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
The Adelaide-based Defence Innovation Partnership (DIP) has awarded contracts worth $3 million to seven companies under its separate Activator and Collaborative Research Funds (CRF). The DIP is one of five state and Defence co-sponsored research and innovation networks under the…
North Carolina company Honeywell has signed a partnering agreement with Melbourne-based RFD Australia Pty Ltd, part of the Beaufort Group (formerly Survitec), to provide sustainment support for the RAAF and wider Asia Pacific F-35 fleet. Upon activation of its new…
The Australian Army’s newly-designated innovation and experimentation unit, the 1st Armoured Regiment, has taken part in the US Army’s classified Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PCC5) alongside part of the British Army’s Robotics and Autonomous Battle Group. The exercise, in a…
Adelaide-based KBR Australia has been awarded a contract of undisclosed value to continue supporting the MQ-4C Triton autonomous aircraft with critical mission planning capabilities until November this year. KBR mission planning specialists support the MQ-4C Triton aircraft at RAAF Base Tindal…
San Diego-based Shield AI has delivered its first ViDAR (Visual Detection and Ranging) sensor payloads to NAVAIR’s Program Office for the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PMA-263). The sensors and their AI-enabled software, which are designed…
Canberra-based QinetiQ Australia has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Australian defence and security company to hold both Defence Aviation Safety Regulations (DASR) Subpart 21J Military Design Organisation, and Subpart 21G Military Production Organisation approvals for all Australian Defence…
Diversified US industrial giant Honeywell has been awarded a contract of undisclosed value by the BlueForge Alliance to deliver the AUKUS Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) pilot program in Australia. For this program Honeywell says it will establish an enhanced security…
Geelong-based Hanwha Defence Australia (HDA), Visionary Machines, an Australian SME leader in high-fidelity passive 3D spatial sensing, and Hanwha Systems Corporation have signed an MoU to explore collaborative development opportunities. The MoU was signed at the Avalon Air Show in…
Sydney based Thales Australia has integrated Dedrone by Axon into its Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle (PMV), adding a Counter-Uncrewed Aerial System (C-UAS) capability to the evolving Bushmaster design. Successful testing was completed near Thales Australia’s Bendigo facility, where the Bushmaster…
The three AUKUS partners have released the trilateral AUKUS Maritime Innovation Challenge 2025. The AUKUS Maritime Innovation Challenge 2025 seeks innovative solutions from industry and research institutions around the world to provide capability with a focus on undersea communications and…
