Innovation leaders take out award

Concrete Data Sensors, a small start-up business with market-leading technology has capped off a big year by winning the 2022 Moreton Bay Business Excellence and Innovation Awards RDA Moreton Bay Award for Innovation Excellence.

The business, which started in a Clontarf garage, was recognised for excellence in product, process, business model or marketing innovation that challenges conventional thinking and demonstrates competitiveness in the national or global market.

The company, which opened new offices in Clontarf earlier this year, is providing sensors to the CBUS tower in Brisbane and the world’s largest lithium mine in Western Australia.

Director Andrew Cathcart said they were the only sensors which could be “cast into any concrete structures, rock or soil to measure movement and structural integrity”.

Instead of waiting for cracks, collapses or failures - in structures such as high-rising buildings, tunnels and bridges - the sensors spot issues immediately, sending owners and builders alerts and locations.

“Our technology is way ahead of anything else on the market,” Andrew said.

“Fully wireless and blast resistant, the sensors run at least seven years without a continuous electricity connection.”

“This provides all stakeholders peace of mind that the structure elements are performing safely as designed and not showing any signs of fatigue or failure.”

Mr Cathcart said the company spent two years developing it and 18 months putting the technology through its paces. Bond University did lab testing and trials with Edge Consulting Engineers.

Win a pleasant surprise

Andrew said he was shocked by the award win on October 21.

“We didn’t think we were going to win, we’re only a start-up. We’re just a young company, so we’re really proud and really happy,” he said.

So, what does the future hold?

“We’re crossing our fingers, we’ve got some irons in the fire, we’ve got lots of potential opportunities. We’re just going to do our best, work hard and hopefully some come off and we be successful,” Andrew said.

“We’re going to hopefully grow this little Moreton Bay business into a big global supply company.”

Night of nights

Sesame Lane Care and Kindergarten also won the top gong - Moreton Bay Regional Council Business of the Year.

There were 68 finalists, in 15 categories plus Business of the Year. Winners were decided by a panel of 44 judges from a mix of public and private sector organisations from across South East Queensland.

See the full list of winners and photo gallery here

Entries for the 2023 Moreton Bay Business and Innovation Awards are now open. Click here to find out more.