ECO DETECTION – Innovative Water Monitoring for Environment & Industry: Nominee for the Excellence in Innovation, 2025 Africa Award

About the Nominee & their Nomination

• Eco Detection, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Melbourne, has developed the Ion-Q+ system, the world’s first field-deployable Capillary Zone Electrophoresis (CZE) platform. The Ion-Q+ system is fully autonomous, solar-powered technology that delivers laboratory-grade precision for real-time water quality monitoring across industries, including mining, wastewater, agriculture and environmental management, with customers in Australia, Africa, New Zealand, and the UK.

• Conventional water monitoring methods, whereby a sample is physically taken to the site and then transported to a laboratory for analysis, have been proven inadequate – the method is slow, resource-intensive, prone to error, and often misses critical data. In mining, this creates risks around acid mine drainage, cyanide monitoring, and rehabilitation site access; in wastewater, operators face growing demand, ageing infrastructure, and strict EPA compliance requirements; in agriculture, nutrient runoff drives eutrophication, algal blooms, and ecosystem decline. Across all sectors, delays in data collection prevent timely action, while the high costs and impracticality of manual sampling and probe maintenance limit effectiveness.

Eco Detection’s Ion-Q+ directly addresses these weaknesses by providing accurate, continuous, real-time data on ionic concentrations. With long-term remote operation and high sensitivity, it delivers reliable performance in challenging environments.

• Eco Detection was built on more than a decade of research at the University of Tasmania. This research catalysed the design, manufacturing and commercialisation of the Ion-Q+ system, which is supported by in-house engineering and production. Implementation has been driven by staged Research and Development (R&D) industry trials, and cross-sector collaborations with universities, industry bodies and regulators. Advisory panels of water management and environmental experts ensure the technology continues to evolve in line with industry and regulatory needs.

• The Ion-Q+ delivers real-time, high-frequency, in-situ water quality monitoring, enabling operators to take immediate action, ensure regulatory compliance, reduce operational costs and protect ecosystems. Its deployment has resulted in favourable Environmental Protection Authorities (EPA) outcomes, improved wastewater and mine site management and enriched environmental datasets that drive sustainability. The system is cost-effective, reduces reliance on manual sampling, and ensures regulatory compliance, while also protecting brand reputation by aligning operations with environmental stewardship expectations. Ultimately, Ion-Q+ provides comprehensive, actionable insights that empower timely, data-driven decision-making.