PPK turns to new partners for technology commercialisation

Mining equipment and materials technology group PPK Group has broadened its commercialisation focus from Geelong’s Deakin University, entering into a new commercialisation partnership with a group of universities led by the University of Queensland.

PPK, which has been developing a number of new materials ventures with Deakin, will invest $1.5 million in Advanced Mobility Analytics Group (AMAG) backed by Queensland University, Uniquest, University of British Columbia and the Queensland University of Technology.

AMAG will develop artificial intelligence, video analytics, deep learning and advanced econometric technologies for managing road safety.

PPK executive chairman Robin Levison said: “We see this as the first of many opportunities to diversify into commercialising new technologies and developing partnerships with other universities.

“I see this technology having as significant purpose to achieving road safety globally.”

AMAG will initially employ 15 engineers in Queensland.

Levison has invested a fortune he made in selling his Industrea mining equipment business into PPK, developing it as a multi-headed technology commercialisation group.

Its’ main divisions are PPK mining equipment, Craig International Ballistics, Li-S Energy and BNNT Technology.

AMAG is developing systems that integrate LIDAR, video and vehicle data coupled with edge, cloud and internet of things (IoT) enabled sensor technologies into a single SMART City platform.

The company has customers in Florida, Washington state and in Australia.

Picture: Robin Levison

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