Connecting Australian energy innovators with global networks at OTC in Houston

Four of Australia’s leading energy innovators will be building global relationships and forging valuable international market connections after being selected to join the global technology exchange program to Houston and OTC in May.

The collaborative program between NERA, Unearthed, The Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC) and Station Houston will support, promote and connect Australia’s energy technology pioneers with major resource ecosystems around the world: Houston, Aberdeen and Perth.

The four Australian companies selected to join the program are:

• AiSpanner, the Next-Gen of easy to use, datacentric, multidimensional maintenance and safety planning optimisation application, using advance visualisation, analytics and spatial intelligence. The application aims to systematically plan and optimise the large number of jobs required within the shortest time frame.
• MyPass Global, a mobile-first technology company empowering frontline workers to manage training and competency information and prevent compliance gaps. Centred around a digital worker passport, MyPass simplifies the compliance management process for Operators, employers and sites.
• Cumulus Projects, a digital twin ecosystem for the connected worker of tomorrow: field technicians, engineers and managers. Cumulus brings together stranded, siloed data from all conceivable sources, from legacy enterprise systems to emergent deliverable files types and makes it easily accessible to all users at the right time. The result is improved efficiency and increased safety.
• A60N, who has developed a range of innovative subsea deposit management systems (DMS) for a variety of critical subsea equipment interfaces. The retrofittable DMSs are designed to inhibit the formation of deposits ensuring no loss of functionality and unplanned intervention costs. The elimination of common offshore problems will improve the economics of future offshore developments in Australia.

The first stage of the program will see the Australian representatives travel with NERA to Houston for the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), the largest oil and gas conference in the world, from 5-12 May. Once there, they will be joined by their counterparts from Station Houston and the Oil & Gas Technology Centre (OGTC) in Aberdeen, Scotland, to take part in a unique 7-day program centred around OTC in Houston.

As well as attendance at OTC, the global exchange program involves a custom program of networking events and meetings with leaders from industry, academia, government and global energy technology ecosystems. 

Underlying the global impact of the program, NERA will later this year select technology representatives to travel on to Aberdeen for a program of events anchored by the SPE Offshore Europe Conference & Exhibition in September 2019. Then in March 2020, NERA will host visiting tech innovators from the USA and UK at AOG 2020 – one of Australasia’s leading energy events.

“NERA recognises that for many Australian SMEs and scale-ups, the ability to travel to major international conferences and connect with peers and potential clients, while extremely valuable, can be difficult to fund,” says Miranda Taylor, NERA CEO.

“Through this program, four Australian scale-ups will have an invaluable opportunity to access a global audience at OTC – a meeting point for energy professionals from across the globe – and showcase what they, and indeed Australia, have to offer the oil and gas industry.” 

The one-week program provides participants with the opportunity to:

• OTC – access the official OTC conference, exhibits and technical programs including a session dedicated for Australian energy tech tour participants.
• Rice Alliance Startup Roundup – participate in the leading annual pitch event for energy startups in Houston. All Australian energy tech tour participants will be profiled at this event and have the opportunity to pitch to top energy industry executives and investors.
• Station Houston – profile their company to the community and members at a dedicated event at the largest co-working space in Houston.
• Meetings with Industry – tour and meet with representatives across the energy industry in Houston.
• Networking Events – connect with industry leaders and other partners in a series of networking events during the week of OTC.
• Tour of Universities/ Research Institutes – tour leading energy research institutes to understand how their technology solution fits in the global energy landscape.
• Meet with Partners – meet with partners and service providers that will help get them ready for their company’s entry into the US market such as legal, taxation, IP, banking.
• Connect with Australian Consulate – meet with Austrade and Consulate officials that can support the preparation of their company to enter into the US market.