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South Australian researchers, universities and businesses will have new opportunities to develop Defence-relevant technologies through an expanded suite of Defence Innovation Partnership funding programs.
The South Australian government is committing $10 million over four years to expand DIP’s funding programs, creating more opportunities for South Australian organisations to lead collaborative projects and build partnerships with Defence, industry, academia and international partners.
Across all three funding programs, projects must be led by a South Australian university or industry partner and include significant collaboration across universities, industry and Defence.
The largest program, the Activator Fund, will provide up to $1.6 million in funding each round to support larger-scale research and development projects and accelerate the translation of innovative technology into real-world Defence capability.
Applications are now open for the next Activator Fund round which will focus on counter-uncrewed aerial system technologies, identified as a strategic priority for Defence. To learn more and apply, visit the Defence Innovation Partnership website.
The Collaborator Fund, an evolution of the former Collaborative Research Fund, will open in October and support up to two projects each year, with up to $400,000 available per project for Defence-aligned research.
This year’s Collaborator themes are space-based advanced threat warning and artificial intelligence and information resilience, reflecting emerging priorities for Defence.
Early 2027, DIP will also launch the Connector Fund, a new program designed to help South Australian researchers and industry establish collaborations with international partners to address Defence-priority challenges.
Defence Innovation Partnership director Sumen Rai said the expanded funding suite would provide complementary pathways for South Australian organisations at different stages of innovation.
“The Defence Innovation Partnership provides a proven pathway for Defence, researchers and industry to work together on complex challenges and develop solutions with a clear pathway to impact,” Rai said.
“Activator, Collaborator and the new Connector Fund provide complementary opportunities for South Australian researchers and organisations to lead projects, develop their capabilities and build new partnerships.”
An example of the capability DIP funding can help develop is a project aimed at strengthening the resilience of Australia’s ports against major cyber attacks and extreme weather events.
Funded through the Collaborative Research Fund in January 2025, the project developed software that simulates real-world scenarios, allowing port operators to train in how to collaborate and respond to cyber incidents and extreme weather events in real time.
The project brought together expertise from Flinders University, Defence Science and Technology Group, PrioriAnalytica and Adelaide University, demonstrating how collaboration between South Australian research organisations, industry and Defence can address complex security challenges.
The technology also has the potential to be adapted to support the protection and resilience of other critical infrastructure, including Defence precincts and hospitals.
Associate Professor Elena Sitnikova from Flinders University said the project highlighted the value of collaborative research in addressing emerging security challenges.
“As an island nation, Australia relies on shipping for 99 per cent of its international trade, making our ports vital to economic stability and supply chain continuity,” Sitnikova said.
“Developing a deeper understanding of cyber risks in port environments is essential to identifying practical mitigations, and this study contributes important insights that can help industry and government enhance the resilience of Australia’s maritime infrastructure.
“The Defence Innovation Partnership funding helped us to kick-off this project and with further investment we can expand nationally for other critical infrastructure sectors.”
Since 2018, DIP has contributed $8.82 million in South Australian government funding to collaborative research and development projects, leveraging a further $41.5 million in cash and in-kind contributions from Defence, industry and universities.
DIP is a partnership between Defence SA, the Defence Science and Technology Group, Adelaide University and Flinders University, connecting South Australia’s industrial and research capabilities with the needs of the Australian Department of Defence, allies and partner nations. It is also the South Australian node of the Australian Defence Science and Universities Network, which is evolving into the Defence Research Network.
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