The Royal Flying Doctor Service has been selected as Western Australia’s tech company of the year for 2019 with Robert Nathan, Derek Gerrard and Alerte Digital Health among other winners in the annual INCITE awards.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service has been selected as Western Australia’s tech company of the year for 2019 with Robert Nathan, Derek Gerrard and Alerte Digital Health among other winners in the annual INCITE awards.
Managed by the Western Australian Information Technology and Telecommunications Alliance (WAITTA), a total of 13 winners were announced at the awards ceremony on Friday night.
The winner of the Mal Bryce WA tech company of the year award was described as a world-standard technology developer.
The award went to the Royal Flying Doctor Service and was based on the fit-out and performance of its new Pilatus PC-24 jets.
When the first of the jets arrived in Perth last December, RFDS-WA chief executive Rebecca Tomkinson said the innovative aero medical interior was the first of its kind in the world, and a game changer for patient outcomes and healthcare.
The jets have the capacity to carry three stretchered patients and two medical teams, each consisting of a doctor and a nurse, and can travel at more than 700 kilometres per hour, halving the flight time for long-haul patients.
Their features include the capability for short landings and take-offs on unsealed airstrips, a custom rear-access door for safer, quicker patient loading, a built-in patient stretcher loader, and constant electrical supply while standing.
The judges said the close partnership between RFDS, aircraft manufacturer Pilatus and medical equipment and services suppliers made WA a testbed for international development.
The RFDS spent $26 million buying and fitting out its two PC-24 jets, which are additional to the 16 PC-12 turbo prop aircraft in its fleet.
The first jet went into service in January and is based in Perth, while the second is based in Broome. Both jets were fitted out in Switzerland.
Previous winners of the award have more clearly fit the mould of tech companies, and have included HealthEngine, SEQTA and Agworld.
Winners
The Pearcey Western Australian entrepreneur of the year was Robert Nathan, whose career has focused on the development, commercialisation and sale of Australian technology into global markets.
In 2009, Mr Nathan established Australian Tenders, which provides information on tender opportunities throughout Australia, while in 2016 he founded Perth’s first professional funder accelerator, the Vocus Upstart program.
The Upstart program has enabled assistance and mentoring for the founders of 14 tech startups.
Mr Nathan is also an active investor in early stage technology companies, including GeoMoby and Immersia, and a member of the Perth Angels.
The achiever of the year winner was Derek Gerrard, who has had a lead role in multiple tech ventures as an investor, adviser and director.
Mr Gerrard established the angel investor network Innovation Bay in Perth, which has provided more than $10 million of startup investments.
He was also co-founder of Go Capital, which has invested more than $10 million in Perth tech businesses included Health Engine and iCetana.
Mr Gerrard is currently a director of Purpose Ventures, which seeks to marry businesses with social purpose, and entrepreneur in residence at the RAC’s Better Labs program.
The startup of the year was awarded to Alerte Digital Health, which applies artificial intelligence (AI) to medical services.
Established by chief technology officer Razali Mohamad in 2014, the company uses AI to automate medical procedures, improve health-monitoring outcomes and lift the accuracy of medical diagnoses.
Its initial focus is on ECG and Echo procedures.
The University of Western Australia won two awards categories for its Noisy Guts project.
It uses an AI acoustic belt that listens, records, and analyses gut noises, reducing the need for colonoscopies.
Edith Cowan University and Curtin University also won awards for health-based innovations.
Water Corporation and consulting firm Optika Solutions were recognised for their H2OME project, one of the world’s most advanced water use studies.
Other winners included Aqura Technologies for its autonomous rapid communications solution, and Perth company GLX Holdings, which has developed an online trading system for liquefied natural gas.
Woodside Petroleum announced earlier this year it had invested in GLX.
Volunteering group Flow Perth, founded by Richard McAllister, also won an award.
It seeks to deliver technology, marketing and product solutions to charities and other not for profits using ‘agile’ methodologies.
