Workforce helps Tonsley tech grow

Micro-X, the fast-moving business located next to Flinders University at the Tonsley Innovation District, has been named in the Top 100 largest companies in South Australia.

The Indaily list, which celebrated the Tonsley company’s 2020 rise from 64 to 60 on their latest Top 100 list,  coincides with the company’s contention for a SA Innovation and Excellence Awards as finalist in the Innovator of the Year section.

Micro-X designs, develops and manufactures a range of ultra-lightweight, mobile x-ray imaging systems for medical and security applications.

The annual ranking of the state’s top 100 companies by market capitalisation and revenue is collated by Adelaide financial services firm Taylor Collison.
It covers the 2019-20 financial year and includes more volatility than usual, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The SA company – along with SAGE Automation at Tonsley and other businesses  – has been a strong supporter of Flinders University’s student Work Integrated Learning program and graduates.
In its workforce of more than 50, 11 employees are Flinders graduates or current students, leading to a University submission in this year’s Engagement Australia 2020 Excellence Awards (Excellence in Industry Engagement).

The members of Micro-X’s engineering team work across software, electronics, systems, service and mechanical engineering as well as research and development (R&D) teams, building on the suite of next generation X-ray technology to mass produce stable wide area field emitters using carbon nanotube tech.

Among the Flinders graduates are Thomas McSkimming BEng(Software)(Hons)/BEng(Biomed)(Hons) ’20, Tim Prins BEng(Biome)(Hons),MEng(Biomed) ’18, Grant Perl BEng(Biomed)(Hons)/BMedSc ’17, Lucas Paix BEng(Robots),MEng(Elect) ’19, Susanne Sahlos BSc(Nanotech)(Hons) ’20, Caitlin Wouters BEng(Biomed)(Hons),MEng(Biomed) ’19 and R&D Project Manager Steve Trewartha BSc(Nanotech)(Hons) ’10, PhD(Chem) ’15.
Also pictured are Flinders students Gandalf Du Preez, Erica Nunn, Caleb Durston and Mia Maric who are on placement and other career pathways with the company while finishing their studies.
While Micro-X has hosted five students over the last two years, and two honours students, nearby SAGE Automation has hosted 22 placements and five honours students – with two others placed with Nukon, a part of the SAGE Group.

SAGE Group Holdings came in at 57th in this year’s Indaily Top 100 list.

Flinders Work Integrated Learning Coordinator Nalini Klopp also thanked Tonsley companies AZZO, ZEISS, Voxon and CMW Geosciences for hosting students – as well as local businesses  including REDARC at Lonsdale (10 placements), Australian Rail Track Corporation at Keswick (which has hosted 12 students), One World LED at Edwardstown, and Flinders Medical Centre, where biomedical engineering have gained workplace experience.

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