The Defence Innovation Hub has awarded four contracts in the latest tranche.
The contracts, worth $3.07 million, were announced by Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne.
“The Hub is committed to working with Australian industry to foster innovation at various levels of technological maturity, transitioning from concept exploration through to a mature, useable capability for the ADF,” Minister Pyne said.
The latest tranche of investment includes a $1.23 million contract with Saber Astronautics to further explore its innovation following a successful phase one contract with the Hub. This is the first Hub project to progress to the next phase of development since its launch in December 2016.
Clinical Universe won a $949,000 contract to explore a healthcare software capability to capture digital output from multiple ‘point of care’ devices and transfer it in standardised formats to relevant e-health systems. The proposed innovation could enable situational awareness of medical incidents, trends and patterns across geography and time.
Synthesis Technologies won a $519,000 contract to explore a high resolution mapping technology that could provide 3D situational awareness and mapping to Defence on a global scale, including in deep-water oceans. The proposed innovation could provide real-time visualisation streamed to Defence desktops, mobile devices, and virtual and augmented reality platforms.
Finally, SYPAQ Systems took out a $371,000 contract to explore a handheld imaging device capable of blending different types of imagery together in real time. The proposed innovation could be mounted on unmanned aerial systems and assist the ADF with the detection of improvised explosive devices.
Minister Pyne said the portfolio of Defence Innovation Hub projects was already addressing a wide spectrum of Defence gaps and opportunities to ensure that Defence remains resilient to emerging threats.
“The Government is committed to advancing defence capability through a $1.6 billion investment in defence industry and innovation over the decade to 2025–26, including around $640 million to support the development of innovative technologies through the Defence Innovation Hub,” Pyne said.