#41 Clean Water for Vulnerable Indo-Pacific Communities | Shannon Lemanski - Part 2
Atmospheric water generation shows defence planners a faster path to water security and lower logistics risk.Part 1 of this conversation laid the groundwork - field lessons from East Timor, plastic waste in PNG, and the commercial model letting one water cooler in an office fund clean supply in five remote communities. In Part 2, Intelligence Optimised host Todd Crowley continues the discussion with Shannon Lemanski - veteran, engineer and founder of Aqua Ubique to explore how atmospheric water generation (AWG) scales across Australia and the wider Indo-Pacific.They unpack why councils with fewer than 10,000 connections fall outside national reporting, leaving critical services - aged care, child care, schools - on bottled water budgets that can top $600 a fortnight. Enter AWG: plug-and-play units pulling drinking water from humid air, delivering 10 - 15 L/day in a standard office footprint or scaling to thousands via containerised systems.Key takeaways for defence and disaster-resilience planners:✔️ Slash the logistics tail - remove fuel-hungry convoys and bottle drops from contested supply chains.✔️ Build redundancy - decentralised units stay online when power and water grids fail.✔️ Lift ESG performance - cut landfill and diesel burn while meeting social reporting.✔️ Scale across the Indo-Pacific - service archipelagos like PNG and Nauru without plant infrastructure.Shannon shares the logistics calculus: hit the fuel truck and the tank column stops; hit the water supply and the force fails. AWG flips that risk - using solar, battery or biodiesel to create secure supply where it's needed most.Whether you're managing a base, mine or regional health network, this episode gives practical insight on what to deploy, where, and why now.Find deeper briefs inside Vaxa Bureau.
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#40 Clean Water for Vulnerable Indo-Pacific Communities | Shannon Lemanski - Part 1
Bottled-water pallets burn, plastic piles grow and aircraft haul “expired” crates across oceans, all because remote bases and towns can’t trust the tap.In this Part 1 of “Clean Water for Vulnerable Indo-Pacific Communities” episode, host Todd Crowley sits down with former Army logistician Shannon Lemanski, founder of Queensland social enterprise Aqua Ubique, to unpack a different path: atmospheric water generation (AWG).Lemanski traces hard lessons from Papua New Guinea and East Timor - where uniformed forces were ordered to slash and burn perfectly good bottles to today’s boil-water alerts in Cherbourg. With more than two million Australians still lacking reliable drinking water, the problem is local before it is global.The discussion moves from field anecdotes to strategy:✔️ Why AWG mirrors rooftop solar - producing a critical resource at the point of need.✔️ The hidden cost of long-haul bottled water and how decentralised systems lift supply chain resilience.✔️ A commercial model that charges offices for ten bottles yet makes thirty on-site, funding machines for remote communities on a 5-for-1 basis.✔️ Partnering with First Nations groups and food-rescue networks to build trust and sovereign capability across the Indo-Pacific.Planners will leave with a practical blueprint to cut convoy kilometres, reduce plastic waste and harden infrastructure against disruption—a win for budgets, health and national interest.More to come in Part 2. Find deeper briefs and field-ready frameworks inside Vaxa Bureau.
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#39 Wireless Power, Strategic Impact: Aquila Earth and the Future of Energy | Billy Jeremijenko
How wireless energy changes defence, logistics and supply chain resilience in the Indo-Pacific.This episode of Intelligence Optimised Podcasts drills into a concept that’s moving from science fiction to strategic planning: wireless energy transmission. Todd Crowley explores how this capability - once imagined in labs - is now shaping real-world logistics, particularly in Indo-Pacific defence and humanitarian operations.Billy Jeremijenko, founder of Aquila discusses using directed energy (think lasers) to move power without wires or fuel convoys. The conversation cuts through the technical novelty to focus on practical implications: how this technology could protect supply chains, extend operational reach, and reduce logistical vulnerabilities in austere environments.This episode covers:✔️ Wireless energy tech that powers drones and off-grid infrastructure✔️ Global energy inequality and stalled grid expansion✔️ “Internet of energy” vs. rising disconnection from power systems✔️ Stratospheric relays for long-distance, secure energy transmission✔️ Defence, mining, and disaster response use cases for remote power✔️ How laser-to-solar systems enable practical, mobile energy deliveryWhether you're coordinating supply chains in contested zones or advising on critical infrastructure upgrades, this episode offers a window into how energy delivery itself is being reimagined.Find deeper briefs inside Vaxa Bureau.
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#38 Missiles, Markets & Maritime Chokepoints: The Iran–Israel Conflict
Middle East conflict threatens Indo-Pacific supply chains, energy and critical industries. Concrete steps to assess risk now.In this special episode of Intelligence Optimised, Todd Crowley breaks down how the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel is sending shockwaves across the Indo-Pacific. What starts as a military clash has fast become a global risk scenario touching supply chain routes, energy markets, finance, and sovereign capability.This episode covers:✔️ Iran-Israel conflict's ripple effects on Indo-Pacific supply chains✔️ Shipping delays, freight cost spikes, and export risks for Australian industries✔️ Energy market shocks with rising oil and LNG prices✔️ Critical minerals pressure from China-Russia-Iran alignment✔️ 5 actions for leaders to protect capability and resilienceThis is a real-time stress test for Indo-Pacific systems, demanding clear-eyed leadership.Find deeper briefs inside Vaxa Bureau.
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#37 AI: From Hype to Reality | Llew Jury & Curtis West
Many leaders still approach AI with the wrong mindset, treating it as a tool rather than a strategic capability. In this episode of Intelligence Optimised, Todd Crowley speaks with Llew Jury and Curtis West about how to shift from pilots and misconceptions to measurable, sector-wide impact.They draw on practical work across defence, health, and infrastructure in Southeast Queensland and insights from Indo-Pacific procurement forums.This episode covers:✔️ Common AI misconceptions slowing progress✔️ How to measure ROI using the Eliminate, Support, Extend model✔️ Case studies in compliance, customer service, internal tools, and synthetic data✔️ Structural and cultural blockers including IT resistance and unclear ownership✔️ The growing need for AI governance and data readiness across sectorsFor CIOs, planners, and capability leads, this is a practical guide to embedding AI in systems that matter.🔔 Subscribe for weekly strategy briefings that put policy, risk and opportunity in plain English.🌐 Get sharp updates for leaders in critical industries: https://vaxabureau.com/intel/🏠 More insights at Vaxa Bureau: https://vaxabureau.com/
In this series our Indo-Pacific experts navigate the complexities of safeguarding our present and fortifying our future in these uncertain times. Our focus is on delivering expert analyses and insights under the national security umbrella, to help you: "Be Ready for Today. Prepared for Tomorrow." This series is crafted for a discerning audience, including defence professionals, policymakers, academics, technology experts , logistics and supply chain managers, public health officials, and food and agribusiness purveyors.It's designed for those who seek to stay ahead of the curve in understanding and implementing the cutting-edge strategies and technologies that define global security today and shape its evolution tomorrow.The “Vaxa Bureau - Intelligence; Optimised Podcast” is a part of the Vaxa Grow Series and brought to you by the Vaxa Bureau team. Find out more: https://vaxabureau.com/
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