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
Sydney-based DroneShield has released DroneGun Mk4, following extensive development work in response to end-user feedback. The product is available for purchase by qualified end-users. DroneGun Mk4 is a portable pistol-shaped drone jammer, weighing 3.2kg. The Company believes this product has…
The Adelaide-based SmartSat CRC is committing over $1 million to support the development of new space technology that will be tested in space as payloads on the Waratah Seed WS-1 (Waratah Seed) spacecraft, Australia’s first space qualification-focused ride-share mission, due…
The Australian government has released its National Battery Strategy Issues paper and National Robotics Strategy Discussion Paper, inviting comment and responses to direct questions posed in the latter. Consultation on the Battery Strategy closed 17 March, but submissions on the…
IMAGE: HEO Robotics, which delivers satellite information using spare capacity on spacecraft in orbit, is an alumnus of the 10x Accelerator at UNSW in Sydney. Image: HEO Robotics UNSW Founders has launched Defence 10x, a new accelerator program focused on…
QinetiQ Australia has been awarded a $12.9 million, two-year contract to collaborate with the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) to co-develop and manufacture a high energy laser system prototype in South Australia. A world leader in laser research and…
Sydney based Saber Astronautics has been awarded a $6.6 million Defence Innovation Hub contract to transform existing space telescopes into space traffic sensors, contributing to Space Domain Awareness (SDA). Following an initial $2.1m million Defence Innovation Hub contract in 2019…
The Australian Department of Defence has acquired an ex-commercial vessel for $110 million which it will convert into an Undersea Support vessel (USV). The USV will be used to support a range of trials and activities leveraging new technologies in…
QinetiQ Australia has been awarded a $12.9 million contract to collaborate with the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) to co-develop and manufacture a high energy laser system prototype in South Australia. A world leader in laser research and technology,…
Spiral Blue’s Space Edge One (SE-1) computer has become the first Australian Space Edge Computer, and first NVIDIA Xavier NX, to be operational in space. Spiral Blue has received initial data from SE-1, having launched with Satellogic aboard a SpaceX…
Lockheed Martin Australia has been selected by the Department of Defence as the preferred bidder for Joint Project 9102 Ph.1, the $6.9 billion Australian Defence Satellite Communications System. JP9102 will provide the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with a sovereign military…
