The Defence Science and Technology Group (DST Group) hosted the Emerging and Disruptive Technology Assessment Symposium (EDTAS) on Human Biotechnologies on May 3 and 4.
ETDAS is funded under the Defence Industry & Innovation Next Generation Technologies Fund and aims to explore a science and technology subject which may have a major impact for Defence and national security in twenty or thirty years’ time.
The two day human biotechnologies symposium was held at the Adelaide Zoo and hosed by DST Group in partnership with the University of Adelaide and Neotic. Keynote addresses were delivered by Chief Defence Scientist Dr. Alex Zelinsky (via video link from Canberra) and Brigadier Craig Schramm, Director General Health Capability, and they were followed by a series of presentations from experts in the field of human biotechnologies from across academia.
“We have great people working in our organisation, but we don’t employ all the best people in the country and so it’s really important for us to have the very best advice on where technologies move, particularly disruptive technologies,” Dr. Zelinsky said. “So technology fore-sighting and horizon scanning has become a critical function for us. We’re trying to understand the strategic environment we’re finding ourselves in and the opportunities for science and technology to make a difference.”
The symposium was divided into two parts, the first day considering what human measurement technologies might exist in 2040 and the second looking at human modification technologies which may have the potential to enhance or degrade human performance or resilience.
Measurement technologies under consideration included bioinformatics (mathematical and computer science techniques of understanding human data); biochemistry, genomics, nano-robotics and bio-sensing technology. Human modification technologies canvassed included metabolic engineering; genetic engineering, delivery systems and physiological enhancement and augmentation.
“EDTAS is our vehicle by which we start to look into and assess game changing possibilities for Defence and what we are seeking to do with game changing technologies is either to create strategic surprise or prevent strategic surprise,” Dr. Zelinsky added.
“It’s clear that disruption will occur through technology and so we need to be at the forefront of that, and that’s part of the reason we’re sponsoring these workshops. For Defence we’re always looking for an unfair competitive advantage and are there ways to use human biotechnologies to make our warfighters more resilient, healthier and potentially superior to the opposition?”
A more detailed report from EDTAS will appear in the July issue of ADM.