Entrepreneurial mind behind Australia-first ‘Containerised Robotic 3D Printing Cell’ wins Young Innovator Award at Premier Indo Pacific Conference, amid increased demand for sovereign defence tech.
A homegrown West Australian talent has been recognised on a national stage – in front of an international audience – at Australia’s premier commercial maritime and naval defence exposition, Indo Pacific.
27-year old Josh Wigley is the Founder and CEO of rapidly advancing Hyperion Systems, a business centred on commercialising its revolutionary 3D printing platform that can build boats and industrial parts from recycled plastic.
Unlike traditional desktop 3D printing (small, high-resolution, filament or resin based), Hyperion prints large-scale, industry-ready products such as boat hulls, concrete formwork and industrial components.
The technology enables rapid prototyping, tooling-free production and flexible design iterations, disrupting traditional manufacturing methods.
Hyperion’s proprietary hardware and software platform comes together to optimise print quality and process efficiency, a capability no other competitor in Australia can offer.
A Defendable Position in the Defence Sector
Slated as a ‘sovereign, deployable and proven 3D printing network’ Hyperion’s ‘TitanCell’ printing unit – designed to fit a 20-foot shipping container – is transportable and can be immediately operated by personnel on-site or otherwise managed remotely; be it at a port, on a ship, bases, manufacturing hubs or even remote islands.
Of particular interest to the defence sector is TitanCell’s potential impact on Australia’s sovereign supply chains and local manufacturing capability, evidenced by Hyperion’s recent success in printing a 3.5m boat hull, in just 24 hours.
The businesses’ current operational capacity consists of four stationed machines in Perth, meaning an output of four hulls per day, with the added benefit of only requiring one operator to oversee the process.
While the Company has its sights set on far greater capacity and reach through the realisation of its TitanCell mobile equivalent, Hyperion’s current hull output per day per person exceeds that of aluminium or composite boat builders.
Another String in Hyperion’s Bow
Founded in 2022, Hyperion has made leaps and bounds in its mere 3 years of operation. Company achievements are not constrained to internal R&D, but also encompass tangible successes with clients across defence, marine, oil and gas, construction and education applications.
From 3D printing Australia’s first boat hull and backing up this capability with their latest vessel print, art installations, collaborations with leading universities such as Griffith and UWA – plus a timely expansion into a facility within the Henderson Marine Complex – Hyperion Systems has laid the foundations for an exciting period to come.
The vast potential of this business model has already received recognition this year, with the Federal Government awarding Hyperion Systems a $385,000 match funded grant to accelerate commercialisation.
Speaking of Hyperion’s role in shoring Australia’s manufacturing capacity, Hyperion Founder-CEO and Pitch Winner Joshua Wigley commented, “The first TitanCell will be complete in January here in Perth, with Sydney and Brisbane to follow — the start of a national, decentralised manufacturing platform.”
“We’ve achieved true material independence. Our feedstock is sourced locally, derived from recycled, decommissioned subsea oil and gas infrastructure. It’s been qualified in partnership with the University of Western Australia, and we have a clear pathway to thousands of tonnes of polymer from upcoming decommissioning programs. What that means is simple — we don’t need to import anything to run these machines.”
“In a time of crisis, we’re not dependent on global logistics or overseas supply chains.”
To learn more about Hyperion visit www.hyperionsystems.com.au or indopacificexpo.com.au/program/initiatives/innovation-pitchfest-and-awards/ for more on the Premier Indo Pacific Conference.
