Australia Bets on AI, Quantum in New Defence Strategy
Synopsis
The 10-year plan aims to speed up the adoption of advanced technologies and deepen collaboration between Defence, industry and researchers.
Australia has unveiled a new Australia Defence Innovation Strategy, which outlines a 10-year plan to make Australia's defence research more competitive, more strategic, and more focused, with advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technologies, at its core.
The Defence Innovation, Science and Technology (IS&T) Strategy is announced on 4 August to help align research with Defence capability requirements and enhance co-ordination, integration and partnership between government, industry, universities and research organisations.
The strategy highlights six areas of priority technology: AI, autonomous systems, cyber, quantum technologies, advanced sensing and resilient communications.
It also extends the Defence Research Centre model and is informed by the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) created to support the transition of the industry to Defence capability, with competitive industry programs.
Strategy Aligns with Australia's Defence Investment
The Australia Defence Innovation Strategy is part of the government's overall 2024 National Defence Strategy which outlines Australia's strategic context as the most challenging since the Second World War.
It also enables the Integrated Investment Program to be implemented for 2024, in which the Australian Government will be spending approximately A$330 billion on defence capability over the decade to 2033-34.
The new plan will be designed to establish a more straightforward pathway from scientific research to operational capability and foster increased industry involvement from Australian businesses, universities and research institutions, the Department of Defence said in a statement. Rather than a single funding package, it is a long-term research agenda to inform future funding choices.
Global Defence Technology Spending Continues to Grow
As Governments boost investments in defence technology and innovation, Australia's roadmap arrives. The world's military spending has hit a new high of US$2.72 trillion in 2024, a 9.4% real-term increase from the previous year and the biggest one-year increase since the end of the Cold War, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The U.S. continued to be the world's biggest military spender at $997 billion, or about 37% of global defence spending. China was second with estimated US$314 billion, and Russia with US$149 billion. Australia remained one of the top 15 defence spenders, continuing to invest in emerging technologies, space, cyber and maritime.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said science and technology will continue to be a key component to Australia's defence capability, and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said there would be increased interaction with Australian industry to help drive future capability development.
The strategy offers a coordinated approach to assist Defence, academia and industry to target their research efforts to national capability priorities, said Chief Defence Scientist Professor Tanya Monro.
Source: InformationAGE
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
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