Following the success of 2024, we stayed true to our mission of advancing the uptake of artificial intelligence and data science across Western Australia. Through a range of strategic initiatives spanning federal and state government partnerships, student-focused events, hackathons, and training programs across academia and industry, we continued to strengthen AI and data literacy across the state. This year’s achievements surpassed those of 2024 as we expanded our reach to more federal-level initiatives and deepened collaboration across sectors. We also maintained our commitment to inclusivity—supporting underrepresented groups in tech and encouraging diverse participation across STEM fields.
The statistics below highlight the breadth of our 2025 engagement across training, advisory work, and sector outreach, and is complemented by key achievements drawn from our Annual Report—including strong media engagement, significant growth in AI and data training delivery, and a high volume of advisory sessions supporting organisations across WA.
This Year-in-Review page summarises some (but not all) of our key achievements in 2025. Highlights of this year includes hosting not two but three major hackathons (a new WADSIH record), serving as an AI Power Partner at the Indo-Pacific Space and AI Conference (IPRAAC), and celebrating our Director, Alex Jenkins, being appointed to the WA AI Advisory Board. To top it all off, we were part of a team that was awarded a SARC Grant, enabling us to deliver Generative AI Bootcamps to autistic youths—furthering our mission of accessible and inclusive technology education.
Whether you’re a high school student taking your first steps into AI or a working professional exploring how to integrate it into your field, there will be a WADSIH initiative designed for you.
We extend our sincere thanks to all our partners and collaborators—past, present, and future. Your support amplifies our impact and helps us power Western Australia’s AI and data-driven future. As we look ahead, we remain committed to building a more inclusive, innovative, and digitally empowered WA. We celebrate our collective achievements and look forward to seeing both familiar and new faces in the year ahead.
Read on for an event-by-event highlight!
Our year began with strong sector engagement as we hosted the second IT Leadership Breakfast—this time in partnership with the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre. As one of Australia’s leading high-performance computing hubs, Pawsey supports national research and industry with advanced compute, data, cloud and visualisation capabilities, and is home to Setonix, one of the most powerful supercomputers in the Southern Hemisphere.
Senior executives, digital leaders, and innovators from across WA came together for round-table discussions on AI strategy, capability uplift, and cross-sector collaboration, followed by a guided tour of Pawsey’s world-class facility. The session reinforced the value of shared insights and collective leadership in shaping WA’s digital and AI future.
Shortly after, a major milestone this year was the appointment of our Director, Alex Jenkins, to the WA Government’s Artificial Intelligence Advisory Board. The Board brings together leaders with deep expertise in applied AI, data strategy, and digital transformation to provide independent advice on the safe and ethical use of AI across the public sector. Its members include Natalia Kacperek (Chair), Dr Ian Oppermann, A/Professor Wei Liu, Gohar Rind MAICD, Janie Plant, Adam Lloyd, and Alex Jenkins. Alex’s appointment reflects both his long-standing contribution to the WA AI ecosystem and WADSIH’s growing role in shaping statewide AI capability. The inaugural meeting signalled strong momentum for coordinated, responsible AI adoption across WA.
Returning to Curtin University, we continued to strengthen our role as a conduit for AI advancement in academia by convening a multi-disciplinary cohort of researchers for the Curtin AI in Research Forum 2025. The session brought together academics from across the University to explore how AI is becoming a genuine research partner — elevating insight, accelerating discovery, and expanding what is possible in both qualitative and quantitative work. Professor Melinda Fitzgerald opened the forum by reaffirming Curtin’s commitment to enabling responsible and impactful AI research across all fields.
Throughout the session, speakers demonstrated practical, often inventive applications of AI in day-to-day research. Discussions ranged from automating video interview analysis and generating high-quality experimental stimuli, to streamlining accessibility reviews, implementing secure local AI tools, and building end-to-end survey platforms. Director Alex Jenkins highlighted emerging project workflows and artefact generation using Claude AI, while Professor Patrick Dunlop shared how GPT tools support coding tasks, recruitment simulations, and improvements in research reliability. Professor Billy Sung examined prompt engineering and the commercial potential of AI-generated research materials, and Professor Katie Ellis demonstrated how Ellicit, ChatGPT and Copilot can enhance inclusive research synthesis. Associate Professor Nik Thompson rounded out the session with examples of secure, locally run AI tools for spreadsheets, chatbots and data wrangling.
The forum revealed a shared spirit of experimentation across disciplines — from humanities to computer science — and underscored the growing role of AI in shaping contemporary academic practice. We are grateful to all speakers and attendees who contributed to this vibrant and forward-looking discussion.
In the spirit of education, another major milestone this year was being part of the team that secured a Safe and Resilient Communities Activity Grant from the Department of Social Services to deliver Generative AI Bootcamps to autistic youths. Delivered in partnership with the Autism Academy, the July and October bootcamps brought together more than forty young people for hands-on exploration of generative AI in a supportive and inclusive environment.
The program was designed by GenAI Educator Beth Cusack and led by Professor Tele Tan, whose longstanding commitment to neurodiverse education has driven much of this work. Our Director Alex Jenkins contributed sessions on the possibilities and ethics of AI, while WADSIH advisory board member SJ Price introduced participants to the legal and ethical considerations around AI. The collective effort of Tele, Beth, the Autism Academy team and Curtin colleagues created a genuinely engaging learning experience that participants described as a “huge success.”
These initiatives sit within a broader ecosystem of neurodiversity-focused programs at Curtin—and this year, those efforts were recognised nationally. Curtin University received an award at the 2025 Engagement Australia Excellence Awards in Sydney, with Tele, Ben, and Sonya acknowledged for their leadership. WADSIH was proud to be named among the supporting partners on the award plaque, alongside the organisations whose contributions helped make this work possible.
With momentum continuing to build, more neurodiversity-focused programs are planned for 2026, expanding opportunities for young people across WA to engage with emerging technologies in meaningful and accessible ways.
More broadly, we were also the AI Power Partner for IPRAAC 2025, a major Indo-Pacific conference bringing together government, industry and academia to explore the future of robotics, autonomy, cyber and artificial intelligence. Across the two-day program, WADSIH contributed thought leadership and hands-on demonstrations that highlighted both the strategic importance of sovereign AI capability and the practical innovations emerging from Western Australia. Director Alex Jenkins presented on Sovereign AI and Australia’s Future, outlining the challenges and opportunities in building a nationally resilient AI ecosystem.
At our booth, attendees engaged with applied demonstrations of generative AI in action, including a Raspberry Pi 5–powered robotic arm developed by Curtin student Timothy, capable of responding to text and speech prompts for real-time object manipulation. We also showcased Indrus, a Curtin spin-out transforming standard CCTV into real-time digital-twin asset tracking, currently in trials with logistics partners. Our presence at IPRAAC reinforced WADSIH’s commitment to responsible, high-impact AI adoption and to supporting the innovations that will shape Australia’s technological future.
Together with our friends at the National AI Centre, and in collaboration with Standards Australia and the Australian Industry Group, we delivered two major initiatives to strengthen responsible AI adoption across Western Australia. The first centred on the new AI Management System Standard (ISO/IEC 42001:2023), with Jonathan Hatch from Standards Australia guiding SMEs and corporates through the standard and its alignment with Australia’s Voluntary AI Safety Framework. The workshop offered leaders practical tools for implementing best-practice AI governance and building confidence in operationalising AI safely and effectively.
We then partnered again to host an AI Industry Connections event at Curtin University exploring how generative and agentic AI are transforming business operations. Director Alex Jenkins introduced the emerging role of agentic AI, followed by Melissa Houghton (MakerX) on responsible generative AI and Joshua Boys (Arkahna) on organisational change. A closing panel with Rita Arrigo, Louise McGrath, and the presenters invited discussion on adoption challenges, regulation and strategic opportunities. Together, these collaborations reinforced WADSIH’s commitment to advancing a capable, accountable and future-ready AI ecosystem across Western Australia.
We also partnered with the Fogarty Foundation and The Beyond Boundaries Institute to strengthen AI capability across Western Australia’s education sector. A major highlight was the inaugural State of AI in WA Schools Forum, which brought together more than 200 educators, school leaders and policymakers. Director Alex Jenkins moderated a system-level discussion on policy and readiness for AI in schools, followed by a practical workshop with Beth Cusack where teachers explored classroom applications of generative and agentic AI — from supporting engagement to designing inclusive learning materials. Several of the resources used were originally developed for the GenAI Bootcamps delivered with Curtin’s Autism Academy, making it energising to see educators respond so positively.
We continued this collaboration through the first Partner Professional Development Day at Curtin University’s CBD campus, again delivered with the Fogarty Foundation. Alex presented on the role of AI in not-for-profit and community organisations, highlighting opportunities for impact and the importance of ethical practice. Together, these initiatives helped lay the groundwork for a more confident and informed approach to AI across WA’s education and community ecosystems.
In the spirit of inclusion and diversity, we supported two major initiatives advancing opportunities for women in STEM. In August, we partnered with 100Women as a Sapphire Partner for the 100Women Solvathon, bringing together more than sixty participants to co-design practical solutions for gender equality in technology. Facilitated by Dress for Success Western Australia and The Radiance Network South West, and supported by Component6, the event generated ideas now being transformed into AI-powered educational resources.
We further championed this commitment as a Community Partner for the Women in Technology WA (WiTWA) Tech[+] Conference and Awards, a flagship event recognising the women, allies and advocates shaping WA’s innovation ecosystem. The two-day conference highlighted leadership, career progression and the future of an inclusive tech sector, culminating in the Tech[+] Awards Gala. The event aligned closely with WADSIH’s mission to ensure WA’s AI- and data-driven future remains accessible to all.
This year, we also organised three hackathons, each addressing a distinct challenge for Western Australia — from emergency management to health innovation and digital safety.
The AFAC Emergency Hackathon, delivered with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), debuted a new Reverse Pitch format in which DFES set real operational challenges for teams to solve across disaster preparation and response. Held as part of AFAC25, the hackathon brought together WA’s emerging developers and data scientists, who competed for $20,000 in prizes. The event again demonstrated the power of rapid prototyping to surface practical solutions that traditional procurement rarely uncovers.
The WA Health Hackathon 2025, run with HBF, the WA Department of Health, and the East Metropolitan Health Service, focused on climate-linked health risks, emergency demand, micro-fracture diagnosis and patient flow. After online challenge workshops, ten finalist teams gathered at Curtin University for a high-intensity weekend using datasets exceeding 200,000 rows. Winning ideas included Urban Threshold’s triage and bed-management tool and Ground Truth’s fall-detection prototype. The hackathon showcased the real potential for data-driven innovation to improve patient outcomes and health service performance across WA.
The Murdoch AI Hackathon: Hacking Back Against Scams, delivered with Murdoch University and the Perron Institute, brought law, criminology and IT students together to tackle one of Australia’s fastest-growing problems. Guided by our Innovation Lead Tim Sondalini, interdisciplinary teams developed AI-enabled approaches to fraud detection, consumer protection and community awareness. The event highlighted the strength of combining legal insight with technical capability — and the growing role of AI in safeguarding public safety and digital trust.
Following on from the hackathons, we also delivered two initiatives aimed at strengthening pathways into WA’s digital workforce. We partnered with the Office of Digital Government to host the Digital Public Sector Graduate Program – Speed Networking Event at Curtin University, giving students direct access to representatives across cyber security, data science, GIS and ICT operations. The session drew strong attendance and created meaningful opportunities for students to explore careers in the public sector. Senior leaders including Natalia Kacperek, Natasha Williams, and Lauren Presutto joined the discussions, alongside WADSIH’s Alex Jenkins, who helped guide conversations on emerging digital skills and the growing demand for technical capability across government.
We also partnered with the Curtin Computer Science Students Association (ComSSA) to deliver a high-impact résumé workshop designed to equip students with stronger application and interview strategies. Industry experts Jilly McIlchere and Chathu J. from Peoplebank shared practical advice on tailoring résumés, preparing for interviews and presenting strengths clearly, while Alex Jenkins provided insights from an employer’s perspective on standing out in competitive recruitment cycles. The workshop was well received and reinforced our commitment to supporting students as they navigate early career transitions in WA’s tech and data sectors.
This year, we also deepened our partnership with Build Club Perth, a grassroots initiative bringing together makers, developers and AI experimenters to prototype ideas, collaborate, and explore emerging technologies. Since its launch in June, Build Club has grown into a monthly meetup series, drawing an increasingly diverse community from across Perth’s tech and student sectors.
Our Director, Alex Jenkins, helped open the inaugural session alongside community leads Susannah Soon, Trish Radotic and Harry Walters, sharing early perspectives on creative and applied uses of AI. What began as a launch event has evolved into an ongoing collaboration — one that champions curiosity, hands-on experimentation, and community-driven learning.
Today, Build Club stands as one of WA’s most vibrant grassroots maker communities, and we’re proud to support its momentum as it continues to expand month by month.
To round out our initiatives for the year, we were proud to once again partner with GoSH for the Peel GoSHackathon — a flagship regional event designed to spark creativity and capability in young people across STEM. WADSIH Director Alex Jenkins delivered a presentation and joined the judging panel as participants tackled real-world challenges ranging from tech waste to transport inequality and wildlife conservation.
As part of our commitment to accessible STEM education, we sponsored the Best Use of Data and AI award, presented by Sarah James, helping GoSH keep the event free and open to students of all backgrounds. The energy, teamwork and problem-solving on display reflected the strength of regional talent and the value of nurturing innovation beyond metropolitan areas.
Our sincere thanks go to the organisers and community supporters who made the event possible — including Oliver Bazzani, Michelle Sandford, Erin Duzevich, Michelle Wong, and Lucas Lane. The Peel GoSHackathon was a fitting close to a year defined by collaboration, capability-building and community impact.
