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 Secretary of the US Navy, Mr Carlos Del Toro, has announced three new innovation-driven initiatives to refine the services focus on meeting the Navy’s capability needs quickly. Speaking to the centenary of the Naval Research Laboratory on 28 September…
A new Centre at the University of Adelaide for research into high-frequency (HF) radar technology will play a critical role in the nation’s safety and prosperity. The University of Adelaide, the Department of Defence’s Science and Technology Group (DSTG) and…
The next phase of design work on the SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine has begun following the awarding of £4 billions ($7.63 billion) worth of contracts to three British prime contractors. The signing of the Detailed Design and Long Leads (D2L2) Phase…
University of Adelaide spin-off QuantX Labs has joined forces with UK-based Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), through Airbus Australia, to launch Australian quantum technology into space in 2026. QuantX Labs, known for its ground-breaking work in quantum technology, has established…
The Australian Department of Defence is reorganising its three regular brigades and adding a fourth in a series of wide-ranging changes designed to transfer most of Army’s combat weight to northern Australia. In doing so it is implementing key recommendations…
Adelaide-based REDARC Defence & Space has signed a partnership with Singapore Technologies offshoot ST Engineering Advanced Networks and Sensors Pte Limited to provide vehicle electronic solutions to the Australian Defence Force (ADF). REDARC has assessed Singapore’s ST Engineering’s suite of…
Sydney-based Advanced Navigation, which specialises in artificial intelligence (AI) for robotic and navigation technologies, has unveiled a new high-tech robotics facility for autonomous systems based at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) TechLab. Located in the Sydney suburb of Botany,…
KBR and QinetiQ have signed a teaming agreement to work collaboratively to deliver Test and Evaluation (T&E) services for the Australian Defence Force. Under the agreement KBR and QinetiQ will share skills and experiences to build on both companies’ respective…
The US Air Force has selected Northrop Grumman Corporation to develop and test the advanced, high-speed, air-to-around Stand-In Attack Weapon (SiAW) under a contract worth US$705 million ($1.1 billion). The SiAW is an air-to-ground weapon that will provide strike capability…
The Adelaide-based SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) has approved the University of Sydney’s Project P2.59 Technology Development for In-orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM). Led by the University of Sydney School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering (AMME), this project…
