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 Canberra-based Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has calculated that Defence spending will actually fall slightly up to 2025-26, despite the urgency expressed in last month’s Defence Strategic Review. However, spending on defence innovation will rise slightly within this constrained…
The first AUKUS Pillar 2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) and autonomy trial was held in the UK in April, with the aim of rapidly driving these technologies into responsible military use. The Australian Army, DSTG and two Australian suppliers, Boeing Defence…
The Australian Government will establish an External Advisory Panel to oversee the implementation of the Defence Strategic Review (DSR) recommendations. Former Secretary of the Department of Defence, Mr Dennis Richardson AC, former Secretary of the Department of Finance, Ms Rosemary…
The US Department of Defense has announced the second set of projects to receive funding via the pilot program to Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT). The purpose of the APFIT pilot program is to expeditiously transition…
Anduril has launched an extension of its AI-powered Lattice OS which is designed to enable a single operator to manage multiple autonomous systems. And despite the new system, Lattice for Mission Autonomy, only making its public debut at a defence…
US President Joe Biden has told Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that he (Biden) plans to ask the US Congress to add Australia as a “domestic source” within the meaning of Title III of the US Defense Production Act. Doing…
Four private astronauts are in orbit following the successful launch of Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), the second all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Axiom Space astronauts lifted off in a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday, May…
To develop a human landing system for the agency’s Artemis V mission to the Moon, NASA has selected Washington State-based Blue Origin. Through the Artemis Program NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before and prepare for future astronaut…
Defence has opened a new Centre for Advance Defence Research and Enterprise – OCE (CADRE-OCE) at the University of Melbourne. It is dedicated to solving Operating in Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Environments (OCE) problems and will receive $4.25 million…
The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has conducted a demonstration of its high-power microwave counter-drone weapon, the Tactical High-power Operational Responder, or THOR, as it engaged a swarm of multiple targets at the Chestnut Test Site, Kirtland Air Force…
