This morning, UNSW Canberra welcomed the Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Science and Technology, the Honourable Melissa Price MP, to the second annual Launch on Northbourne Showcase event.

The online event highlighted the collaborators of UNSW Canberra’s Launch on Northbourne initiative – an innovation ecosystem where academics, businesses, government and the ACT community come together to develop defence and security capability, talent and technology.

The MC, Canberra Innovation CEO Petr Adamek, welcomed eight Australian SMEs who presented their capabilities and latest innovations to government and had the opportunity to speak to the Minister directly.

The businesses – Point River Networks, Viden, Skykraft, Penten, Infinity Avionics, Ascent Professional Services, Cognitive Advantage and Fifth Domain – reflected on their experiences at Launch on Northbourne, which included hiring students, establishing research projects and building valuable relationships.

The pitching session was followed by a presentation of virtual exhibitor booths, providing each of the collaborators with an opportunity to have further conversations with attendees.

UNSW Canberra Acting Rector Harvi Sidhu said the presentations exemplified the mission of Launch – a space for industry-leading organisations, showcasing cutting-edge technology and human driven solutions.

“Since its inception in 2019, UNSW Canberra’s collaborative concept has grown in to a second location, developed new makerspaces and realised countless fruitful opportunities, not only for our industry collaborators, but for the University and for government,” Professor Sidhi said.

Defence is a key focus for the University, which has been educating the Australian Defence Force for 50 years and is the home of the Defence Research Institute.

Launch on Northbourne is a precursor to the University’s Defence and Security Innovation Precinct, which will be established at the new UNSW Canberra City campus.

Find out more about Launch on Northbourne.