The Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) launched its inaugural Pitch Day in July 2024, at the Australian Defence, Science, Technology and Research Summit (ADSTAR) Summit 2024.
The Pitch Day took the form as an Expression of Interest (EOI) and sought responses to the theme Innovative Asymmetric Advantage.
Asymmetric Advantage refers to military capabilities that pit strength against weakness and disrupt a potential adversary’s decision calculus.
Innovative in the context of ASCA and this activity, it is to be interpreted as unique, novel, and non-obvious advancements that could lead to achieving a game changing advantage to a published Defence priority.
Milestones
Following the initial ASCA Pitch Day, 8 respondents were invited to respond to a follow-on Request for Proposal and elaborate on their innovative technologies.
In November 2025, ASCA entered into contracts with 3 Australian organisations, Adelaide University, Blue Ocean Marine Tech Systems and Cytophenix, injecting a combined $2.1 million (excluding GST) into advanced research and technology.
Background
As outlined in the 2024 Defence Industry Development Strategy, pitch days will allow industry and academia to present their ideas to Defence, allowing for insights into new capabilities and innovations.
ASCA’s Pitch Days seek to provide industry and academia the opportunity to pitch their innovative technologies to senior Defence officials and members of the broader defence ecosystem.
Down-selected respondents were invited on 5 July 2024 to respond to an EOI through AusTender – ASCA Pitch Day 2024 and the EOI closed on 22 July 2024.