Trailblazer project to identify materials, explosives

The federally funded Defence Trailblazer, the University of Adelaide and Loughan Technology Group have signed a research project agreement to advance the commercialisation of Novel Fluorescence technology.

The project aims to address significant challenges in the real-time field detection of hazardous materials, minerals, and chemicals, including explosives.

The ability to determine the presence of specific elements in unknown minerals, identify asbestos in building sites, or detect drugs and explosive materials in real-time remains a critical challenge across mining, public health and national security.

Existing methods require lab analysis, which is time-consuming and impractical for field applications.

The Loughan Technology Group will be licensed to commercialise research in Novel Fluorescence, a materials analysis technique that enables rapid, non-contact identification of minerals and chemicals in real-time, making it ideal for field applications.

The technology has been developed by the University of Adelaide, through its Prescott Environmental Luminescence Laboratory (PELL) which brings together research expertise from the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) and the Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources (IMER).

The Chairman of Loughan Technology Group Rob Loughan said: “This partnership with the University of Adelaide and Defence Trailblazer represents a significant step forward in the commercialisation of Novel Fluorescence technology.

“Our goal is to create a platform for sovereign capability in materials sensing and identification, addressing critical needs in both defence and civilian sectors,”

The scalable design of Novel Fluorescence devices allows for deployment in various scenarios, from microscopic analysis to handheld sensors and stand-off apparatus.

This Defence Trailblazer project will establish a discovery facility to identify and validate Novel Fluorescence signatures across a wide range of materials, leading to the development of field-deployable prototypes.

The General Manager – Technology Development and Acceleration at Defence Trailblazer Dr Margaret Law said: “This Defence Trailblazer project represents a significant leap forward in our ability to detect, analyse, and understand complex material and chemical components with unprecedented precision.

“The commercialisation of this research is crucial for Australia’s sovereign capability, enabling us to develop dual-use technologies that can be applied across diverse range of industries.”

Picture: From left: Professor Nigel Spooner (University of Adelaide), Rob Loughan (Loughan Technology Group) and Dr Sanjay Mazumdar (Defence Trailblazer)