NSW Commercialisation Showcase 2026 – Powering the Future

Australia’s clean energy commercialisation ecosystem has never had more opportunity — nor faced greater pressure to convert research excellence into globally competitive businesses.

This was a central theme of the Powering the Future panel at the NSW Commercialisation Showcase 2026, where leaders from across research, industry, government and commercialisation discussed what is needed to accelerate the journey from innovation to impact.

Moderated by Dani Alexander, CEO of the UNSW Energy Institute and Interim CEO of the NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub, the panel brought together Gabriella Nunes (TRaCE), Louise Brown (Hydgene), Richard Hopkins (UNSW, SunSwift and P-One) and Shannon O’Rourke (Powering Australia) to share perspectives on commercialisation, industrial capability and the opportunities emerging from the energy transition.

Scaling What Works Across the Commercialisation Ecosystem

A consistent message throughout the discussion was that Australia has become increasingly effective at identifying the barriers to commercialisation, but less effective at scaling the solutions that are already proving successful.

Gabriella Nunes highlighted that while substantial early-stage funding exists for deep-tech ventures, funding alone is rarely enough to move technologies from the laboratory to market. Programs such as TRaCE have demonstrated the value of combining capital with commercial expertise, project management, engineering support and industry engagement. Through initiatives such as commercially focused project managers, specialist commercial leads, engineering support, early-stage investment and improved access to facilities, TRaCE has demonstrated how integrated support can accelerate commercial outcomes.

Dani Alexander reinforced the importance of stable and long-term policy settings. With abundant renewable resources and world-class scientific capability, Australia has the potential to become a global renewable energy innovation leader. Realising that opportunity, however, requires sustained support mechanisms that help emerging companies navigate the difficult transition from research breakthrough to commercial scale. As some existing commercialisation programs conclude, alternative pathways will be needed to ensure promising low-carbon and deep-tech ventures can continue their journey to market.

Commercialisation Is Rarely Linear

The panel explored the complexity of translating deep technical expertise into products, companies and scalable market opportunities.
Drawing on experiences from startup creation, technology development and industry collaboration, the discussion highlighted that technical breakthroughs are only one part of the journey. Successful ventures must also navigate customer discovery, regulatory requirements, fundraising, manufacturing challenges and team development. Building strong partnerships early and remaining adaptable as market conditions evolve are often critical factors in reaching commercial scale.

The panel also reflected on the importance of maintaining close connections between researchers, customers and industry partners throughout the development process. Translating research into commercial outcomes requires continuous engagement with end users, rapid iteration and a focus on solving real-world challenges. Many of Australia’s most successful technology ventures have emerged when ambitious research has been paired with a clear pathway to deployment and strong industry engagement.

Building Capability in Clean Energy and Manufacturing

The conversation also explored Australia’s opportunity to build sovereign capability in clean energy technologies and advanced manufacturing.

Looking beyond individual programs, Shannon O’Rourke encouraged the audience to focus on the broader trajectory of the clean energy economy. While recent adjustments to Commonwealth initiatives such as Hydrogen Headstart, Solar Sunshot and the Battery Breakthrough Initiative reflect current fiscal pressures, he noted that the underlying market fundamentals remain exceptionally strong.

Globally, clean energy now attracts significantly more investment than fossil fuels, while Australia continues to hold strong advantages through its resource base, renewable energy deployment and growing battery sector. Active pathways continue to support the sector, including the NSW Net Zero Manufacturing Initiative and the Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund.

Shannon argued that innovation alone is not enough. Long-term competitiveness will ultimately be determined by Australia’s ability to deploy technologies at scale, build operational experience and create the industrial capability that comes from making, using and improving products in real-world markets.

Key Takeaways

• Commercialisation requires more than funding; it requires integrated technical, commercial and industry support.
• Stable policy settings are essential for attracting long-term investment and building confidence in emerging industries.
• Strong partnerships between researchers, industry and investors remain critical to success.
• Deployment and market experience are as important as innovation itself.
• NSW has an opportunity to build on successful commercialisation models and scale them across the broader innovation ecosystem.

Looking Ahead

While the challenges facing commercialisation are well understood, the discussion demonstrated that many of the solutions are already emerging across the NSW innovation ecosystem.

The next step is not simply identifying what needs to change, but scaling the models, partnerships and support mechanisms that are already delivering results. Programs such as TRaCE, growing collaboration between industry and research institutions, and emerging clean energy manufacturing initiatives provide examples of approaches that can be expanded and replicated.

As Australia accelerates its transition to a net-zero economy, the ability to translate world-class research into globally competitive businesses will be a defining factor in capturing the economic opportunities of the energy transition. The clean-tech manufacturing opportunity remains significant, and maintaining momentum will require continued collaboration between government, industry, investors and researchers.