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
CAE Australia Pty Ltd. has been awarded the five-year, $50 million Platforms and Systems Training Contract (PSTC) by the Royal Australian Navy to deliver improved quality, efficiency, modernisation, and remote capability in training. Under the agreement CAE Australia will support…
The UK Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, has effectively ruled out an Astute-class submarine as the nuclear-powered replacement for Australia’s six Collins-class conventional submarines. Speaking at the commissioning of HMS Anson in the UK, Mr Wallace noted that…
The University of Southern Queensland has been awarded a $1 million Australian Research Council (ARC) grant for a project led by the University into remote diagnostics for space-access flight testing. “Aerospace flight testing is essential for assessing the reliability of…
The Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) is seeking innovative applied research proposals supporting development of high temperature structures and sub-assemblies and has issued a call through Melbourne-based DMTC Limited. Proposals are due on 9 September 2022 The aim is…
The Australian Department of Defence has appointed Australian engineering company Aurecon as the inaugural Guided Weapons Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise Partner. In a LinkedIn post, Damon Howes, the company’s managing director Defence and National Security said, “This partnership has been,…
Twelve Australian innovators have been shortlisted for the prestigious Land Forces 2022 Innovation Awards, worth $30,000. The Awards are sponsored this year by Australian innovation and professional services consultancy Synergy Group. Among the shortlisted contenders are a company that has…
Defence is partnering with industry and academia to establish a world-leading research facility in maritime biofilms, with a focus on innovative biofouling control solutions. The Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation (BRIC) will be based…
Martin Australia’s Melbourne-based R&D team, STELaRLab, in collaboration with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Defence Science Technology Group (DSTG), has successfully tested Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) decision support capabilities using a live, virtual, constructive (LVC)…
The launch window for the Artemis I Moon mission opens on 29 August. All being well, the SLS Block 1 rocket will blast off that day from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s launchpad 39B Cape Canaveral. This first Artemis mission will…
The Federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) is calling for industry and public comment before finalising an updated list of technologies considered critical to the national interest. The updated list will identify current and emerging technologies that are…
