Research and innovation

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Introducing Launch at UNSW Canberra City — unparalleled opportunities for industry, university, and government to collaborate and innovate in the defence and security sectors.

UNSW Canberra opened its first defence and security innovation space, Launch on Northbourne, in February 2020. Located on the northern fringe of Canberra’s city, Launch on Northbourne is a precursor to the new precinct which will be developed at the Canberra City campus.

Launch on Northbourne, currently home to nine companies and 160 staff, has expanded to the UNSW Canberra City Campus to host four additional companies. All of these start-ups and SMEs are working towards delivering on Australia's defence and security mission.

Building on the success of Launch on Northbourne and Launch City Campus, the new location will offer secure and flexible spaces for defence and security organisations, start-ups, research and development companies, University and entrepreneurs to connect formally and informally, encouraging partnerships in Australia and abroad.

The innovation precinct will also expand UNSW Canberra’s research in cyber security, space, systems engineering, artificial intelligence, logistics, and more. Launch will house the UNSW Defence Research Institute, opens in a new window to further support research and partnerships.

Learn more about Launch and the collaborating businesses, opens in a new window

Collaboration. Innovation. Opportunity.

Innovation is one of the most significant sources of sustainable competitive advantage and UNSW Canberra identified the opportunity for a dedicated innovation space that allows academics, businesses, government and the ACT community to come together to develop defence and security capability, talent and technology.

UNSW Launch provides start-ups, enterprises, associations, academics and alumni countless opportunities for collaboration in an innovative, secure and social environment. The dynamic environment at UNSW Launch is a testament to the passion and dedication of the Collaborators in the workspace. Collaboration isn’t just a proposition, we actively see it happening. UNSW Canberra have established a concept that is attracting Australian businesses that are integral in the future of Australia’s security. UNSW Launch is a precursor to the university’s planned Defence and Security Innovation Precinct at the new UNSW Canberra City campus.

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A new model for collaborative innovation in defence and security, this purpose-built precinct is designed to host research, industry and entrepreneurs in a vibrant, connected environment.

The Brooking Institute discusses The New Geography of Innovation, opens in a new window.

"Today, innovation is taking place where people can come together, not in isolated space."

Collaborative spaces, within close proximity to each other allow smart ideas to be seamlessly turned in to smart solutions. Both competitive and collaborative, the Defence and Security Innovation Precinct is designed to be energetic, innovative and social, an environment where collaboration features in the every day. Canberra will attract world class innovators, accelerating the realisation of social and economic benefits.

“The trend is to nurture living, breathing communities rather than sterile compounds of research silos.”

A vibrant co-working community for organisations big and small, housed in a secure workspace. The Precinct will be a collaborative space designed to foster influential decision-makers, idea creators and innovation trailblazers in the areas of defence and security.
The Precinct will provide access to shared research and infrastructure allowing precinct partners to broaden their own expertise, experiments and insights using technology exclusive to UNSW Canberra.

Access to shared research infrastructure allows precinct partners to expand on their own expertise, experiments and insights using technology they would otherwise not have access to. Cultivation of UNSW Canberra’s existing innovation campus at ADFA will help scale existing activity, talent, and infrastructure.

UNSW Canberra will explore opportunities to expand on existing and planned infrastructure to support growth and innovation in entrepreneurship in the defence and security space.
Our world-class facilities will be designed using the Protective Security Policy Framework which articulates the effective implementation of physical, personnel and information security.

The Precinct’s flexible space solutions will suit a broad number of organisations, with security Zones Two, Three and Four supporting the proposed workspace models.

Zones will be carefully designed and implemented so as not to inhibit the collaborative culture for which the Precinct will be known for. During initial planning and building design, UNSW Canberra will seek to consult key interested stakeholders regarding the Security Zones required. Space will be designed to be flexible to the changing, growing and evolving needs of the Precinct Collaborators.
The Defence and Security Innovation Precinct is located in the middle of Canberra’s CBD innovation corridor, bookmarked by ANU and CSIRO.

Its proximity to Canberra’s Defence and Intelligence Headquarters in Russell will enhance the new innovation environment which will see knowledge and ideas transferred more seamlessly.

Committed to fostering Canberra’s innovation ecosystem, The Precinct will contribute to the new geography of innovation which will see knowledge and ideas transferred more seamlessly in an environment encouraged by close proximity.
The Precinct will connect individuals and industry, tech and talent, through exclusive access to new networks. A connected ecosystem and culture overseen by relationship managers will foster unique opportunities for knowledge exchange.

Bringing students, start-ups, academia and innovation together will facilitate new connections for individuals and industry.

Relationship Managers will facilitate academic partnerships, business connections, and introductions to tech and talent.

Exclusive access to the Precinct community will foster mentors, investors, media contacts, funding sources, new research opportunities, potential customers and general knowledge exchange.
UNSW Canberra has a proud history of working with Defence for over 50 years in education and a track record of using research to solve modern day military challenges.

In 2018, UNSW established the UNSW Defence Research Institute, opens in a new window as part of its commitment to advancing Australian defence and security capabilities.

Research and innovation

Collaboration. Innovation. Opportunity.

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