Media Releases

A South Australian Government space industry grant will accelerate the commercialisation of new thermal energy technology being developed by an SA company, to help spacecraft and their systems withstand the extreme low temperatures on the moon. Local innovator, entX has secured $200,000 under Round 2 of the South Australian Space Collaboration and Innovation Fund to help fast-track the development of its innovative space technology, by collaborating with leading international lunar exploration company, ispace. entX has developed a prototype of its radioisotope heating unit (RHU), a device that protects spacecraft components and systems [...]

Four cutting-edge projects have each received $150,000 under the latest round of the Defence Innovation Partnership’s Collaborative Research Fund (CRF). The initiatives, which involve collaboration between South Australian and national partners across Defence, industry and academia, promise to deliver advanced technologies for Defence applications, while generating economic benefits for the state. Among the successful projects, is research that seeks to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of naval port operations by addressing challenges posed by the accumulation of microorganisms, such as algae, on naval ships and docks. The biofilm project, led by Flinders [...]

Three groundbreaking defence innovation projects are set to share in a $2.4 million funding injection, under the latest rounds of the State Government’s Defence Innovation Partnership’s Activator Fund. The new initiatives are tackling some of the critical challenges facing the Australian Defence Force and are set to transform how Australia leverages technology and expertise to protect national security and maintain a strategic edge. The Activator Fund is designed to enable large-scale research and development and accelerate the transition of technology into operational Defence capabilities, in line with the nation’s Defence priorities and [...]

South Australia’s leadership in defence research is being recognised with an $18 million dollar funding boost from the Federal Government. Our State is once again punching above its weight, receiving almost a third of the $60 million dollars up for grabs under the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator’s (ASCA) Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDT) program. This round of the Federal Government program is aimed at advancing quantum and counter disinformation technologies, for example, enhancing the accuracy and resilience of Defence’s communications systems or developing tools to detect and respond to deliberate spreading of [...]

Applications are now open for the eighth round of the Defence Innovation Partnership’s Collaborative Research Fund (CRF), with grants of up to $150,000 available. The Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) supports collaboration across government, universities and industry as a catalyst for defence-relevant research, development and innovation. To date, the CRF has supported 35 projects, providing more than $3.4 million in financial support from state government, leveraging $10.8million from Commonwealth, industry, and university contributions. Round 7 saw six projects awarded a total of $900,000 in funding for research projects aligned to Defence priorities and [...]

The Defence Innovation Partnership will soon be accepting applications from South Australian industry and researchers under the latest round of its Activator Fund, with a total of $2.4m available. Launched in 2023, Activator is designed to speed up the translation of innovative defence technology into real world capability for the Australian Defence Force. Defence SA Chief Executive Matt Opie said the themes for the latest round of projects had been chosen to ensure alignment with the priorities of the Defence Strategic Review and National Defence Strategy. “The current geopolitical environment is presenting [...]

New space innovation fund to drive industry growth Susan Close MP Deputy Premier Minister for Defence and Space Industries A new State Government fund offering grants of up to $100,000 for the development of innovative space capability is being launched today. The SA Space Collaboration and Innovation Fund will seek applications from South Australian-based start-ups and small businesses in collaboration with at least one international partner organisation, with an emphasis on NewSpace technology. The first round will support projects that are focussed on proof-of-concept or delivery of space capability and have a [...]

Six projects have received a total of nearly $900,000 in funding for the seventh round of the Defence Innovation Partnership’s Collaborative Research Fund (CRF). Supporting genuine collaboration across government, the university sector and industry, the CRF is a catalyst for defence-relevant research, development and innovation. Defence SA’s Acting Chief Executive Reg Carruthers said the calibre of applications is continuing to increase each round. “The applications received were of an incredibly high quality, and from across a variety of themes, which is demonstrative of the depth of research and industry expertise in South [...]

A new $1.6 million State Government funded project will help to boost the Royal Australian Navy’s undersea surveillance capability. The project - Enhancing the RAN's Undersea Surveillance Minimum Viable Capability - aims to improve operational performance by increasing the accuracy and range of automatic detection, tracking, and localisation of undersea threats. Undersea surveillance operates in challenging ocean environments and with an increasing number of advanced undersea vessels in operation, it’s imperative our Navy has the best possible systems in place. Defence software firm Acacia Systems have been selected to lead the project [...]

Applications are now being sought to receive funding from Defence Innovation Partnership’s Collaborative Research Fund (CRF). Successful applicants will receive grants of up to $150,000 to support genuine collaboration across government, universities and industry for early-stage defence-relevant research, development and innovation. The CRF was established in 2018 to support research partnerships between industry, academia and Defence, across a wide range of disciplines. Now in its seventh round of funding, the CRF has provided almost $4 million in funding to 29 South Australian-based projects. Deputy Premier of South Australia and Minister for Defence and Space Industries Susan Close said [...]

A research project that will utilise satellite technology to aid in disaster response is one of four initiatives to receive funding in the latest round of grants from the Defence Innovation Partnership’s Collaborative Research Fund (CRF). The research activity will introduce a new technique for satellite-based connectivity for emergency services and Defence personnel in hazardous environments when ground-based communications network infrastructure is unavailable. Small, low power beacons will improve the collection of live data from incidents and allow for timely distribution of information across response teams. Adelaide space start-up Safety from Space will lead the project with partners Flinders [...]

A new virtual reality tool that manipulates digital human mannequins to address the unique ergonomic challenges posed by military vessels is one of five cutting-edge ventures to receive funding as part of the latest round of grants from the Defence Innovation Partnership’s Collaborative Research Fund (CRF). The University of South Australia, with partners The University of Adelaide and Kadego-Cadgile, will develop the VR tool, which will enable the easy and effective assessment of designs for complex, high risk environments, including submarines. Announcing this year’s recipients, Premier Steven Marshall said the CRF was proving to be an important gateway to successful [...]