The Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) released the Explore Approach to Market, approved by the Chief Defence Scientist, in November 2023.
The priority areas for Explore were Information Warfare (synthetic media and disinformation) and Quantum Technologies (all areas).
- Synthetic media and disinformation: Detecting and countering the effects of Artificial Intelligence-powered technologies that blur the line of what’s real through convincing and mass-scale fake video, imagery, audio and text.
- Quantum Technologies: Quantum enabled technologies in precision sensing, enhanced computational capability and secure communications which have the potential to provide capability advantage for Defence.
Milestones
ASCA received 179 white paper responses and those successful respondents were shortlisted from their white paper responses and invited to co-design work packages with Defence.
After an extensive tender evaluation process, 24 contracts with Australian universities and industry partners have been signed to undertake important long-term research that will benefit future Defence capability. These contracts are valued up to $3.3 million (GST Inclusive) over 3 years duration.
ASCA is leveraging national strengths with contract recipients comprising 11 universities and 11 industry partners from across Australia.
| Organisation | State | Contract value (including GST) |
|---|---|---|
| Analog Quantum Circuits | QLD | $3,299,967 |
| Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisations (CSIRO) | VIC | $1,530,969 |
| Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisations (CSIRO) | VIC | $2,564,864 |
| Consunet Pty Ltd | SA | $3,146,000 |
| DeteQt Pty Ltd | NSW | $3,287,143 |
| Diamond Defence | VIC | $3,215,991 |
| Infleqtion (Cold Quanta) | VIC | $3,300,000 |
| Lockheed Martin Australia – Advanced Systems Technology | VIC | $3,288,695 |
| Macquarie University | NSW | $3,292,673 |
| Monash University | VIC | $3,297,408 |
| Monash University | VIC | $3,170,864 |
| Nomad Atomics | VIC | $2,458,718 |
| Q-CTRL Pty Ltd | NSW | $3,275,371 |
| QuantX Labs | SA | $3,264,800 |
| QuantX Labs | SA | $3,146,007 |
| Silicon Quantum Computing Pty Ltd | NSW | $3,230,249 |
| University of Adelaide | SA | $1,800,500 |
| University of Adelaide | SA | $3,280,688 |
| University of New South Wales | NSW | $1,303,172 |
| University of New South Wales | NSW | $2,981,943 |
| University of South Australia | SA | $3,167,452 |
| University of Technology Sydney | NSW | $3,260,760 |
| University of Technology Sydney | NSW | $2,683,227 |
| University of Western Australia | WA | $2,071,070 |
Background
The Request for Proposal opened on 11 November 2023 through AusTender – Explore: Information Warfare and Quantum Technologies and closed on 9 February 2024.
A virtual marketing briefing was made available for academia and occurred on 27 November 2023.
Emerging and Disruptive Technologies is designed to test basic ideas and concepts, as well as investing in deeper long-term partnerships for nurturing critical research and development capability shaped by Defence’s future requirements.