In a boost for Australia’s defence and security start-up ecosystem, UNSW Canberra has launched ProtoHub – a collaborative prototyping, fabrication and innovation hub, providing industry with affordable access to advanced manufacturing technologies, specialist equipment and technical expertise.
UNSW Canberra has long been a leader in Australian defence and security research, building on 50 years of local collaboration with the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
The campuses are home to the university’s Defence Research Institute and Launch initiative, bringing together industry, government and university to grow innovation and capability across the sector.
ProtoHub is the latest addition to the university’s capabilities, allowing start-ups, SMEs, researchers, and industry partners to reduce the cost and risk of product development, by removing the need for major upfront capital investment in equipment and manufacturing capability.
The facility will be led by engineering manager Matt Barrett, who told ADM the development was informed by lessons gathered from decades of UNSW experience in defence and security research.
“We’ve designed ProtoHub for the defence and security ecosystem here. The equipment and instrumentation was selected with input from the UNSW Launch members, and we’ve already had interest from companies outside of Launch as word begins to spread,” he said.
The facility will enable businesses to rapidly design, prototype, test, and refine products in a hands-on, innovation-focused environment – using capabilities such as computer automated machining, 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics fabrication, and specialist testing equipment to support agile development and faster commercialisation.
UNSW Canberra Dean and Rector, Emma Sparks, spoke at the official launch of ProtoHub on 15 July, saying the facility is one of the largest spaces of its kind in Australia.
“Besides the amazing technology and its size, what really makes Protohub so special is that it was co-designed with Canberra businesses, including several from our Launch initiative,” she said.
“From the beginning, we worked closely with local industry to understand the challenges that organisations are facing when trying to innovate and deliver a product to market. Those businesses told us that they needed access to equipment, technical expertise, training, and collaborative spaces, without the significant upfront investment that can often come with product development. ProtoHub is our response to that need.”
Alongside advanced equipment, ProtoHub will also provide access to technical mentoring, hands-on training, professional workshop services, and pathways for businesses to engage with students through industry projects, internships, and real-world problem-solving.
“ProtoHub is a key part of our vision for UNSW Canberra City as a collaborative innovation ecosystem,” Sparks added.
ProtoHub will complement UNSW Canberra City’s Large-scale Indoor Robotics Test Arena (LIRTA), one of the largest indoor test flight facilities in Australia. It provides a motion-capture-enabled indoor environment for high-precision experimentation, aiming to accelerate the development, testing and scaling of advanced autonomous platforms and human-machine interaction.
UNSW has also recently begun construction on its new Canberra City Precinct, which ProtoHub and the Defence Research Institute will expand into upon its completion in 2028.