iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) has announced the eight winners in the second round of its Impact Extension Program (IEP2).
The program provides a total of $2.7 million to help promising transport projects move from the lab into everyday life. Each grant ranges from $100,000 to $500,000 and all projects will be completed by September 2026.
iMOVE CRC is part of the federal government’s highly successful Cooperative Research Centres Program which brings industry, government and research partners together to tackle sector challenges, in this case transport related.
Since 2017, iMOVE CRC has supported more than 260 industry‑led projects worth over $90m tackling real-life problems in transport, freight, mobility, and sustainability collaboratively.
Managing Director Ian Christensen said IEP2 is designed to unlock practical solutions.
“IEP2 gives organisations the resources to turn breakthrough ideas into real‑world solutions that improve how we move, live and connect,” he said. “Australia has no shortage of ideas. This funding helps get them out of the lab and into our communities. The diversity of the projects, from decarbonising heavy freight to improving First Nations road safety, shows how partnerships can deliver real benefits for everyone. Our goal here is to help teams move from promising pilots to impactful services.”
IEP2 Projects Funded
1. Through‑the‑Road Parallel Hybrid Pilot: Low Emission High Productivity A‑Double
Electric Haulage Australia (EHAULA) and its partners Wettenhalls, Bulk Transport Equipment and Tiger Spider are building a new kind of heavy truck. They plan to fit an electric motor to the small trailer unit that sits between two semi‑trailers – known as an A‑double – so it can help power the whole rig. By building and testing a full‑size prototype, the team aims to show that this system is safe, cuts fuel use by more than 40% and could pave the way for updated rules on how powered trailers are designed and used.
Jerome Coleman, EHAULA’s finance director, said the iMOVE grant will accelerate the company’s mission to decarbonise freight. “The impact will be felt most significantly across mining, agriculture and long‑haul logistics – sectors that carry the largest freight task and generate the highest emissions,” he said. “These are precisely the areas where innovation will deliver the greatest carbon abatement. We call on regulators to modernise the Australian Design Rules so we can safely deploy electric dollies and trailers across the country.”
2. Safety on our Songlines: Equity in First Nations Road Safety
Murri’s on the Move (MOTM) and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) will co‑design culturally responsive driver education and licensing tools for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The project will adapt Queensland’s pre‑learner program (PrepL) for remote communities and build a booking system that supports Indigenous data sovereignty, meaning communities control how their information is used.
MOTM said: “The IEP2 grant empowers Murri’s on the Move to co-create culturally responsive road safety solutions with First Nations communities. In collaboration with Queensland University of Technology (QUT), we will walk alongside First Nation communities to embed cultural knowledge, community-led solutions, and work towards Indigenous data sovereignty through Indigenous data governance. We will reclaim our road safety using our ways to strengthen Safety on our Songlines.”
3. Trusted Transport Positioning System
QUT will lead a project to build and test a sovereign Local Positioning System that provides reliable location services without relying on overseas satellites. Partners include the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, Toyota Motor Corporation and RACQ. The new system aims to make e‑bike and e‑scooter riding safer, provide more continuous emergency‑service tracking, monitor vulnerable road users, and provide high‑uptime positioning for connected and autonomous vehicles.
QUT’s Professor Michael Milford said the project builds on years of research. “We’ve identified a range of issues with current systems and some great use cases for widely available positioning information. We hope this project proves the technology is viable across the transport sector and leads to further commercialisation and uptake by end users. Our ultimate aim is to create a sovereign Australian‑made positioning capability with widespread utility both within and outside of transport.”
4. Using transport accessibility to optimise healthcare planning across Australia
The University of Sydney and several ambulance services will use high‑resolution travel‑time data to design better responses to out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest. The team will model competing strategies for deploying extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) CPR teams and equipment in all capital cities. They will also explore how aeromedical services such as drones and helicopters can reduce response times in remote areas.
Dr Emily Moylan from the University of Sydney’s School of Civil Engineering said the project combines medical research and logistics. “We are so excited to work with ambulance services to model competing strategies for cardiac arrest treatment,” she said. “This is an area where medical advancements need to be coupled with logistics optimisation and storytelling to support policymakers in finding the best options.”
5. Auracast – everyone should hear what matters
La Trobe University, NEC Australia and Get Skilled Access will explore Auracast, a new Bluetooth technology that broadcasts audio directly to hearing aids, earbuds, and smartphones. The project will conduct global scans of Auracast trials, run co‑design workshops with people with hearing impairments and pilot the technology in public venues and transport. The aim is to ensure passengers with hearing loss can access announcements and safety messages in real time.
Mark Messenger, NEC’s Head of Smart Transport ANZ and Global Centre of Excellence Lead, said accessibility is at the core of future transport networks. “Accessible public transport is about more than moving people, it’s about giving every passenger the confidence to travel safely and independently,” he said. “At NEC, we see technology as a way to remove barriers, and we’re pleased to bring our global expertise to this project. Together with La Trobe University and Get Skilled Access, we are shaping a future that is truly inclusive for all.”
“We are very grateful to iMOVE to let us make a difference. There is so much opportunity in tech, but it needs to be trialled and proven so people with disability can trust and rely on it.” – Erik van Vulpen, Project Lead / Deputy Director, Centre for Technology Infusion, La Trobe University.
6. See.Sense Insight – AI‑powered data dashboard for cycling safety and planning
Northern Irish–Australian firm See.Sense (Limeforge Pty Ltd) will build a national data service that turns information from smart bike lights into safety insights. Working with the City of Sydney and Surf Coast Shire, the project will collect braking, swerving and surface data from See.Sense devices. It will combine this with weather and traffic data other external data sets, to provide councils with predictive risk scores and before‑and‑after analyses of infrastructure changes.
Irene McAleese, See.Sense co‑founder and chief commercial officer, said the grant will help scale the platform. “We’re excited to receive this iMOVE IEP2 grant, which will allow us to advance our See.Sense Insight platform into a nationally scalable tool for cycling safety and planning,” she said. “By working with Surf Coast Shire Council and the City of Sydney, we’ll pilot a new AI‑powered data service that turns real‑world rider behaviour into predictive safety insights. This will help councils plan safer, more effective infrastructure, supporting Vision Zero and Net Zero goals while making cycling more attractive.”
7. Utrecht to Australia
Net Zero Engineering Solutions will bring a successful Dutch innovation to Australia: using electric cars as mini power stations. In Utrecht, electric vehicles can draw energy from the grid and return unused power. The project will test two‑way chargers here, work with car makers and energy companies and design plans so every household—including those without off‑street parking—can benefit. By treating cars as mobile batteries, the project could cut energy bills and support a cleaner grid.
Portia Rooney, Director, Net Zero Engineering Solutions said, “Utrecht to Australia is a pioneering research and development project, focused on adapting the proven, internationally leading Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) model from Dutch city Utrecht – to the Australian context. The project will analyse the features that enabled Utrecht’s success and reframe them to suit Australia’s distinct energy and mobility landscape. It will explore inclusive and lower cost AC-V2G pathways, to be able to bring this technology to more Australians. Should Australia and the Pacific host COP31, the Utrecht to Australia project will seek to use that platform to amplify its impact.”
8. RideScore Active Schools program upgrade and expansion
Cycling advocacy group WeRide Australia and Sunshine Coast Council will expand their RideScore program, which uses Bluetooth beacons, a smartphone app and cloud software to encourage children to cycle or scoot to school. A pilot on the Sunshine Coast increased active travel by 55 per cent. The new project will build a secure multi‑tenant cloud platform, upgrade hardware and enhance security so the program can be rolled out nationally.
Peter Bourke, Executive Officer at WeRide said, “The RideScore pilot demonstrated a 55% increase in riding and scooting to school. This funding will allow for an expansion of the platform to increase the reach across more of Australia. iMOVE has been at the forefront of innovative transport solutions for 10 years and we are delighted to be part of their latest innovation fund.”
Pictured: Ian Christensen, iMOVE Managing Director
About iMOVE CRC and IEP2
iMOVE CRC brings together industry, government, and researchers to solve transport challenges. Its Impact Extension Program supports projects that are ready for real‑world trials. By focusing on late‑stage innovation, IEP2 bridges the gap between research and deployment.
“These eight projects illustrate how targeted funding can unlock big ideas,” Ian Christensen said. “By September 2026 we expect to see working prototypes, new services and compelling data that can influence policy and investment. Ultimately, that means safer, cleaner, and more inclusive transport for Australians.”
More information on IEP on the iMOVE website here: www.imoveaustralia.com/impact-extension-program
