NEWS & MEDIA

Organiser AMDA Foundation first presented the Indo Pacific Innovation Awards in 2013, with the aim of recognising, rewarding and bringing Australian innovation to the forefront of the region's maritime industry.

Here, judge and Innovation Awards founder, Dr Gregor Ferguson, looks back at past winners to see how the Indo Pacific Innovation Awards program has furthered careers and impacted organisations for the better.

It’s been a busy 12 months for Tasmanian company CBG Systems since it won the Indo Pacific 2022 National Innovation Award. The company won the Award for developing RAC Plus, a brand-new Rapid Access Composite fire-resistant, non-combustible lightweight insulation panel for ships.

If it sounds simple, it’s not: CBG Systems’ engineers spent four years working with CSIRO to develop the lightweight, flame-proof acoustic panelling and came up with what Managing Director Javier Herbon believes is the most advanced passive fire protection system for warships in the world: “It’s revolutionary!” he says, adding that winning the Indo Pacific 2022 National Innovation Award helped boost the company’s confidence in itself and its products as well as helping to promote what is now a significantly de-risked system.

What’s so innovative about it? It’s non-flammable, doesn’t transmit sound and transmits even extreme heat very, very slowly. And it’s light, unlike the old Profile Wrap insulation that it replaces, which is heavy and very time-consuming to apply. During construction the application of RAC Plus panels causes minimum disruption, requiring little interaction with the other shipyard trades, and maintenance is simple once the ship is in service.

Established 40 years ago, CBG Systems has provided insulation for shipbuilders such as Austal and Incat. Since winning the Award just 12 months ago, the company has sold RAC Plus into commercial shipbuilding programs in New Zealand and to the Finnish company, RMC, that is building the next generation of large Geelong-Devonport car and passenger ferries.

A strong endorsement of RAC Plus came from BAE Systems Australia – Maritime which is building a fleet of Hunter-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy.

Last year CBG Systems won a contract to install nearly 400m2 of RAC Plus on two prototype hull blocks that BAE Systems Australia - Maritime is building in Adelaide. Manufacture of the first schedule protection block commenced in May 2023 and the quality achieved during the prototyping phase means this block will be capable of used in the first Hunter-class frigate. CBG Systems has opened a new facility in Adelaide to support this program.

Winning the Indo Pacific 2022 National Innovation Award contributed to the company winning this business, says Javier Herbon, because it helped demonstrate a low-risk but highly effective solution that was attractive to BAE Systems Australia – Maritime.

“Fire, thermal and acoustic insulation systems are critical elements of the Hunter-class frigates, because as submarine hunters they need to patrol the ocean as quietly as possible,” he adds. “Winning the Indo Pacific 2022 National Innovation Award was a catalyst for the company because it expanded our confidence in ourselves and our product.”

“Securing the contract for supply and installation of insulation for the Hunter program’s prototyping phase has provided us with the opportunity to develop the systems necessary to accelerate CBG Systems’ readiness to work on what is the most advanced shipbuilding program Australia has ever embarked upon.”