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
Cicada Innovations' HQ in Redfern. Photo: Cicada Innovations NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade Stuart Ayres have met with Indian tech companies in Bengaluru to promote collaboration between NSW and India, including the space sector. “NSW…
Defence has established the Geospatial Goods and Services Standing Offer Panel (GeoPanel) to procure Geospatial goods, services and relevant emerging geospatial technologies from approved industry providers. The GeoPanel provides the framework for Australian Defence Organisation and Defence Portfolio Agencies to…
Silentium Defence is one of three Australian companies selected to join the US AFRL's Catalyst Accelerator program. Photo: Silentium defence Eight small businesses, including three Australian companies, will come together from across the globe for the US Space Force Catalyst…
The Vertical-BAT Autonomous UAV developed by US firm Martin UAV. Photo: Martin UAV The Office of the US Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) has announced the first set of ten projects to receive US$100 Millions-worth of…
Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) has selected Airbus Defence and Space to build two experimental 150kg satellites. The satellites will support DSTG’s Resilient Multi-mission Space STaR Shot, a strategic research program established to develop future space capabilities for…
Adelaide-based Shoal Group has signed a multi-year strategic partnership agreement with Airbus for DSTG Resilient Multi-mission Space (RMS) STaR Shot program. Shoal’s expertise in enabling solutions through digital engineering of complex space projects will support the design, manufacture, launch and operation…
The recipients of the inaugural More, Together awards for excellence were announced at the Australian Defence Science, Technology and Research Summit (ADSTAR) in Sydney. These awards celebrate the achievements of organisations, teams and individuals who consistently collaborate, innovate and contribute…
The United Kingdom will unveil part of its Future Combat Air System (FCAS) sometime over the next five years when it flies a demonstrator for the first time. The Project involves the UK Ministry of Defence and the Team Tempest…
Boeing and the U.S. Navy have completed a series of Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) flight tests in which a Block III F/A-18 Super Hornet successfully demonstrated command and control of three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of undisclosed type. Boeing system engineers…
Dragonfire, the UK’s Laser Directed Energy Weapon Programme (LDEW) led by MBDA, has begun a series of trials to prove the accuracy and power of the novel laser weapon. The first of these trials recently conducted at low power by…
