Australia’s push for net zero by 2050 relies heavily on its manufacturing sector, which is already delivering innovative solutions like green concrete and carbon-tracking tech to cut emissions and drive sustainable impact, the Western Sydney Manufacturers Forum heard last week.

This month: Read about the four innovative teams which will share $360,000 of NSSN Grand Challenge funding for impactful projects; Nicholas Haskins writes about the power of triple helix collaboration; and meet some of the trailblazing women in science to lead the NSSN Women in Sensing Summit.

Next generation ‘Fitbits’ to track the health of livestock, and an Australian-first prospective study that will advance understanding of the impact of hearing interventions on human health are two of four projects which have secured funding in this year’s NSSN Grand Challenge Fund.   

The power of triple helix collaboration is a key driver of innovation and economic growth in NSW. As NSW Smart Sensing Network Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Haskins writes in this month’s thought piece, the NSSN is a successful example of this model.

From pioneering quantum research to transformative AI applications, the NSSN Women in Sensing Summit 2025 will bring together trailblazing scientists, industry leaders, and innovators to explore the cutting edge of sensing technology.  

Creating valuable graphene from a byproduct of sugar cane and converting agricultural waste into ethanol were some of the cutting-edge waste-to-profit technologies presented at the NSSN’s Creating Profits from Waste event last week. 

This month: learn how the Western Sydney Manufacturers forum will help businesses comply with new emissions rules; read about our Creating Value from Waste: Profits not Costs event; and meet our two new Board members.

An innovative UNSW project supported by the NSW Smart Sensing Network has been awarded a federal grant to develop a rapid and affordable scanning technology for the identification of grass seed infestation.

Dr Marilia Lyra Bergamo is a computer artist and a lecturer in Design and Digital Art at the University of Newcastle. Her research focuses on the intersection of art and technology, examining how sensors play a fundamental role in the interactive processes of physical interfaces.

Australia’s manufacturing sector contributes 10 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gases. As NSW Decarbonisation Hub CEO Scientia Professor Deo Prasad and NSW Smart Sensing Network Net Zero Theme Lead Laura Earl discuss, businesses can take simple steps to start their carbon reduction transition.