Under the Trailblazer program, 14 Australian universities and 228 industry partners have co-invested a total of $1.02 billion to build new research capabilities and drive commercialisation outcomes at speed and scale, to accelerate Australia’s innovation agenda.
Defence Trailblazer has updated its Priority Theme Roadmaps, highlighting the capabilities being developed across our programs and charting a path to meeting the Australian Defence Force’s sovereign capability requirements for the future. The development of these Roadmaps has involved engagement with Defence, industry and academic partners, both through one-on-one sessions and collective workshops.
Today we hosted a fantastic group of academics, professional staff, and industry representatives who came together to explore the challenges and opportunities in academic-industry publishing. A special thank you to our incredible guest speakers: Professor Jonathan Morris – Pro Vice Chancellor Research Training and Dean of Graduate Research, UNSW, Trevina Naidoo – Commercialisation Operations Manager, UNSW, Associate Professor Shane Keating – School of Mathematics and Statistics, UNSW and Dr Warren McKenzie – Managing Director, HB11 Energy
In the rapidly evolving landscape of defence technology, it is crucial to be ahead of the curve. The AUKUS Innovation Challenge is now in its second year, with the 2025 competition focusing on maritime innovation for undersea Command, Control, and Communications (C3). The competition demonstrates the need for advanced skills and knowledge in this area. For defence industry Primes and SMEs who have submitted a bid for the challenge, it is now an ideal time to ensure your team is up to date with the latest Combat Systems Engineering knowledge.
In today’s rapidly evolving defence landscape, mastering C4ISREW (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Electronic Warfare) technology is essential for professionals seeking to lead in strategic and operational roles. As modern battlefields become increasingly digitised and interconnected, the demand for experts who understand the full spectrum of C4ISREW capabilities is soaring.
Inovor Technologies, a leading Australian provider of sovereign satellite mission solutions, is partnering with the University of Adelaide to develop a small satellite that will demonstrate cutting-edge super-resolution imaging technology in space. The project is supported by funding from the Defence Trailblazer’s Technology Development & Acceleration program.
UBIQUT Pty Ltd, established by Out The Back (OTB) Ventures, and its university partner UNSW are developing low-cost organic quantum sensors that surpass the limitations of traditional magnetic field sensors. Funded by Defence Trailblazer’s Accelerating Sovereign Industrial Capabilities (ASIC) program, the project will develop a field deployable prototype for tactical sensing in challenging areas.
Defence Trailblazer has seen a strong start to 2025, with 35 industry-led projects contracted to fast-track the translation of defence research & development (R&D) activities, and 19 further projects in the pipeline. The projects involve 26 different industry partners and represent $135M of R&D activities aligned to Australian Defence requirements in areas of strategic priority.