Nine companies win $28 million in Defence Innovation Hub contracts
Nine companies have won Defence Innovation Hub contracts worth $28 million, including Newcastle-based BlueZone Group Pty Limited which won the second biggest contract ever awarded by the Hub, worth $7.1 Million.
BlueZone will develop a new unmanned surface vehicle based on its Wave Glider USV that can be integrated into Australia’s future frigates. The platform can accommodate a range of sensor and communications payloads that could broaden the capabilities of RAN ships by extending their situational awareness while deployed on operations.
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said about 84 % of Defence Innovation Hub investment has now been with Australian SMEs and research organisations.
“I’m delighted to see the Defence Innovation Hub continuing to provide Australian businesses with opportunities that could enhance Defence capability,” Minister Price said.
QinetiQ was awarded a $4.8 million contract to develop an innovative technology that could be used to better regulate air quality in submarines. This system has the potential to offer significant improvements on existing systems by significantly reducing size, weight and power requirements.
Thales Australia is developing its Blue Sentry autonomous sonar system to expand Australia’s surveillance capabilities in the maritime domain. This will be integrated with the OCIUS autonomous Bluebottle technology being developed through the Hub. Thales Australia has had a long association with OCIUS and the Bluebottle project.
“These contracts demonstrate the significant investment the Government is making in game-changing maritime technologies for our Navy,” Minister Price said.
| Organisation | State | Contract Value
(GST incl.) |
Description of innovation |
| BlueZone Group (UVS) | NSW | $7.1 million | BlueZone group is developing a sophisticated unmanned surface vehicle that can be integrated into Australia’s future frigates. The platform can accommodate a range of payloads that could broaden the capabilities of Royal Australian Navy ships by extending their situational awareness while deployed on operations. |
| QinetiQ | ACT | $4.8 million | QinetiQ is developing an innovative technology that will help to regulate air quality inside submarines. This new system has the potential to offer improvements over existing systems by significantly reducing size, weight and power requirements. |
| Thales Australia Limited | NSW | $3.8 million
|
Thales is developing its Blue Sentry autonomous sonar system that will seek to expand Australia’s surveillance capabilities in the maritime domain. This system will be integrated with the OCIUS autonomous Bluebottle technology being developed through the Hub. |
| Silentium Pty Ltd | SA | $3.5 million | Silentium is continuing to develop its space surveillance passive radar technology. This new contract will allow Silentium to demonstrate a more mature and capable sensor in support of Defence space domain awareness. |
| Armor Composite Engineering | NSW | $3.2 million | ACE is continuing to develop its innovative curved body armour that can be worn by both male and female soldiers. This high quality material has the potential to greatly improve the safety of the wearer by reducing the likelihood of injury from ill-fitting body armour. |
| Defendtex Research Labs | VIC | $2.1 million | Defendtex is developing an enhanced drone platform that can be used across a range of operating environments. This technology has the potential to improve the safety of ADF personnel deployed on operations. |
| Mission Systems Pty Ltd | NSW | $2.1 million | Mission Systems is developing its mine neutralisation technology that seeks to enhance the safety of ADF personnel in the maritime domain. |
| Prism Systems Pty Ltd | SA | $925,000 | Prism Systems is developing and demonstrating an integrated capability solution for the Royal Australian Navy. This innovation seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of ship and aviation system integration flight trials through automating processes, analysis, recording, and reporting of data. |
| Spiral Blue Pty Ltd | NSW | $640,000 | Spiral Blue is developing a cutting-edge satellite imagery processing system capable of monitoring large geographic areas. This system offers great potential for ADF border security and surveillance operations by integrating an artificial intelligence system capable of analysing large amounts of data. |