NEWS & MEDIA

A panel of innovation experts will judge the Indo Pacific 2023 Innovation Awards with representatives from leading Australian Defence and research outlets including Austrade, Defence Science and Technology Group and CSIRO.

The panel of eight judges will have the difficult task of reviewing the entries and then awarding the winners across three award categories: National, SME and Young Innovator. The Indo Pacific 2023 Innnovation Awards Judges are:

• (Head Judge) Mr Tony Quick - Chair DMTC Ltd 
• Dr Reece Clothier - Principal, Global Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Boeing
• Professor Regina Crameri - Head  of Critical Technologies at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade)
• Dr Gregor Ferguson, Ph.D - Innovation Coordinator and founder of  AMDA Foundation Limited's Innovation Awards Program
• Andrew Garth - Advocate, Advisor, and promoter of Defence SME development
• Dr Anita Hill, FTSE - Honorary Fellow at CSIRO, Past Executive Director of CSIRO, Office of the Chief Executive Science Leader and Chief of CSIRO Process Science and Engineering
• Paul C Johnson MBE, MSc, Dip Eng (AE), MAICD, independent adviser to Minister for Defence Industry for innovation programs submitted through Defence’s Innovation hub
• Dr Ian Sare AM FTSE, Associate, aadi Defence Pty Ltd 

Head Judge, Mr Tony Quick said the judges will evaluate the submitted innovations against three key criteria: 

1. Commercial Success or Demonstrated Market Potential
2. Understanding of user needs
3. Originality and innovation

"The Innovation Awards are designed for practical innovators: people and companies who intend to bring a new product, service or business process to market," Mr Quick said.

"An innovation can be defined very broadly as a new idea that is adopted and used so treat your entry for these awards as, in some ways, a test of your business case, your creativity and technological mastery: if somebody wouldn’t buy it, then why should it be a candidate for these awards?"

Entries for the Indo Pacific 2023 Innovation Awards are now open.

For more information: Read the eligibility criteria for the Indo Pacific 2023 Innovation Awards.