Remarks at the Australian Innovation Showcase
I’m delighted to be here today to help showcase Australian innovation.
And to celebrate the progress that the partnership between Australia and America is delivering for both our countries – and for the wider world.
Whether it’s new defence technology promoting peace and security.
The capacity for quantum and artificial intelligence to boost productivity across our workforce and drive prosperity in our economy.
Medical breakthroughs changing and saving lives.
Or clean, green technology helping the world make the transition to net zero.
The people and technologies we see around us – will shape the decades ahead of us.
In all these fields, the closer Australia and America work together, the further we will go together.
Co-operating on research, drawing on complementary expertise, building on shared experience – and striving for breakthroughs.
Pushing each other, to expand the boundaries of discovery.
That is the great success story of all the people and firms at this showcase.
It is one of the growing strengths of the partnership between the United States of America and Australia.
And there is a world of opportunity for us still to explore – particularly in fulfilling the new third pillar of our alliance: climate and clean energy.
Australia is proudly home to the building blocks of the clean energy economy: rare earths and critical minerals, lithium, cobalt, copper.
We want to be a renewable energy superpower.
A leader in green hydrogen – and the green steel and green ammonia it enables us to produce and export.
A central focus of our engagement with the Biden Administration this week is building stronger connections between Australian critical minerals and clean energy technology and American markets, investors and innovators.
And we are investing in more sustainable, reliable and transparent supply chains with the United States as well, so both our countries can deliver on our shared clean energy ambitions.
Of course, in this time of uncertainty and conflict – it’s important to recognise that innovation plays a pivotal role in building a more secure world.
That’s why today I am proud to announce that Australia will deliver an additional $20 million of defence assistance to Ukraine, in the form of innovative and locally-developed industry equipment.
Australian innovation will equip the brave people of Ukraine with some of the best capabilities in the world.
This new package includes:
Counter-drone systems from DroneShield.
De-mining equipment from Minelab.
Ultra lightweight portable X-Ray equipment from Micro-X.
Deployable 3D printers from Spee-3D: the capacity to print replacement parts, for damage sustained in combat, while you are in the field.
I want to thank our Australian defence industry partners for the support they have provided.
And I want to thank them for the difference this equipment will make for the people of Ukraine.
In the same spirit, I want to welcome a very significant commercial agreement announced this week:
Australia’s Ferra Engineering and Boeing have agreed a new strategic partnership for the supply of 1000 Joint Direct Attack Munition.
At its heart, this showcase celebrates the exchange of knowledge and ideas across international borders.
This ability to learn from each other and work with each other, the flow of talent and investment, research and education, so much of this depends on the international rules-based order.
But innovation is not just a dividend of peace, prosperity and stability – it’s a contributor to all three.
Innovation strengthens our capability in defence – and it strengthens our multilateral and regional relationships too.
It creates jobs, drives economic growth and lifts people out of poverty.
It helps deepen and diversify trading relationships.
And in clean energy, it’s innovation and technology that means some of the fastest-growing economies in the world can decarbonise and industrialise, at the same time.
At a moment when our world faces profound challenges – your work is central to finding the solutions.
And at a time of economic transformation – your work is vital to seizing these opportunities.
Thank you for the part you play in shaping the future: for Australia, for America, for all of us.