AGRICULTURE FOCUS GROUP – 22 November 2023

The first Agriculture focus group was launched in November with strong representation from the cyber industry.  This first meeting was exploratory and involved introducing Cuber Companies to the peak bodies and associations to the agriculture ecosystem.  Presenters on the day included.

• The Australian Agritech Association
• The Gate Orange – Department of Primary Industries
• Food Innovation Australia (FIAL)
• Investment NSW | Advanced Manufacturing & Agrifood, Industry Development and Partnerships
• Investment NSW | Tech Export Advisor | Export Development and Services

The group was introduced to the breadth of the agriculture sector and the agritech supply chain.  Of particular interest was knowledge of the development of a Farm Data Code, “A voluntary code which focuses on and applies where there is a direct contractual relationship between a Farmer and the Provider of services, technology and/or equipment, that collects and uses data about farm operation and where that data can be shared with other parties.”
(Farm Data Code, Edition 2, May 2023).

There was a mix of companies represented including 50% start-up | 30% scaleup | 20% mature.

Photo: Presenting - Johnny Henwood | Investment NSW

SPACE FOCUS GROUP –13 November 2023

The second Space Focus group met at the National Innovations Centre Eveleigh on Monday 13 November. This second session involved introducing businesses within the space supply chair to the group.  Presenting on the day were delivered by:

• Saber Astronautics
• Eartheye technologies
• Space Machines and
• Cyberops

Each presenter introduced their respective businesses and discussed the space infrastructure, its vulnerability, and potential cyber threats. The presentations formed valuable insights for the attending cyber security businesses.  Presenters opened the door for cyber businesses to contact and continue to develop inroads to working in the sector.

Photo: from L-R
Ant Thomas | Associate Director | NSW Cyber Hub, Investment Partnerships | Investment NSW
Aidan O’Brien | Head of Infrastructure and Analytics | Saber Astronautics
Paul Hepplewhite | Associate Director | Space, Investment Partnerships | Investment NSW

SPACE FOCUS GROUP – 8 December 2022

The Space Focus Group was launched in an intimate roundtable session, with the aim to bring cyber companies into the Space industry ecosystem, to share knowledge and explore opportunities for collaboration. The group walked through the strategies and programs of the space organisations, to discover how cyber SME businesses can engage with and contribute to the space sector value chain.

It was a small face-to-face gathering which ensured there was sufficient exchange of information that generated constructive conversation. The discussion was facilitated by the Investment NSW Space team and the following Space associations:

National Space Industry Hub – Julie Autuly Australia’s leading incubator for startups and scaleups working on science and engineering innovations, or deep tech.

NSW Space Research Network (SRN) – David Reynolds A university-led initiative designed to support collaboration and coordination between government, industry and research organisations to deliver space research and research translation to industry.

SmartSat CRC– Tim Parsons A consortium of industry and research organisations that develop game changing technologies to bootstrap Australia’s space industry.

Space Industry Association of Australia – James Brown The national peak body for Australia’s space industry and space economy.

Spry Squared – Stephen Spry | Case study A multi-dimensional Marketing and IT Consulting firm providing clients with best-in-class cybersecurity solutions.

There was a good mix of cyber-SMEs and Primes represented in the group which made the discussions more valuable. It was good to see the connections made on the day and discussions on how they could possibly work together and collaborate in regard to tenders and assist with clearances. The next session will include space businesses so they can meet with cyber businesses in person.

“This event allowed us to understand AU space industry landscape and how cyber security may potentially fit into this quite niche vertical. Also, it was beneficial to meet the representatives from different NSW bodies supporting the space industry as well as fellow cyber security providers.”
Andrey Arseniev (IPSec)

DEFENCE FOCUS GROUP – 30 November 2022

The second meeting of the Defence Group was a session on Quad Chart training. The purpose of which was for participants to be ready to present their value proposition to Defence, Aerospace and the Primes, to make the strongest first impression. The workshop was carried out by Shane Sarlin (Director | Consulting National Lead) from Deloitte. It was designed as an interactive, event where participants developed a best practice chart during the workshop.

The workshop covered market awareness:

• Awareness of their value proposition and how it suits Defence/Industry needs
• How to market to Defence and Aerospace
• Understanding capability statements
• Developing Quad Charts that communicate the business (or product) value proposition

Members of both the Defence and Space Focus Groups were invited to attend, as similar language is used for both ecosystems.

It was an excellent session, where the delegates thought the content was well delivered with real world examples. The practical element made it more engaging and meant they came away with tangible outcomes and a completed Quad Chart. Next steps for this group would be the next sequential workshop in the series – a deeper dive into the Defence structure and how the parts interrelate, including tender writing for Defence.

“The facilitator was excellent. Well developed content and well delivered with very credible real-world examples. The practical element means you come away with real, tangible outcomes - it also makes it far more engaging.”
Joe Ruggero (Vault Cloud)

Defence Focus Group - 28 July 2022

The first meeting of the Defence Focus Group was held in Sydney on Thursday 28 July 2022.

This was a follow on from the successful presence that the NSW Cyber Business Exchange (NSWCBE) had at the Indo-Pacific Expo in May.

The purpose of this meeting was to share knowledge about Defence opportunities and what role Government can play in assisting SME cyber businesses to engage with and contribute to the defence sector value chain.

The 15 cyber businesses involved found the interaction with the Office of Defence Industry Support (ODIS) and the Investment NSW Defence team invaluable. The group heard from experts on how to prepare their businesses, how to get noticed and what membership organisations they should join. They had the opportunity to network and have open discussion during the session. Most importantly they built relationships with key people who can help guide them along the path to build their business.

Feedback from this event will help to shape the future meetings for the group.

“I learned of the vast effort required to engage with Defence, especially on product or service provision for operations, it was a bit of an eye opener. I am glad I learned about the grant program and was able to network with the Defence Team and my peers.”
Paul Domoney (Merimetso)

Participating NSW Cyber Businesses in Defence