In an effort to bolster Australia’s defence capability and to better arm the Australian Defence Force (ADF), the Morrison Government will introduce 10 new Defence Innovation Hub contracts that will drive the innovative work of Australia’s research hubs.
“This latest tranche of investment in business and academia is worth more than $21 million,” said Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price.
“These contracts will enable the development of promising technologies that could help protect and sustain Australian personnel in the field.”
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a $3.7 million contract with Queensland company Downer EDI Engineering for technologies to counter improvised explosive devices;
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a $2.7 million contract with New South Wales company Spearpoint Solutions for a digital combat helmet; and
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$3.1 million in contracts with Victorian company Defendtex for next-generation body armour and a lightweight modular shotgun system.
Aside from the mentioned provisions, the Government will also begin investing in advanced power storage and generation technologies through a $3.3 million contract with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and a $1.8 million contract with Florestan Technology in New South Wales.
The contract will also allot $1.8 million for Techventure Investment and $1 million for researchers from the University of Western Australia to develop lightweight high-performance projection and secure communications system components, respectively.
“These investments demonstrate the importance of Defence’s partnership with the Australian defence industry and innovation sector, and how we can work together to improve capabilities and support available to our ADF personnel,” Price concluded.
