Australia’s defence industry plays a critical role in the security of the nation amid growing geostrategic and technological challenges, but it is also a powerhouse of innovation and productivity.
In the last seven years, the defence industry’s contribution to the Australian economy grew from $6.2 billion to $10.6 billion, significantly outpacing growth in the broader economy, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
And with a new licence-free environment for defence trade arriving next month, and a changing procurement attitude at the Defence department, defence and dual-tech companies are well placed for future growth.
The arrival of Australia’s space treaty with the United States last month also opens the door to regular space launches by US companies and government agencies from Australian soil.
It is no surprise then that the Defence, Dual-Use Technology and Space category, sponsored by Q-CTRL, was hotly contested in the InnovationAus 2024 Awards for Excellence.
The finalists in this category are:
- Fivecast (also a finalist in the AI Industry Pioneer category)
- HB11 Energy
- Equatorial Launch Australia
- Diraq
The InnovationAus Awards for Excellence winners and finalists will be celebrated at a black-tie gala dinner at The Venue Alexandria in Sydney on Wednesday October 30. You can book your tickets here.
Behind the finalists:
Fivecast is an Adelaide-based company that develops solutions capable of sifting through unprecedented amounts of digital data. Its Matrix solution builds on its open source intelligence solution, Onyx, for automated, ongoing background checks.
HB11 Energy is developing commercially viable fusion energy technology, which it claims has a much lower environmental impact than fossil fuels or other clean energy sources like solar or wind. It relies on Boron-based fuel pellets the size of a pea.
Equatorial Launch Australia is a team of launch experts and aerospace engineers from Adelaide whose aim is to become the country’s preeminent, multi-user space launch company.
Diraq is a world-leading builder of quantum processors, having invented and patented the revolutionary technology of using electron spins in CMOS quantum dots a decade ago in Sydney.
Since their inception in 2021, the InnovationAus Awards for Excellence continue to spotlight pioneering companies that are driving innovation within this all-important category.
The judging criteria centres on five focus areas that are vital to success: commercial success, translation of intellectual property (IP), the company’s impact on its sector, non-R&D innovations, and applied technologies.
Now in its fourth year, the 2024 awards are supported by the Australian Computer Society, Investment NSW, Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Technology Council of Australia, TechnologyOne, National Artificial Intelligence Centre, CSIRO’s ON Innovation Program, Reason Group, Q-CTRL, University of New South Wales, and IP Australia.
If you are looking for brand exposure in front Australia’s tech ecosystem, purchase a table of 10 for the InnovationAus 2024 Awards for Excellence and have your logo displayed on screens across the venue and in the event program as a table sponsor.
Protecting your great ideas with IP rights can lead to lasting benefits for your growing business. IP refers to creations of the mind, such as a brand, logo, invention, design or artistic work. Head to the IP Australia website to find out more about IP, and how it might help your business.
Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.