First Place : GammAway

GammAway utilises Cobalt 60 (Co-60) as a gamma ray emitter to eliminate spoilage and pathogen microbes of Australian produce within the original packaging provided to exporters. This sterilisation process at higher doses upwards to 10 kGy inhibits bacteria and parasites’ growth.This ensures transparency and quality assurance in accordance with Food Standards Australian and New Zealand (FSANZ) and Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), whilst complying with approved regulatory bodies including United Nations (UN) and World Health Organisation (WHO). GammAway provides the service to irradiate and sterilise produce in pre-existing packaging to enable longer preservation times or high-cost demands for cold temperature transportation. This allows exportation of fresh produce to international markets via boat routes at larger volumes for a lower cost.

AURORA

Hugo Currie, Anna Ghorbanpour, Spencer Toohill, and Jan Ullmann

The AURORA project is an ambitious initiative to develop Australia’s first multi-mission nuclear facility – an innovative Australian-modified heavy water small modular reactor (SMR) inspired by CANDU design that will initially focus on large-scale production of critical medical radionuclides, with the capacity for clean energy generation. Situated in Perth, Western Australia (WA), AURORA is designed to be a sovereign infrastructure platform that delivers immediate healthcare benefits while laying the groundwork for Australia’s entry into zero-carbon nuclear power. The facility’s primary mission is the reliable, export-ready production of Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), Lutetium-177 (Lu-177), and Iodine-123 (I-123); radioisotopes vital to diagnostic imaging and targeted cancer therapies.

Backed by a hybrid funding model and supported by government agencies, universities, and commercial partners, the AURORA team combines expertise in nuclear science, reactor engineering,and medical isotope markets. The staged approach to development ensures early returns through isotope sales while enabling long-term expansion into energy services. With licensing efforts scheduled to begin in 2026 and commissioning targeted for the early 2030s, the facility arrives at a moment of critical need, just as global isotope supply chains strain and climate-resilient technologies become national priorities.

Atomic Circus

Jenna Järvenpää and Kay Song

Atomic Circus is a non-profit business that brings nuclear technology education to regional Australian communities. Our vintage-style old Australian school bus, packed with interactive displays of nuclear innovations, delivered by engaging educators and nuclear experts, will be a transformative learning experience for school children. As Australia seeks to greatly expand its workforce for the nuclear industry over the coming decades, increasing education accessibility and consolidating the technical careers pipeline in regional areas to ensure a sustainable and diverse workforce is a critical issue to be addressed now. Our mobile educational package is the ideal vehicle to facilitate direct engagement between remote communities and qualified educators and nuclear experts. This initiative is driven by nuclear technology experts Järvenpää and Song, who bring almost two decades of technical experience, with proven track records of project leadership and educational engagement in both domestic and international settings.

RenU - HYNU

Sevval Findik, Joy Jiang, Nomagugu Ndlovu, and Jedidiah Yuwanto

HyNu is an international energy consulting firm based in Australia, providing customized Nuclear and Renewable Hybrid Systems to address the growing challenge of renewable intermittency and grid reliability. We design solution packages for utilities that integrate small modular reactors (SMR) with pumped hydro storage, enabling clean, dispatchable power that supports firm capacity, industrial growth, and price stability.HyNu directly addresses pain points such as high retail energy prices and hydro limitations during drought. Our solution creates gains like job creation, stable pricing, regional investment, and regulatory confidence. Our primary customers are local utilities, but our work also delivers value to the broader energy industry, environmental groups, local communities, and other stakeholders. Backed by deep expertise in nuclear policy, energy finance, and infrastructure engineering, HyNu offers a practical and scalable pathway for countries pursuing energy security and climate goals through firm, low-carbon power.

Scraps

Anupreethi Balajiranganathan, Sarah Cole, Isabella Wood, Sharni Sujatha, Faith Tng, and Isabella Wood

Scraps is a deep tech analytics firm that facilitates the simultaneous decommissioning of retiring nuclear power plants (NPP) alongside the reuse of the brownfield site for innovation projects. NPPs possess social licenses from local communities, skilled workforces, regulatory compliance, grid connection, and critical infrastructure, including roadways, transmission lines, and exclusion zones. Rather than squandering these assets, Scraps uses proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) tools to conduct comprehensive feasibility studies which identify opportunities for clients to deploy new nuclear, renewable energy, or data centers on the retiring site. Scraps then develop project management plans to execute the decommissioning and redevelopment. We uniquely bridge the gap between decommissioning and project management with expertise in both areas. Our services will facilitate the “recycling” of a community’s nuclear-relevant assets for continued innovation.