SmartSat CRC

SQC among 6 startups sharing $12.3 million in quantum grants

Six Australian quantum startups, including Silicon Quantum Computing and QuantX Labs, have received federal grants totalling $12.3 million under the Critical Technologies Challenge Program for projects in energy, health, biosecurity and logistics.

Defence Trailblazer at ADSTAR 2026: impact and legacy

Defence Trailblazer showcases its researchers, ventures and projects at an Adelaide defence summit, citing over $140 million in industry support, as it prepares to hand over to AUSDII.

ACT Investors: 15 Canberra Funds Backing Deep Tech in 2026

A directory of fifteen Canberra investors backing deep tech, noting ACTivate Capital's fund first close, several government-backed company raises, an incubator's alumni, and one portfolio acquisition.

A solution to cheaper, greener construction could be in the bag, says robotics team

Podcast interview in which the founders of Earthbuilt Technology and Crest Robotics discuss their Charlotte construction robot, which prints buildings from onsite materials, its lunar ambitions, and government program backing.

Space Machines, Adelaide University and others developing new robotics testbed

A satellite-servicing firm leads a collaborative effort, backed by program funding, to build a robotic test facility with university and defence partners; its 2026 debris mission earlier received an $8.5 million space agency grant.

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

A news roundup covering a government-backed hydrogen project for Telstra, a climate tech fund's first close, new appointments at a South Australian agency and a feed company, plus export approvals and science prizes.

Also @AuManufacturing

AI and moon rescue snare space grants

Two South Australian space companies, Safety from Space and AICRAFT, each received $100,000 from the state's new Space Collaboration and Innovation Fund for lunar rescue beacons and AI-powered radar payload projects with international partners.

Also @AuManufacturing

Infinity Avionics to develop space camera system

Infinity Avionics leads a SmartSat CRC and ACT Government backed project with UNSW Canberra Space and Nominal Systems to build a twin neuromorphic camera for spotting and identifying objects in orbit.

QuantX Labs' optical atomic clock heads into space

QuantX Labs is partnering with satellite specialist SSTL through Airbus Australia to prepare its optical atomic clock for a 2026 low-Earth-orbit demonstration under an Australian Space Agency program.

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

Briefs roundup: space capability database launching, IDT's shareholder plan after a $5m placement, Orthocell's R&D tax refund, Ford job cuts, steel output figures, and a gate safety warning.

Fleet Space to lead $6.4 million defence communications project

Fleet Space Technologies wins a 6.4 million dollar Defence Space Command contract to lead the ASCEND2LEO project, developing LEO satellite communications with a consortium including DSTG, University of South Australia, Rice Satcom and SmartSat CRC.

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

News roundup: Elsight locks in $8 million through convertible notes; Northrop Grumman extends its Quickstep supply agreement; Titomic grows US sales; Fleet Space to survey for Core Lithium; Venture Catalyst Space applications open.

$600,000 funding for innovative defence projects

Four defence and space research projects in South Australia, including one by Adelaide startup Safety from Space, have received grants through the Defence Innovation Partnership's Collaborative Research Fund.

QuantX’s atomic clock gets support

Adelaide timing company QuantX has received a million-dollar grant from SmartSatCRC to speed development of a compact atomic clock for satellites, built with the University of Adelaide.

Also Startup Daily

ISOLABS kicking early goals

A Perth AI company won four defence grants under a national initiative and has been developing client projects and in-house products, including bushfire-detection software for a satellite startup.

Getting junk out of space

An Adelaide machine learning research group led by Tat-Jun Chin has won a $600,000 SmartSat CRC grant to continue work on detecting, tracking and removing space debris, collaborating with universities and local space firms.

Launch Site Flagged for Australian Electronic Warfare Satellites

Adelaide electronic warfare firm DEWC Systems plans to launch its MOESS CubeSat constellation from Southern Launch's Whalers Way site, recalls a grant, and has acquired local engineering firm AES.

Also Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·indailysa.com.au