Quantum leader Professor Andrew Dzurak has claimed the Innovation Leadership Award at the InnovationAus 2025 Awards for Excellence for his more than two decades of pioneering contributions to silicon-based quantum computing.
The founder and and chief executive of quantum startup Diraq, which has gone from strength to strength this year, was a awarded the prize at a packed black-tie gala at Sydney Town Hall on Thursday night.
The award recognises exceptional leaders who balance technical excellence with commercial execution – and Professor Dzurak was celebrated for one of Australia’s most advanced effort to build commercially scalable quantum processors.
Finalists for this year’s Innovation Leadership Award included Robert Klupacs, chief executive of the Bionics Institute, and Mentor List Group founder David Lewis — leaders in healthcare devices and transformative talent platforms.
Diraq’s technology builds on Professor Dzurak’s foundational research at UNSW Sydney, where he led teams that achieved several world-first demonstrations in quantum logic using silicon – the same material underpinning today’s global semiconductor industry.
His leadership has been instrumental in translating this research into a company now competing on the world stage for quantum advantage, while securing major global investment.
Under Professor Dzurak’s direction, Diraq has developed a fabrication-friendly architecture that allows millions of quantum dots to be manufactured using existing chip-foundry processes.
Judges praised his “rare combination of scientific insight, commercial vision and national-interest leadership”, noting that his work positions Australia as a genuine contender in the global quantum race.
The InnovationAus 2025 Awards for Excellence are proudly supported by ACS, PEXA Group, the CSIRO ON Program, Griffith Hack, TechnologyOne, Q-CTRL, National AI Centre, University of New South Wales, KPMG, AgriFutures Australia, Investment NSW and IP Australia.
Protecting your great ideas with intellectual property (IP) rights can lead to lasting benefits for your growing business. IP refers to creations of the mind, such as a brand, logo, invention, design or artistic work. Head to the IP Australia website to find out more about IP, and how it might help your business.
Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.