Signing of MoU at Indo Pacific 2023 International Maritime Exposition. Patrice Provost, CEO of Safran Electronics & Defense Australasia (left), Professor Benjamin Eggleton (right).
Patrice Provost, who signed for Safran, said: “Safran and the University of Sydney have world-leading research capabilities across a wide range of advanced technologies and bringing these together will be a fantastic combination.”
“Safran and its predecessor companies have worked locally in Australia for 45 years delivering best in race solutions to the local defense customer, we are excited to be working on the next generation of these solutions with our local partners.”
The collaboration between Safran and the university has been made possible by AUKUS, the trilateral security pact established in September 2021 between Australia, the UK and the US, and is in line with Australian Defense Strategic Review (DSR) priorities. The partnership’s primary objective is to strengthen joint efforts in defense initiatives and promote advanced technology, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
“We look forward to exploring opportunities for collaboration with Safran in areas related to machine learning, robotics, autonomous systems, communications and sensor design,” said Professor Stefan Williams, from the University of Sydney’s Australian Center for Robotics and School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronics technique.
“There is significant opportunity to leverage our expertise across a wide range of research related to the digital sciences and to complement existing work funded through the NSW Defense Innovation Network and other sources.”
Professor Williams is Director of the University of Sydney’s Digital Science Initiative and Co-Director of the NSW Space Research Network.
The university is well-equipped with research that can be translated into industrial applications, with work advancing autonomy, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technologies.
The university is currently collaborating on edge AI, which enables data to be processed locally on a device, in multiple unmanned aerial vehicles for communications and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
The Indo Pacific 2023 International Maritime Exposition, to be held in Sydney at the International Convention Center from November 7 to 9, is a vital platform for commercial maritime and naval defence. The bi-annual event brings together leaders from Australia and various international sectors including defence, industry, government, academia and technology, with more than 25,000 visitors.