Reach Robotics has been awarded a Defence Global Competitiveness Grant to grow our in-house verification and testing capabilities. The grant will go towards purchasing an inspection class ROV deployable test vehicle and associated equipment and fund certification activities to meet international EMC safety standards.
The Defence Global Competitiveness Grant – officiated by The Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Melissa Price MP, is awarded to pioneering small Australian businesses to help them invest in projects that build their defence export capability. The grant contributes to the cost of “investing in projects that build export capability to build a stronger, more sustainable and globally competitive Australian defence industry.”
The grant will assist Reach Robotics in remaining globally competitive through the regular testing and continuous improvement of the Reach Bravo Robotic Arm. It will further improve technology currently being utilised in global military and oil and gas programs as well as allow us to open new export opportunities into allied militaries.
An in-house ROV test capability will allow us to conduct regular real-world testing on the type of underwater ROVs our manipulators are designed for. Getting our systems into the water to use in the scenarios our customers need will enable rapid product innovation and improvement. Whereas this was more achievable for the Reach Alpha robotic arm series, the larger Reach Bravo requires a larger, more expensive underwater vehicle, and therefore, Australian Government funding was fundamental in enabling this purchase.
We would like to thank the CDIC, the Australian Government, and The Minister for Defence Industry for continuing to invest in Reach Robotics. We are confident that this investment will help Reach Robotics continue to grow and develop world-leading technology across several sectors.
