Defence Innovation Portal

Welcome to the Defence Innovation Portal - connecting industry and research organisations with Defence innovation investment opportunities.

Defence welcomes your innovative ideas, no matter how big or small. You don't have to represent a multinational firm. If you have your own business, belong to a think-tank, or anything in-between, Defence wants to hear from you. Proposals are accepted all year round.

The Defence innovation system is built around two signature programs:

These two programs have been designed to support, respectively, the research and development aspects of innovation. The focus of the Next Gen Tech Fund is on research and emerging technologies, including those that are expected to deliver on a time horizon that may be greater than ten years. The Defence Innovation Hub is focused on the development and maturation of technology into a commercialised product and acquisition.

Put simply, the Next Gen Tech Fund focuses on research and the Defence Innovation Hub focuses on development.

About Defence innovation and research

Driving Australian innovation is a critical element of the Government’s vision for the nation. The Government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda released in December 2015 will incentivise and reward innovation, entrepreneurship and risk taking.

Defence's approach to innovation complements the Government’s broader strategy. The increasing pace of geopolitical, economic and technological change means it is critical that Defence ensures it has continued access to the best innovation Australia has to offer.

Investment in innovation helps to ensure Defence remains resilient to emerging threats, including the possible use of disruptive technologies by adversaries. It also enables us to take advantage of new or developing areas of technology that have the potential to provide a capability edge for Australia’s relatively small force.

Australia’s SMEs, research institutions and academics have a track record of producing some of the world’s most innovative technologies. The Defence innovation programs intend to make it easier for industry and Defence to innovate together.

An overview of the Defence Innovation System

Diagram shows how to access the Defence innovation system. Tile 1 depicts the types of participants that could access the Defence Innovation System, ie Small to medium enterprises, primes, research institutions, academia and think tanks. Tile 2 depicts the CDIC. Business advisers in the CDIC will work with you to help you to put your best foot forward when you want to submit an innovation proposal to Defence. Tile 3 depicts the Defence Innovation System which contains the Defence Innovation Hub and the Next Generation Technologies Fund. The system is driven by Defence Capability Priorities and underpinned by 1.6 billion dollars in Government funding.

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