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
Californian technology and communications company Viasat Inc has completed its acquisition of European communications satellite specialist Inmarsat in a deal worth US$551 million. The combined company aims to drive growth in the increasingly dynamic and competitive satellite communications industry, says…
The University of New South wales (UNSW) Sydney has established ROV Engineering Design Challenge for first year students as a follow-up to participation the highly successful SUBS in Schools program run by the Sydney-based Re-Engineering Australia Foundation (REA). In 2015,…
Adelaide-based BAE Systems Australia and Sydney-based technology incubator Stone & Chalk are collaborating on what they term a ground-breaking approach designed to spark innovation within the defence and security sectors. Taking place at Stone & Chalk’s Melbourne start-up hub and…
Would the Royal Australian Navy be better off with a bigger fleet of smaller, missile-armed warships? Interesting question. We’ll know the Navy’s own answer to that question in September when the result of a ‘short and sharp’ review of the…
China is leading the world in high-impact research in 19 out of 23 technologies relevant to the AUKUS technology partnership and has a commanding lead in hypersonics, electronic warfare and in key undersea capabilities, according to a new report. But…
The Trilateral Defense Ministerial Meeting between the defence ministers of Australia, the United States and Japan during last week’s Shangri-La Dialogue trailed a future trilateral Research Development Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) agreement between the three partners “at the earliest opportunity”.…
It didn't happen and wasn't even simulated, says the USAF. An ADF drone is shown above. Image: Defence Multiple news outlets ran with the story that an AI-controlled USAF drone attacked its own operator during a mission simulation where the…
The University of Rhode Island has formalized a research and education partnership with Adselaide-based Flinders University that will bolster Australia’s efforts to produce the skilled workforce it needs to deliver on the AUKUS security pact. This includes building Australia’s undersea…
The Australian Government has updated the List of Critical Technologies that will help secure Australia’s future. This updated list complements the Government’s first National Quantum Strategy which was also released in May. The updated list focuses on key enabling technology…
The US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and US DoD Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E) are seeking bilateral US-Australia proposals for fundamental research in directed energy, particularly in relation to the advancement…
