Innovation and R&D have always been the essential foundations of a strong, sustainable defence industry. Australia’s 2016 Defence White Paper, Defence Industry Policy Statement (DIPS) and Defence Integrated Investment Program (DIIP) acknowledge the importance of successful Defence R&D and innovation to the nation’s defence industry and thus to Australian defence policy. The 2020 Defence Force Structure Plan reinforced these foundations.
EX2 was set up by Dr Gregor Ferguson, a defence industry and innovation analyst and consultant, to make a useful contribution in Australia’s new and welcoming defence business environment.
EX2 helps innovators in Defence, the research sector and industry, and especially SMEs, by providing news and insight about innovation in Defence and adjacent sectors such as space, aerospace and resources.
Gregor Ferguson writes, teaches, advises and runs a national program designed to encourage and reward innovators in the defence, aerospace and maritime domains in both industry and the research and academic communities.
View his bio here (PDF opens in new window).
Dr Gregor Ferguson, Ph.D, BA (Hons), MRAeS
Adelaide-based Neumann Space will deliver its world-leading propulsion system, the Neumann Drive®, to Colorado-based CisLunar Industries, a designer and manufacturer of Modular Space Foundries, to help progress a U.S. Space Force-funded project that will create a circular propulsion ecosystem, the…
The Australian government has released its long-awaited Defence Strategic Review, commissioned in August 2022, in the form of an unclassified version titled simply National Defence. It is presented as the most significant re-casting of Australia’s defence policy and posture since…
The publication of this book couldn’t be timed better: it came out shortly after the announcement that the RAN would acquire three to five ex-US Navy Virginia-class submarines and then eight SSN-AUKUS boats, and shortly before ANZAC Day this year.…
Adelaide-based Fleet Space Technologies has signed a $6.4 million contract with Australia’s Defence Space Command. The contract will see Fleet's next-generation of Centauri commercial satellites used to develop and demonstrate a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications system focused on…
USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC 1141) and USCGC John Scheuerman (WPC 1146) transit the Strait of Hormuz with a US Navy L3 Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 USV. Image: US Navy An Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) from U.S. 5th Fleet has transited…
Hypersonix USA Inc is partnering with established launch provider Rocket Lab USA, Inc for the first launch of the DART AE hypersonic flight vehicle. The Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU’s) hypersonic and high-cadence testing capabilities (HyCAT) project and its mission partners…
Energy savers: The research team comprised (from left to right) Professor Darren Bagnall, Professor Shujuan Huang, Dr Binesh Puthen Veettil and Dr David Payne A microwave technology invented at Macquarie University will improve the manufacture of solar cells and make them easier to recycle.…
The government of South Australia is introducing a new state-wide innovation model to strategically connect the state’s growing innovation districts, including Lot Fourteen, Tonsley Innovation District and Adelaide BioMed City Premier Peter Malinauskas has announced. As the state prepares to take…
DroneShield Ltd has received two orders totalling approximately $2.2 million for a number of its handheld systems, including its recently launched DroneGun Mk4 portable drone countermeasure product. The orders were received from the U.S. DoD and another U.S. Federal Government…
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has allocated GBP£650 million (AUD$1.2 billion) to the tri-national Global Combat Air Program (GCAP). This funding will help take the sixth-generation air combat program, which the UK is pursuing in partnership with Italy and…
