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
In a first for the Avalon Innovation Awards, presented on the first day of AVALON 2023, both the National and the SME Innovation Awards were won by the same company. Melbourne-based 1MILLIKELVIN Pty Limited was named winner of both the…
Melbourne-based SYPAQ Systems is delivering its Corvo™ Precision Payload Delivery System (PPDS) drones to the Ukrainian Armed Forces thanks to investment from the Department of Defence,. Following the announcement in July 2022 that Defence would be providing further funds to…
Thales Australia and Swinburne University of Technology’s Aerostructures Innovation Research Hub (AIR Hub) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the development of new operational concepts to advance R&D opportunities and support evolving aviation concepts including Advanced Air Mobility…
Swinburne University of Technology’s Aerostructures Innovation and Research Hub, or AIR Hub, will work collaboratively with Latrobe City Council to co-design the future of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). The partnership, announced at Avalon 2023 by Latrobe City Council Mayor Ms…
Speaking at the Innovation Pitchfest and exhibiting an amphibian Cessna C-208 fitted with battery pods are just some of the things Swinburne University of Technology’s first Founder In Residence did at AVALON 2023. As Swinburne’s inaugural Founder In Residence, Dovetail Electric Aviation Business Operations Manager…
BAE Systems Australia has teamed with Perth-based SME Innovaero to launch Australia’s first domestically designed, manufactured and armed VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) Uncrewed Air System (UAS), STRIXTM, at Avalon 2023 The STRIX UAS collaboration brings together BAE Systems’ global…
BAE Systems Australia and European missile group MBDA have announced a collaboration agreement that will support Australia as it establishes its sovereign Guided Weapon and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) capability. The Australian government is expected to make GWEO-related announcements over the…
European guided weapons company MBDA is set to re-open its office in Canberra as it positions itself for an Australian market that will be shaped by the Defence Strategic Review (DSR). While it has yet to name a new in-country…
BAE Systems Australia has announced the design and development of a new sovereign munition concept, RAZERTM, a low-cost air-launched Precision Guided Munition (PGM) wing/body kit and tail unit. Launched from Uncrewed Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV) such as the STRIX (see…
AVALON 2023 was in effect the public debut of the Boeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat, an Uncrewed Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) that was originally unveiled, in model form, at AVALON 2019. The aircraft on display in 2023 was the real thing.…
