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
Brazilian company Eve UAM, LLC, a subsidiary of Embraer S.A, has announced partnerships with two Australian firms to start up eVTOL services in Melbourne and Western Australia operated by up to 90 eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft. At…
DMTC Limited and its partners have begun a series of projects in the Advanced Piezoelectric Materials and Applications (APMA) Program to accelerate the development of next-generation piezoelectric materials for defence applications. The APMA Program delivered by DMTC represents a coordinated,…
Melbourne-based Sentient Vision Systems plans to adapt its unique Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning technology to Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR). The program is designed to provide the company’s proven stand-off ViDAR (for Visual Detection and Ranging) optical radar capability in…
Defence has awarded a $2.13 million contract to two NSW firms, Aerospace & Mechanical Consulting Engineers in partnership with Armor Composite Engineering, to continue development of a unique lightweight armour for the RAAF’s fleet of C-130J Hercules airlifters. The contract…
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), along with cyber security partners from the US and UK, has released an advisory calling out the increase in sophisticated, high impact ransomware attacks directed at organisations in Australia and globally - including on…
Despite the Government’s investment in promoting innovation and industry capability in six named sectors, the productivity gap between the most innovative companies in the world and Australian firms continues to grow, according to a news story in the online publication…
The NSW government has opened the National Space Industry Hub in Eveleigh, Sydney. The hub forms part of Sydney’s Tech Central Precinct and offers office space, resources, mentoring and connections for emerging space ventures. It is delivered on behalf…
Australian company Tritium, which manufactures direct current (DC) fast chargers for Electric Vehicles (EV), has announced it will expand its American footprint with a new manufacturing facility in Lebanon, Tennessee. Production is expected to start at the facility sometime in…
Australian counter-drone specialist DroneShield has signed a contract framework with the State of Texas for simplified purchase of its solutions by state and local government, education, and other public entities. Following an 18-month due diligence process by the Texas government,…
US defence research agency DARPA has completed a first-ever flight of a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter without anyone onboard. Under DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program, Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky completed 30-minutes of uninhabited flight with the optionally…
