2018 winning team during their Zero Gravity Flight experience in France, the winning prize of the global ActInSpace competition
Credit: Innovation & Collaboration Centre
Adelaide University will host Australia’s only ActInSpace competition this January – a 24-hour innovation hackathon that challenges participants to transform space technologies into real-world solutions.
Delivered locally by the University’s Innovation & Collaboration Centre (ICC), ActInSpace is a free event that will take place on 30 & 31 January 2026 at the Enterprise and Innovation Hub, running simultaneously with more than 100 host cities worldwide.
Co-organised by the French space agency, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the European Space Agency (ESA), the competition provides exclusive access to satellite data, patents and technologies from leading global space organisations.
The local event is taking place with thanks to Platinum Sponsor iLaunch and several other sponsors and supporters listed on the event webpage.
Associate Director: Business Incubation Craig Jones says the competition is a unique opportunity for people.
“ActInSpace is a launchpad for Australia’s next generation of space innovators offering access to space technologies directly from global agencies, mentorship from industry leaders and ways to explore the space sector as a viable career path,” he says.
“We brought ActInSpace to Australia for the first time in 2018 and since then, competitors have gone on to develop their own space ventures - several progressing into our globally recognised Venture Catalyst Space program.”
“Adelaide teams have already proven themselves on the world stage, including winning the global final in France in 2018, securing a zero-gravity flight experience.
“We’re excited to see what new commercial concepts emerge in 2026 and have a lot of fun along the way.”
Participants will work through the night to refine their ideas alongside local and international mentors, before pitching to a judging panel at the Space Discovery Centre.
The winning team will be crowned the Australian champions and win a funded trip to Cannes, France in May 2026 to compete in the global final.
ActInSpace is free to enter for anyone over the age of 18.
University students, innovators, engineers, creatives and entrepreneurs are all encouraged to register.
