A new sovereign, AI-enabled space capability will help farmers and policymakers make faster, strategic decisions.
The Australasian Space Innovation Institute (ASII) has unveiled a National Digital Twin for Australian agriculture — a $15 million initiative that uses space technology to create a dynamic, virtual replica of the nation’s agricultural landscapes.
This technology is backed by Elders, Meat & Livestock Australia and Charles Sturt University. It will help agronomists, advisors and agtech providers access nationally consistent intelligence and a safe space to test and refine ideas before they reach the paddock.
Supercharging Australian agriculture
Australia’s primary industries, including agriculture, faces compounding system challenges including climate volatility and water scarcity, stalling productivity, fragmented datasets, duplicated effort across commodities and jurisdictions, and slow research-to-practice translation.
ASII’s National Digital Twin will respond to these challenges for the agricultural sector by integrating satellite data, sensors, drones, climate and agronomic models into a common geospatial environment that reflects real-world conditions.
“The National Digital Twin provides the missing layer — a sovereign, AI-enabled environment where Australia can model scenarios, test outcomes and make better decisions across productivity, resilience and policy."
~ Professor Andy Koronios, founding CEO and Managing Director, ASII, which is built from the success of the Australian Government funded SmartSat CRC — a consortium of universities and other research organisations.
“The National Digital Twin creates the foundation for a new virtual R&D capability.
We can test livestock management options and research questions faster, refine trials before we invest in large-scale field work, and lift confidence in what we deploy — saving years of time and millions of dollars.”
~ Mick Crowley, Managing Director, Meat & Livestock Australia.
Lifting farm productivity and resilience
At a Digital Twins workshop hosted at Adelaide University this week, Head of the Australian Space Agency Enrico Palermo noted that Australia is well positioned to leverage Digital Twin insights to support the agricultural sector.
Digital Twins provide an avenue for increased productivity and efficiency, backed by space systems.
This technology allows us to test ideas, simulate future scenarios, and make confident decisions in a changing climate — strengthening our food systems, supporting our regional communities, and growing our national resilience.~ Enrico Palermo, Head of the Australian Space Agency
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