Best of the west: Western Sydney University hosts NSSN Sensing Industry Connect
Entrepreneurs, manufacturers and researchers learnt about Western Sydney University’s (WSU) partnership with global automation and robotics leader Omron at this month’s Sensing Industry Connect.
The quarterly NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN) industry engagement event offers a chance to connect and share opportunities about smart sensing.
Sensing Industry Connect offers a chance to connect and share opportunities about smart sensing.
Senior Manager Partnerships and Precinct Activation, Division of Research, Enterprise & Global at WSU, Anna Lin, described the value of the university being a member of the NSSN since 2019.
“I believe it’s been a really important network to build that sort of ecosystem of research partnerships,” Ms Lin said. “That fact that we are all very passionate about collaboration and also working together; the fact that I work for WSU doesn’t mean that we don’t work for any other universities, we are actually part of that community.”
NSSN Co-Director Professor Ben Eggleton said Western Sydney was home to innovation, with the university at its heart.
“From the Aerotropolis in the west, to the thriving health precinct emerging in Liverpool, to the Bio/MedTech epicentre of Northwestern Sydney, and across the advanced manufacturing activity occurring right across the region, Western Sydney is indeed a powerhouse of the NSW and Australian economy,” Professor Eggleton said.
“Companies, SMEs and startups across Western Sydney are bringing innovation alive and gaining competitive advantage and are leading global markets.”
Entrepreneurs, manufacturers and researchers attended the event.
NSSN Co-Director Julien Epps announced the NSSN’s 2025 Grand Challenge Fund, which offers grants of up to $100,000 with matched funding to support R&D projects specifically linking industry partners with university researchers, and which closes on 17 February.
“As well as being focused on smart sensing, we do put a lot of effort into the applications of this technology, which are very broad in several key areas…human health, environment and agriculture, smart cities, net zero and natural hazards. There's an interaction there with advanced manufacturing and AI. One of the ways that we like to stimulate the innovation is to get people working together using our seed funding scheme, which is called the Grand Challenge Fund.”
Speakers (from left to right): Anna Lin from WSU; Professor Ben Eggleton and Professor Julien Epps from NSSN; Henry Zhou and Luat Nguyen from Omron.
Managing Director of Omron Oceania, Henry Zhou, described the company’s impressive new proof-of-concept technology centre at WSU’s Parramatta Engineering Innovation Hub.
Omron has pioneered solutions which drive technological progress, mitigate labour and skill shortages, and boost productivity. The company began 91 years ago in Japan and since 2013 has been named a top 100 global innovator. Omron supports around 200,000 products.
Mr Zhou described Omron’s three core technologies as sensing (such as images, radio waves, or electric power), think (like human intelligence) and control (such as robots).
“We take all the sensors and then process using AI, and then control the robot, mechanical things. So that's our solution,” Mr Zhou said.
Omron has 37 proof of concept centres globally and recently set up the first Australian centre at WSU, where it had three main roles: innovation, proof-of-concept and centre of excellence.
Attendees were treated to a showcase of Omron’s robotics demonstration space.
“Innovation is trying to build a factory of the future: showing people what technology could look like in the future, and inspiring people for new ideas,” Mr Zhou said. “When people have a new idea, they try to implement this in their actual production or environment, and they need to de risk their investment. That's what our proof-of-concept service is about: you invest a very small amount for a very big project, this way you get certainty before you make a major investment decision. And finally, our centre of excellence is where a lot of experienced engineers constantly provide training, consulting and joint R&D with our people and customers.”
Mr Zhou said OMRON had a strong commitment to advancing local industry, especially the Western Sydney area.
Business Development & Education Manager at OMRON Automation and Robotics, Luat Nguyen, described some of the company’s educational activities at WSU, including a speed networking event for students and robotic excursion programs.
The next Sensing Industry Connect will be hosted by the University of Sydney in February.