigger, developing the AF12 and Remote Release Hook systems. His solutions revolutionise crane operations by removing workers from danger zones, enabling safe, IoT-enabled remote load control. At the iAwards, Cody went on to win the national Student & Education Award, earning praise for combining safety innovation with engineering excellence.
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Project: OpenSpan™ Call Protect
Merit, Business & Industry Solution of the
Year - 2025 iAwards
Winner, Research & Innovation (Industry) Award - 2025 INCITE Awards
Fresh from winning Research & Innovation (Industry) Solution of the Year at the 34th INCITE Awards, Norwood Systems continued its success at the iAwards with OpenSpan™ Call Protect. The technology uses advanced AI and telecommunication algorithms to block unwanted calls and protect users from scams and fraudulent activity. Judges commended Norwood’s innovative application of Australian-developed technology to a growing global problem, highlighting its commercial potential and strong design focus.
Project: NEONATE in VR
Merit, Government & Public Sector Solution of the Year - 2025 iAwards
Merit, Research & Innovation (Post-Graduate) Award - 2025 INCITE Awards
Michella Hill’s innovative project, NEONATE in VR, is a virtual reality training platform that simulates neonatal emergencies, allowing paramedics to practise in realistic, immersive environments. Developed through her postgraduate research at Edith Cowan University, the program helps improve decision-making, confidence and teamwork under pressure – ultimately improving outcomes for newborns in critical care. After receiving a Merit in Research & Innovation (Post-Graduate) at the INCITE Awards, Michella’s project earned further national acclaim at the iAwards.
Project: Predictive Technology to Prevent Bushfires from Power Lines
Merit, Sustainability & Environmental Impact Award - 2025 iAwards
Merit, Sustainability & Environmental Impact Award - 2025 INCITE Awards
Professor Ahmed Abu-Siada’s project uses machine learning and sensor analytics to detect faults in rural powerlines before they spark
bushfires. This cutting-edge research has the potential to save lives, protect property, and reduce environmental damage across regional
Australia. Following its Merit in Sustainability & Environmental Impact at the INCITE Awards, the project went on to receive national
recognition in the same category at the iAwards for its strong social and environmental outcomes.
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Project: QBitBridge
Merit, Technology Platform of the Year - 2025 iAwards
Merit, Research & Innovation (Industry) Award - 2025 INCITE Awards
The Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre, one of Australia’s leading facilities for high-performance computing, earned a Merit in Research
& Innovation (Industry) at the INCITE Awards for its groundbreaking project QBitBridge. Developed by researcher Pascal Elahi,
QBitBridge enables integration between classical and quantum computing systems, opening pathways for faster, more efficient problem-solving
in data-intensive industries. The project’s continued recognition at the iAwards highlights Pawsey’s leadership in advancing Australia’s
digital research capability.
Project: Advanced Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Solution
Merit, Start-Up Solution of the Year - 2025 iAwards
Winner, Start-up of the Year - 2025 INCITE Awards
Winner of Startup of the Year at the INCITE Awards, Li-ion Energy is tackling one of the world’s most urgent sustainability challenges: battery waste. Led by Justin Manton and Sarai Ball, the company has developed a proprietary process to recover valuable materials from used lithium-ion batteries, reducing landfill waste and supporting a circular economy for energy storage. The startup’s innovation earned it a Merit in the iAwards Start-Up Solution category and a place on the national innovation map.
This is an outstanding result for Western Australia’s technology innovation community. With such a competitive field, it is a major achievement to see so many WA projects and leaders recognised nationally – and now preparing to represent Australia at the 2025 Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards later this year.
A special thank you to our INCITE community, sponsors, and judges who continue to support Western Australian innovators on their journey from local recognition to global impact – and to those who travelled with our finalists to Adelaide for the national awards, including Deputy Chief Judge Celia Jordaan.
INCITE Awards
INCITE Awards
INCITE Awards
