Why we do what we do
ICT International is a technologically-advanced, high value-added manufacturer, exporting its unique soil, plant, and environmental instrumentation to over 55 countries annually.
As a science-led innovation company, ICT International delivers the world’s best monitoring solutions focused on plant water use, plant water potential, and soil moisture management. Our scientific instruments are used by environmental scientists, crop production, and forestry industries to address the problems created by limited water resources. This empowers the research that will increase agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability and thus enhancing the world’s future water security.
As a regionally based Australian manufacturer, we have overcome our geographic isolation to become a global exporter. Our success is underpinned by our dedicated commitment to research and development (R&D).
ICT International, in collaborating with the best plant, soil, and environmental scientists globally and in Australia, has successfully commercialised critical intellectual property, scientific knowledge, and engineering to research, design, manufacture, market, and distribute globally, a family of unique wireless monitoring solutions for commercial agriculture and for scientific research in the natural and agricultural environments.
The ICT International Story – from Importer to Global Exporter
ICT International Pty Ltd commenced operation in 1982, with the objective of providing agricultural monitoring solutions focused on plant water use and soil moisture management. Quantitative soil and plant science instrumentation were sourced from around the world and imported to provide Australian scientists, environmental managers, and farmers with monitoring solutions.
More efficient water use in agriculture and the environment is always the focus.
In 2006 we realised we were importing product lines that were not advancing our customers’ need to improve water use efficiency. Our customers were demanding precision, low powered, microprocessor plug and play instruments. And this need was not being met.
To address our customers’ problems, we actively collaborated with the best plant, soil, and environmental scientists globally and in Australia. We also engaged Australian design engineers to commence a 10-year R&D innovation program, dedicating 16-20% of our annual turnover. The result of this 10-year R&D innovation program to date is the production of two world class instruments, the Digital Sap Flow Meter and the Digital Stem Psychrometer, as well as a family of dataloggers and integrated wireless monitoring solutions (Internet of Things – IoT) for commercial agriculture and for scientific research in the natural and agricultural environments.
ICT International’s unique family of digital standalone instruments, dataloggers, IoT nodes, and IoT monitoring solutions are designed to measure key plant, soil, and environmental parameters for the advancement of plant and soil research. Examples include addressing physiological and yield limitations of plants to water stress; addressing ecosystem response to climate change; evaluating plant genetics; and in commercial agriculture and horticulture, to significantly increase yield and quality while reducing irrigation water use, especially in tree crop production.
These unique instruments have been installed to measure plant water use (sap flow), plant water potential (psychrometery), soil moisture and soil water potential, ambient and microclimate conditions (weather stations), water level and water quality in many locations across the world, including the Brazilian rainforests, Australia’s Daintree Rainforest, the world’s tallest trees in California, mine site rehabilitation in Australia and Peru, subarctic permafrost in Northern Canada, macadamia, almond, and sandalwood production in Australia, and street trees, globally.
Our customers today, both scientists and farmers, are developing new data, new knowledge, and new management outcomes. They are the scientists and farmers who are ahead of the crowd whose drive for better understanding and better management outcomes are leading the way toward more efficient water use in agriculture and the environment globally.
With our 40-year history, we understand what scientists are trying to achieve, the value of their research, and what they need from our instruments in a real-world application: precise, rugged, low powered, wireless and IoT connected instrumentation to gather data in the field or remotely.
ICT International instruments are manufactured in Armidale, NSW, – with a staff of 25 people – and are exported annually to over 55 countries. In March 2020 we celebrated the launch of our expanded manufacturing facility. A facility designed to support the increasing global demand for our scientific quantitative monitoring technologies.
The Hon. Adam Marshall, Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW; gave the opening address, with the NSW Chief Scientist Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte giving the keynote address. ICT International partnered with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre for the opening, represented by Mr Michael Sharpe, National Director Industry.
Recognition of ICT International’s success in innovation and export market development includes:
- 2013 NSW Premier’s Export Awards – Highly Commended (Agribusiness category)
- 2013 NSW Business Chamber Export Award – Highly Commended
- 2013 Regional Development Australia Northern Inland Innovation Awards – Business of the Year
- 2016 Westpac Business of Tomorrow – one of 200 Australian businesses awarded.
The ICT International Manufacturing Success Formula
- Knowing your product or service is excelling in totally solving your customers’ problems
- Responding to global digital transformation and to new opportunities
- Recognising that change is continuous, constant, and needs to be successfully managed
- A learning curve – each day is an experience that we use as a base line to further drive our capacity to grow, to diversify, to innovate, and prosper.
ICT International embraces the whole value chain of manufacturing – the entire smiley curve. We are one of the 87% of Australian manufacturers who employ 20 people on average and just quietly get on with the job of manufacturing and innovating.