Co-operative Education for Enterprise Development (CEED) is a formal initiative of The University of Western Australia and Curtin University that fosters collaboration between academia and industry. The program connects the client with prospective graduates to address real-world problems through impactful, sponsor-defined research projects.
When Ellen Xiao first came across the CEED project in her inbox, she immediately recognised its potential. The project combined everything she was passionate about: data science, machine learning and problem solving.
In 2024, Ellen, then Master of Professional Engineering (Software) student at UWA, was selected to work on a CEED research project delivered in collaboration with one of Australia’s largest energy companies. Through the CEED program, Ellen had the opportunity to apply her passion in a real-world context, contributing to Woodside’s ongoing efforts to improve safety on their offshore platforms.
“My project was not only interesting, but also very important,” says Ellen. “The data science team at Woodside was already looking at the issue, but I was able to explore alternative approaches using deep learning in an innovative way.”
Ellen’s project aimed to tackle a serious operational issue faced by Woodside: the increased presence of magnificent frigatebirds on manned and unmanned offshore platforms, which poses a safety risk for the birds and helicopter operations. By utilising CCTV footage from the platforms, Ellen applied machine learning techniques to detect and count the birds. Her goal was to develop a system that could identify patterns in bird behaviour and build a detection model that would assist in creating safer mitigation strategies, such as bird relocation or dissuasion mechanisms.
Ellen’s project, alongside the work of Woodside’s data science team, gained significant attention and was featured on the front cover of the Australian Financial Review, highlighting how AI is transforming operations in the energy sector.
Now, as Ellen begins her career as a graduate data scientist at Woodside, she reflects on how the CEED program helped her develop not just technical expertise, but also vital professional skills. “I’m really grateful for the opportunity,” she says. “Doing a CEED project opened so many doors. Working directly on a real business case with real data, gives you practical, hands-on experience and allows you to see how your field of study is applied in industry.” She also credits the program with building her confidence in project management and communication, which are essential skills to bridge the gap between technical solutions and real-world implementation.
Ellen’s work was more than solving a technical problem - it demonstrated the power of collaboration between academia and industry. The project exemplifies how collaborations such as CEED can deliver cost-effective alternatives to consulting that explores innovative, practical solutions to business challenges.
Curious how the CEED program can benefit your organisation? We’d love to hear from you!
We are now welcoming new projects to commence in Semester 1 (Feb-Dec 2026). Full projects include 8 weeks of on-site vacation work, which can be completed during the upcoming summer break.
Web: ceed.wa.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ceedwa