On Tuesday August 2, 2022, QDSA, in partnership with Griffith University, hosted the Queensland Griffith Cyber Showcase with special guests including Dr Gareth Parker and Mr Suneel Randhawa from the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), and Ms Jade Demnar from Australian Signals Directorate.
In this recap, we cover the increasing importance of Cyber, notable presentations from the day and reflections on the event.
Facilitating Communication between Industry, Research, and Defence
Communication is one of three key strategic pillars of the Queensland Defence Science Alliance. Through communication, our member universities, researchers, industry, and defence stakeholders can collaborate and connect with one another, helping to fast-track the development of innovative sovereign capability right here in Australia.
University showcase events are just one of the many ways QDSA champions communication between stakeholders. These showcases enable knowledge-sharing between Universities, Industry, and Defence stakeholders, but also a greater understanding of the different resources, capabilities, facilities, and innovations developed but often not widely known about.
Showcasing Queensland’s Cyber Capability
Of the five warfare operational domains (Air, Sea, Land, Space, and Cyber), Cyber is regarded as the most crucial domain to develop. It is a key vector in increasing the sovereign capability of Defence due to its ubiquity, the potential for asymmetric advantage (or disadvantage), and the speed of technological change.
Showcasing Queensland’s Cyber research capability enables the connection of leading local researchers and industry experts to Defence personnel. It allows each stakeholder to not only connect, but potentially open new channels for collaboration and partnerships – and in this case, specifically in the realm of Cyber initiatives.
Cyber Showcase Format
Acting Director of QDSA, Dr. Jeremy Anderson, and Griffith Professor Adam Findlay, kicked off the program with a warm welcome. This was followed by the opening remarks of the following guest representatives:
- Dr. Gareth Parker / Mr Suneel Randhawa – DSTG
- Ms. Jade Demnar – ASD
Mr. Suneel Randhawa described how the event brought about a sense of mutual commitment to take on the challenge of Cyber.
“The event brought out a mature understanding of the importance, opportunity, and challenge of cyber for the nation and a strong sense of mutual commitment in ensuring we can meet it. This bodes well for an enduring partnership,” he stated.
In addition, Dr. Gareth Parker commented on his optimism forthe building on Queensland Universities’ partnership with Defence.
“The event was excellent. It provided reinforcement to me of my earlier exposure to the QLD universities and was an important step toward building a sustainable relationship with them in cyber. I was excited to hear of the level of interest the QLD universities showed in partnering with Defence. I’m looking forward to building on that,” he said.
After the opening remarks were given, the Cyber showcases began. Presentations were delivered by:
- Ass. Prof. Ernest Foo – Griffith Cyber
- Leonie Simpson – QUT Cyber
- Mark Utting and Guangdong Bai – UQ Cyber
Following this, several industry representatives took to the stage to share updates on the cyber innovations currently developing within their respective organisations. Presenters included:
- Troy Lockett and Dom Gorse – QCIF
- Melissa Nugent and Cori Stewart – ARMHub
- Helge Janicke – Cyber Security CRC
The Cyber presentations were then followed by discussions and a Q&A session before attendees refuelled over a networking lunch.
The day concluded with a tour of the Griffith University Nathan Campus.
Judging by the positive feedback from attendees, the event was a resounding success. But as always, the true value and outcomes may not be known for months as new connections and partnerships were formed.
QDSA is proud to continue to bring together Industry, Research, and Defence personnel to collaborate and explore the ever-growing sector of Cyberspace and its potential use case for improving Australia’s sovereign capabilities. Find out more about our upcoming showcases and events here
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.
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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.
