The Australian Safety Critical Systems Association has celebrated its 25th anniversary in style, with a champagne toast from ACS President Anthony Wong.

The national special interest group (SIG), sponsored by ACS since 1992, promotes the cooperation of various organisations relating to safety systems, particularly in those containing software. It is run by a committee of volunteers.

“I would like to take this occasion to congratulate ASCSA for 25 years, and to thank all the volunteers. All the contributions made to this success are very important,” said Wong.

The Treasurer of ASCSA, George Nikandros, said it is an achievement on its own that a committee of volunteers has reached the 25-year milestone.

“We’ve gone through a lot of changes as an organisation and done a lot, seeing as we’re a bunch of volunteers who contribute in our own time. Having 25 years under our belt is good in terms raising awareness [of systems safety] in the industry,” he said.

This was echoed by ASCSA Chairperson BJ Martin, who said it was a “small miracle” for a group of volunteers to work towards professional outcomes in their spare time.


Nikandros, an original committee member and founder of the SIG, has a positive outlook for the future of the organisation. 

“I hope ASCSA continues to grow stronger. We’re now helping to introduce a specialism certification with the ACS, that’s another milestone,” he said.

During the toast, President Wong also commented on the crucial role of technology in shaping safety systems.

“The world needs to know that technology now plays an important role in everything we do, from artificial intelligence to critical systems,” he said.

The celebration was held during ASCSA’s annual Australian System Safety Conference, which covered key topics such as safety assurance and cybersecurity. Martin said hosting this annual conference has been one of the biggest contributions the organisation has made to the industry.

“To be able to hold this event annually and publish papers from international speakers at the cutting edge of safety critical systems design and engineering has been one of our most significant impacts to the community,” he said.