Submarines, industrial policy and frontier technology


James Riley
Editorial Director

Silicon Quantum Computing chief executive Michelle Simmons and Australia’s Ambassador to the United States Arthur Sinodinos are among the heavyweight speakers to join a special panel discussion on the industrial development opportunities of the new submarines program.

The Australian government decision to drop plans to acquire diesel-electric Barracuda submarines from the French in favour of nuclear-powered submarines from the US and Britain – via the new AUKUS arrangement – has put a spotlight on industrial policy.

The opportunities for Australia, if it actively chooses to pursue them, goes well beyond the jobs for welders and mechanics in our shipyards. AUKUS is a technology-sharing agreement that includes not only the nuclear propulsion technology, but also – in the short and medium term – in cyber, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.

Australia’s industry and innovation heavyweights

Where is Australia placing its big bets to leverage existing research leadership? Where does Australia already have comparative advantage, and where will it partner to augment home-grown capability?

Quantum, artificial intelligence, 5G, advanced manufacturing, robotics and automation, and critical mineral processing are all part of this mix.

Join us at 10am AEDT on October 19 for this important panel session CAPABILITY: Submarines, Industrial Development, and Future Technologies. Speakers on this program include:

  • The Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO, Australia’s Ambassador to the United States of America
  • The Hon. Steven Marshall, Premier of South Australia
  • Professor Tanya Monro, Chief Defence Scientist, Department of Defence
  • Professor Michelle Simmons AO, CEO & Founder at Silicon Quantum Computing, Director at ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology
  • Rear Admiral Lee Goddard , RAN, Head of Partnerships & Operations at Minderoo Foundation
  • Rob Le Busque, Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific at Verizon Business Group
  • Adrian Beer, Chief Executive, METS Ignited
  • Jens Goennemann, Managing Director, Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre

This discussion is less about submarines and geopolitics, and more about industry development and technology opportunity.

It has been designed to promote a discussion about the policy settings that will enable Australian companies to mobilise and build strategically important and commercially valuable intellectual property.

“There is a lot to be learned previous Defence/Industry initiatives that can maximise benefits to Australia, in job creation in advanced technologies and in the creation of commercially valuable, locally-held IP,” said InnovationAus publisher Corrie McLeod.

“This is a fundamentally important discussion. While it is held against a back-drop of geostrategic realignment, our focus for this event is on creating the industrial policies that can help Australia build economically valuable and strategically important industries of the future,” Ms McLeod said.

Places are limited, so please secure your virtual seat today.

This is an InnovationAus presentation in partnership with Verizon Business Group.

Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.

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