In February, DMTC returned to Canberra for its 2024 Annual Conference.
Bringing together individuals from across the defence innovation and science & technology ecosystems, the aim of this year’s Annual Conference was to highlight significant advancements in Australia’s sovereign industrial capability while celebrating the collaborative efforts of individuals, teams and partners from across DMTC’s diverse portfolio of programs and projects.
The Conference also served as a forum for broader strategic discussions, including reflections on the implications of the Defence Strategic Review and associated initiatives, how stakeholders can best manage this period of transition and uncertainty, and overcoming the practical hurdles confronting the defence sector in delivering asymmetric capability.
The CEO of Australian biotech company Sementis Limited, Dr Anne Collins, has been honoured with the Collaboration Award at the DMTC Annual Conference for 2024.
Often described as the MVP Award, the Collaboration Award honours a leader who embodies the spirit of collaboration that is integral to DMTC’s strategic intent and outlook.
Australia’s defence industry is grappling with the rapid evolution of technology. But despite the challenges posed, opportunities abound for companies, big and small, to enhance their international competitiveness, efficiency and workforce outcomes. One of a number of ways DMTC is bolstering Australia’s sovereign industrial base is by equipping Australian small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) to leverage Industry 4.0 technologies. DMTC’s Education program reinforces this objective by exposing undergraduate engineering, computer science and software development students to work experience supporting these SMEs as they seek to digitise their manufacturing operations.
With support from the Defence Science Institute (DSI) and Australian Industry Group (AI Group), DMTC has facilitated numerous internships for third or fourth-year undergraduate students. The interns are a critical part of the DMTC team delivering the Smart Enough® Factory (SEF) program. DMTC invited Morgan Brown and Wyatt Clancy, two interns from our SEF cohorts, to share their thoughts on the internship experience. It’s clear that participation in the program has sparked interest in pursuing future roles within Australia’s defence industry.
At the recent International Maritime Conference (IMC) 2023, conducted in parallel to the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition, the prestigious Bob Campbell Prize for best paper was awarded to “The Impacts of Operational Environments on Blast Survivability and Operational Performance”, presented by Blake Burgess from the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG).
DMTC Ltd would like to congratulate all involved and is proud to have played a role in this important work by conducting a collaborative program involving partners ANSTO, Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), Swinburne University of Technology and the Australian Maritime College on an extensive Life of Type Evaluation program. This program assessed the performance of ship structures through high strain rate and fatigue tests, simulations and physical tests of blast performance. The program produced key data inputs into the DSTG Life of Type Evaluation and Capability Assessment tool discussed in the paper.
Congratulations once again to Blake and the team for their outstanding efforts in producing this paper. Their dedication has not only contributed to the field, but also champions the critical capability they are working to develop.
