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Professor Tanya Monro AC will deliver a landmark keynote address at the Australian Defence Industry Accelerator Summit on 16 July 2026, bringing the nation’s most senior scientific voice to one of the year’s most important gatherings of defence industry SMEs.
Australia’s Chief Defence Scientist, Professor Tanya Monro AC, will take the stage at the Australian Defence Industry Accelerator Summit 2026, delivering a keynote address centred on innovation, strategic partnerships and building the next generation of Australian defence capability.
Monro’s participation signals the growing recognition that Australia’s small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) industrial base is not peripheral to the nation’s defence science agenda, it is central to it.
Her address is expected to explore how innovation ecosystems, collaborative research partnerships and emerging technologies are reshaping what sovereign defence capability looks like in practice and what that means for Australian businesses operating across the sector.
Steve Kuper, Defence & Aerospace Lead at Momentum Markets, said securing Monro for the summit reflected both the calibre of the event and the urgency of the conversation.
“Having Australia’s Chief Defence Scientist in the room sends an unambiguous message – that innovation and industry capability are inseparable,” Kuper said. “Professor Monro brings a perspective that cuts across government, academia and industry, and that’s exactly what our attendees need to hear.”
Kuper said Monro’s keynote would complement the summit’s broader focus on practical SME growth, giving smaller businesses a clearer line of sight to where Australia’s long-term defence science and capability investment was heading.
“For an SME trying to position itself for the next five to 10 years, understanding the Chief Defence Scientist’s priorities isn’t just interesting – it’s a strategic advantage.”
Monro’s keynote adds significant weight to an already compelling program, which includes sessions on defence finance, supply chain access, geopolitical risk and prime contractor engagement.
The Australian Defence Industry Accelerator Summit 2026 takes place on Thursday, 16 July 2026. Secure your place by purchasing tickets here.
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