The AUKUS trilateral security agreement recently announced between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America has shone the spotlight on Australia’s Defence capability.
Many new opportunities will arise from the AUKUS agreement – not to mention the possibility of other multi and bilateral partnerships, too. Now is the perfect time for local Queensland businesses and research institutes to ready themselves for these new opportunities.
Queensland’s Defence Strengths
Queensland has capability in key technology areas such as Quantum, AI and Deep Learning, Undersea Surveillance, Space, Hypersonics, Cyber Security, Tropical Health and Medicine, Simulation, Training, Test and Evaluation that will be important in these partnerships.
Here at QDSA, one of our primary goals is to create pathways to Defence, to bridge the gap between industry, academic research and the Australian Defence Force. Since launching in June 2021, we have already seen the acceleration of opportunities and collaborations across the state.
7 Things You Can Do to Get On Defence’s Radar
In order to capitalise on future opportunities and to access the growth potential that they could offer to your organisation or business, we suggest that you:
1. Prepare your capability statements and keep them updated as you expand your offerings.
2. Be active on relevant social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter so that your presence is visible across your industry.
3. Respond to Capability Call Outs. Many of these are also “Expressions of Interest” call outs that will highlight your capabilities for future reference too.
The Department of Defence has identified 8 key areas of focus and priority in its research strategy. These areas are responsible for driving the evolution of innovation pathways and have been given the title of STaR (Science, Technology and Research ) Shots.
Each StaR Shot has the overarching objective of equipping Defence to prevail in contested environments in its particular field.
These 8 STaR Shots are:
- Operating in CBRN environments
- Agile command and control
- Resilient multi-mission space
- Information warfare
- Disruptive weapon effects
- Battle-ready platforms
- Remote undersea surveillance
- Quantum-assured position, navigation and timing
Defence regularly announces Capability Call Outs for submissions aimed at building a robust network of industry and research specialists in each of the 8 key areas.
4. Regularly check our website for funding opportunities. We have pages dedicated to Federal and State Opportunities, Higher Degree Research (HDR) Capability Grants, and QDSA Funded opportunities.
5. Subscribe to the QDSA Newsletter. This way you will be the first to know when announcements are made.
6. If you’re a researcher – find out who your QDSA Defence Collaboration Coordinator (DCC) at your University is. There is one dedicated DCC in each of Queensland’s 7 key universities and provides a direct channel to our QDSA team. Make yourself known to them and express your interest to be involved in future opportunities.
7. Connect with QDSA Representatives. We have already shared several of the exciting collaborations and site visits over the past few months, but there are many more underway behind the scenes.
We welcome your contact and your invitations for site visits, and to connect industry with researchers. Reach out to us here.
Growth and Opportunity on The Horizon
Australia is home to a diverse talent pool and some of the finest minds in the world. The AUKUS trilateral security agreement is just one of a burgeoning number of opportunities for industry across Australia to showcase their capabilities and to contribute to Defence needs.
Don’t fly under the radar, make yourself known and get on ours! Now is the time to prepare so that you are known to Defence and ready to act when the next amazing project opens for submissions.
QDSA Upcoming Events and Opportunities
QDSA has many upcoming events and opportunities, with more being added each week. Want to find out what is on the horizon? Check out our News section on our website here or subscribe to our e-newsletter here.
For real-time events and information, be sure to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
The Queensland Defence Science Alliance (QDSA) is a university-led initiative to grow and connect an agile Defence innovation ecosystem, leveraging Queensland’s strengths, to deliver trusted solutions to meet Defence requirements.
