17 June 2026
PLS is investing in Australia’s future engineering capability through a three-year partnership with Curtin University’s Curtin Motorsport Team (CMT), supporting students as they develop critical skills in battery systems, electric drivetrains and autonomous vehicle technologies that will help underpin the next generation of electrification and automation.
Each year, CMT designs, builds and tests a competition vehicle for the Formula SAE Australasia (Formula SAE-A) competition, with the team working towards a fully autonomous competition-ready vehicle by 2028. The program provides students with hands-on experience across engineering disciplines that are increasingly important to both the mobility and resources sectors.
PLS Managing Director and CEO Dale Henderson said the partnership reflects the Company’s commitment to helping develop the engineering capability required for the energy transition.
“Australia’s future competitiveness will depend on the engineers, innovators and problem-solvers who can design, build and operate the technologies that will shape the industries of tomorrow,” he said.
“Formula SAE-A provides students with hands-on experience in battery systems, electric drivetrains, autonomous technologies and advanced engineering disciplines that are increasingly important across both the mobility and resources sectors.
“By supporting Curtin Motorsport Team, we are helping create opportunities for students to apply classroom learning to real-world engineering challenges and develop capabilities that will be valuable across mining, renewable energy and e-mobility.”
Founded in 2002, CMT gives more than 50 students practical experience across mechanical, electrical, mechatronics and computing disciplines.
CMT’s Sponsorship Manager Roquaya Al-Absawi said the partnership would help the team build its skills and support its growth and development.
“Being a part of CMT opens an incredible world of opportunities, through the enhanced engineering and project management skills we develop, and the exciting partnerships we get to build with passionate companies like PLS,” she said.
Through the partnership, students will have opportunities to engage with industry, strengthen connections between academic learning and real-world engineering challenges, and build pathways into careers across the mobility, resources and energy sectors.
The partnership aligns with PLS’ Community Investment Framework and reflects the Company’s commitment to supporting education and workforce development in technologies critical to Australia’s future industrial and energy systems.