St Catherine’s College launches the Australian Institute of Transformation and AI

St Catherine’s College is proud to announce the launch of the Australian Institute of Transformation and AI (AITAI), a new national initiative established to strengthen Australia’s capability in artificial intelligence and support its responsible, productive adoption across industry and society.

The creation of AITAI reflects the College’s commitment to leadership beyond campus and to preparing current and future generations to engage with the defining technologies of their time. As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes sectors including resources, finance, health, education and public administration, AITAI has been established to help Australia approach this transformation deliberately, practically and with clear national alignment.

“AITAI represents a strategic expansion of the College’s contribution to public life,” said Fiona Crowe, CEO of St Catherine’s College. “St Catherine’s has always developed leaders for the challenges ahead of them. AI is the challenge of this generation, and we intend to guide the conversation to benefit society.”

AITAI will operate as an independent institute powered by St Catherine’s College. Its work spans research, policy engagement, ecosystem convening and workforce capability development, with a strong focus on practical, real-world AI adoption rather than theory alone.

The Institute is founded and led by Jeroen van Dalen, one of Australia’s most experienced practitioners in artificial intelligence. Jeroen has worked at the intersection of technology and human capability since 2011, when he co-founded Soulve Innovations in the Netherlands, developing digital health platforms that served more than 200,000 users. In 2015, he moved into applied AI as Chief Product Officer of Boundlss, where he developed blended human-AI coaching in collaboration with the Cooperative Research Centre, reaching more than 30,000 people across Australia and Asia.

Jeroen also serves as CEO of Integral, a national leadership development firm working with more than 3,000 leaders annually. He brings both deep technical fluency in AI systems and a decade of experience helping leaders and organisations navigate large-scale change.

“Australia’s productivity has been flat for eight years, and much of the national conversation about AI has focused on risk rather than opportunity. AITAI takes a proactive stance rather than watching from the sidelines,” said Jeroen van Dalen. “AITAI exists to help WA adopt AI, focusing on what the technology can do and ensuring that innovation translates into real productivity gains and public benefit.”

AITAI launches with a focused set of initiatives designed to strengthen Western Australia’s AI capability and connect the local ecosystem to global developments through three pillars: Research, Advocacy and Impact.

Research

Under its research pillar, the Institute has launched the AITAI Fellows Program, recognising exceptional technical expertise and leadership in applied AI. Aidan Morgan joins as the Institute’s first Fellow. Aidan is a seasoned technology executive and currently serves as Chief Engineer at Bankwest, bringing extensive experience leading complex AI and data-driven initiatives.

AITAI’s adoption research is led by Justin Strharsky, founder of Humyn.ai and co-founder of Unearthed Solutions. Supported by a team of four researchers, Justin is leading work to map barriers to AI adoption across Western Australian industry.

Supporting WA’s applied research and practitioner community, AI Main Branch will serve as a monthly forum led by St Catherine’s College alumna Jiaranai Keatnuxsuo, AI Tech Lead and Architect at Woodside. The forum will strengthen AITAI’s mission to bridge cutting-edge AI practice with practical impact.

Advocacy

As part of its advocacy work, St Catherine’s College and AITAI hosted the inaugural Architects of our AI Futures dinner on Wednesday 11 March, bringing together senior leaders from state and federal advisory bodies, universities, industry groups, and advanced technology sectors, alongside College residents, for cross-sector dialogue on the long-term implications of AI.

Guests included Minister Dawson via video, Hon Dr Parwinder Kaur MLC and WA Chief Scientist Professor Sharath Sriram.

Impact

AITAI’s impact pillar is led by Lisa Longman, currently Director of Bloom, the College’s Centre for Youth Innovation. In 2024, Jeroen created LaunchLab AI, Australia’s first dedicated AI startup incubator, through Bloom. Together with Bloom, AITAI will deliver LaunchLab to support founders building AI-enabled ventures and strengthen the pathway from applied research and technical capability to commercial outcomes.

Looking Ahead

In June 2026, the Institute will lead Western Australia’s first AI delegation to Silicon Valley to attend the AI Engineer World’s Fair, the world’s largest technical AI conference. Coordinated by Lisa Longman, the delegation will include senior leaders from resources, energy, technology, education and startup sectors, alongside AI practitioners and policymakers.

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, AITAI will work to ensure Australia’s response is deliberate, informed and grounded in practical application. Over the coming year, the Institute will continue to expand its programs, partnerships and research agenda.

“AITAI represents a long-term investment by St Catherine’s College in Australia’s capability and leadership at a pivotal moment,” Fiona said. “Our role is to ensure that emerging technologies translate into real opportunity, and that our young people are equipped to participate confidently in the conversations and decisions that will shape their futures.”