The 2024 Pearcey Awards saw industry pioneers recognised and the 75th anniversary of the first Australian computer celebrated at a gala dinner in Brisbane on Tuesday night.
Professor Svetha Venkatesh received the 2024 Pearcey Medal for her work in pattern recognition, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and was inducted into the Pearcey Hall of Fame.
Canberra defence pioneers Ian Croser AM and David Gaul of CEA Technologies were awarded the National Entrepreneur Awards, while industry veterans Professor Andrew Dzurak and ACS Fellow Jan Kornweibel were also inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Pearcey National Awards and the Queensland ICT Entrepreneur Awards.
“Professor Svetha Venkatesh isn’t just one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence experts,” said Pearcey Foundation chair, Wayne Fitzsimmons OAM.
Fitzsimmons said Venkatesh’s lifetime of work in AI has had a profound impact in multiple fields, including public safety and security, mental health, autism and healthcare.
He added that her role as an educator and mentor had contributed towards generational talent and innovation in AI in Australia and internationally.
“The Pearcey Medal and Pearcey Hall of Fame are the pinnacle of recognition in Australia’s ICT industry, with our medallists and inductees chosen each year by their peers in a nationwide vote,” continued Fitzsimmons.
“Each of this year’s recipients have been both pioneers and leaders in their fields, and it’s particularly special this year that we are recognising the incredible achievements of both Svetha and Jan in the work they have done to improve the lives and opportunities for people with disabilities.
“It’s an honour to elevate Svetha, Jan and Andrew to a permanent place in our Hall of Fame.”
The event also coincided with the 75th anniversary of the first code run on CSIRAC, the first Australian digital computer and featured speakers including Peter Thorne, who worked on the system in the 1950s, and ACS President Helen McHugh whose father worked with Trevor Pearcey on the system.
“CSIRAC was the quantum computer investment of its day. Australia is not new to taking strategic bets. Not all of them come off – but CSIRAC did,” Fitzsimmons said.
“It always takes time to know the outcome of the investments we make in technology and innovation, but the point is that we can’t sit on our hands and wait for things to happen.
Former politician Kate Lundy, ACS President Helen McHugh, ACS Fellow Jan Kornweibel, and Robotics Australia chair Sue Keay at the 2024 Pearcey Awards gala dinner. Photo: Supplied
The 2024 Pearcey Medallist: Professor Svetha Venkatesh
Professor Svetha Venkatesh is a leading Australian computer scientist and entrepreneur who has made fundamental and influential contributions to the field of pattern recognition in multimedia data.
She pioneered many theoretical and algorithmic foundations for detecting normal and anomalous activities and deriving meaning from digital video.
Originally from India and completing undergraduate studies there, Svetha moved to Australia to undertake her PhD in Computer Science and work at the University of Western Australia.
She is currently a distinguished professor and co-director of the Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute at Deakin University.
As a founder of icetana AI, Svetha has demonstrated her entrepreneurial skills with this ASX-listed software company that provides video analytics solutions.
Pearcey Hall of Fame Inductee – Jan Kornweibel
Jan Kornweibel started working with computers in London in 1965 before landing an IBM programming position at TAB in Perth.
While at TAB, she joined the West Australian Computer Society and was an inaugural member of the Australian Computer Society when the two organisations merged in 1967.
Instrumental in coordinating the first ACS National conference in Western Australia in 1989, Jan gave 16 years of service to the WA Branch Executive Committee and has continued to mentor women in ICT throughout more than 50 years of membership of ACS.
Jan is a true role model for young ICT professionals, an advocate and worker for people with disability and an inspiration to women in ICT. She is both a Fellow and an Honorary Life Member of the ACS.
Pearcey Hall of Fame Inductee – Professor Andrew Dzurak
Professor Andrew Dzurak is a recognised global leader in the field of quantum computing and, along with his fellow UNSW academic, Professor Michelle Simmons AO (the 2023 Pearcey Orator), he has been at the forefront of establishing Australia as a world leader in quantum computing.
He is CEO and founder of Diraq, a full-stack quantum computing company using silicon ‘quantum dot’ technology developed by his team at UNSW over the past two decades.
Prior to launching Diraq, Andrew was the foundational director (2007-2022) of ANFF-NSW, the NSW node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility, where he spoke on quantum computing at the Pearcey Centenary Celebration at University of Sydney in March 2019.
Andrew was also a key participant over 20 years ago in the establishment of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre for Quantum Computer Technology.
Industry stalwarts win National Entrepreneur Award
Ian Croser AM and David Gaul, founders of CEA Technologies, were awarded the 2024 Pearcey National Entrepreneur Awards.
The duo, both former naval officers, established CEA Technologies in 1983.
Their vision was to create an Australian centre of excellence for the design and support of electronics technology to meet the Royal Australian Navy’s specific needs.
At the time, these requirements were primarily brought in from the US, which did not adequately fulfil Navy’s needs.
In turning their vision into reality, Ian and David embraced a motto of ‘Solutions with Commitment’ by designing, manufacturing and providing in-country support using Australian engineers and manufacturers.
State Pearcey Award winners
Along with the Queensland Award announced on Tuesday, the Pearcey Foundation ran a series of awards across the nation during the year.
The winners are listed below. (There were no winners from South Australia or Tasmania this year.)
Queensland – Andrew Bate, co-founder and CEO of SwarmFarm Robotics
ACT – Ian Croser AM and David Gaul, founders of CEA Technologies
NSW– quantum technology pioneer Prof Michael J Biercuk PhD of Q-Control
Victoria – Chris Piastri, co-founder and CTO of HP Tuners
WA – Peter van der Made, founder and CTO of Brainchip Inc.
- This story first appeared on Information Age. You can read the original here.
